Seems like 2020 was one of the longest years of our life.
It turned most everything we knew and loved upside down. As much as we want to move forward, safety is still the new normal and it will be for some time to come.
The Del Webb Sun Cities Museum closed its doors last spring and remained closed until November.
During the closure, we rebranded the museum and made significant changes. It was a chance we took while most organizations played it safe and simply tried to get by. We could have done the same but our board saw the potential of a whole new look and feel.
When we reopened, it was with an abundance of caution. We followed “best practices” of larger, more substantial museums around the country. Mandatory masks, social distancing, hand sanitizers everywhere and reservations online. As proud as we were of the changes we made, safety was our primary concern.
Now some three months later, we have come to understand we are going to be limited in attendance until large numbers of residents have been vaccinated. While we would all love to see those pre-pandemic numbers of visitors return, we know it is neither practical or possible.
That said, we have come to understand the beauty of our current situation. I have personally conducted a lot of individualized tours and it has been a remarkable experience. Taking small numbers of two or four people though the museum has allowed for a far more intimate approach to telling the Sun City story.
We have been able to share time and knowledge in ways we couldn’t when there were 10 or 15 visitors at a time.
I will tell you these individualized tours have been the best of opportunities and each of them has left me delighted by the experience. I’ve come to appreciate “quality” rather than “quantity.”
If you are bored by being cooped up at home and are looking for a unique and safe option for something to do, visit us at delwebbsuncitiesmuseum.org and you can schedule your tour or call us at 623-974-2568 and we can get you set up quickly. Sun City, Arizona truly is “The Community That Changed The Nation,” and when you take your personalized tour, we will show you exactly how and why.
Bill Pearson MUSEUM BOARD MEMBER SUN CITY
February 1, 2021 | Daily Independent | YourValley.net | Go to Pages 6 and 7