COVID-19 Tour Protocols

You are now confirmed for a tour of the Richardson Olmsted Campus!  Please share the information below with your entire party.

Tour Protocols During Covid-19

In the interest of public health and safety, we follow current recommended policies regarding face masks and social distancing.

July 2021

Important New Measures with Your Safety in Mind

Welcome to the Richardson Olmsted Campus.  We are excited to share this historic site with our guests.  To assure a safe and enjoyable visit for guests and volunteers alike, please review all the measures listed below with each member of your party prior to the tour.  Failure to abide by these safety measures may result in a tour being halted or cancelled at any point in the tour process.

WHAT TO KNOW

To keep our guests, volunteers, and staff safe while on site, the Richardson Olmsted Campus recommends all individuals, even if vaccinated, to wear face coverings for the interior portions of the tour.  If a mask mandate is in place at the time of your visit, masks will be required.

• We have enacted measures including:
  • Routine cleaning between tours of high touch surfaces
  • Health screening assessment of all staff
  • Health awareness for volunteers and guests
  • Recommended mask use of all guests, volunteers, and staff
  • Social distancing awareness markers

• Each tour is limited to 16 guests, age sixteen and over, with reservations made in advance. We are not able to accommodate walk-in guests at this time.

• All guests, volunteers, and staff must comply with posted rules and regulations, as well as any additional instructions provided by staff and volunteers.

• There is an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 in any public place where people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death. By visiting, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 for you and your party.

BEFORE YOUR TOUR

• If you or anyone in your party has a fever, flu-like symptoms, has tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days, has knowingly been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or has had a suspected case, please DO NOT come to the Richardson Olmsted Campus. Please call us at 716-601-1153 and speak with the staff if you have booked a tour. We will be here to welcome you in the future, and will be happy to exchange tour dates, so please wait to visit until you and your party are in good health.

• Guests who do visit with flu-like or known COVID-19 symptoms while on tour, will be immediately asked to leave, without refund.

• While there are no travel restrictions from other US states at this time, please be aware changes in state or federal restrictions may necessitate edits to ours as well.

• Only guests age 16+ will be admitted for tours and will count towards the maximum tour number.

• There are several flights of stairs and significant walking and standing on this 1 ½ to two-hour tour.  Please contact us well in advance if you or someone in your party has mobility concerns.  There is a self-guided outdoor tour which would be an excellent option.

• Please check the weather in advance on your tour and be prepared to dress appropriately and prepare for the forecast.  Our tours take place rain or shine, and tours will not be canceled or rescheduled for inclement weather.  There are some areas which are uneven, unpaved, grassy, and sometimes muddy.

• For your safety, closed-toed shoes are mandatory; we cannot allow sandals or shoes with high-heels in the historic buildings.  The historic buildings have been abandoned since 1974 and the floors may be uneven and covered with various debris.

• Should we learn that a guest, volunteer, or staff member has been infected with COVID-19, our operations may be disrupted or shut down on little or no notice. Every effort will be made to notify you as soon as possible if this will affect your ability to tour the site.

WHEN ARRIVING

• Masks are recommended for all guests, at all times, even if you have completed the Covid-19 vaccination process. These should be properly worn prior to exiting your vehicle, and for the duration of your visit.  If a mask mandate is in place at the time of your visit, masks will be required.

• If you do not have a face covering, we can provide one.

• Face coverings should fully cover your nose and mouth, fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face, be secured with ties or ear loops, and be made of breathable material.

• We are not able to accommodate medical exemptions regarding mask-wearing at the present time.

CHECKING IN & YOUR TOUR

• Only checks or cash in the correct amount of the payment due will be accepted.

• Guests will have a chance to use the restrooms if needed, then will be directed to the first-floor gallery to wait for their Docent. Re-entrance into hotel will not be permitted.

• Photography is not allowed inside the historic buildings except on our photography tours.  For those interested in taking photographs, please inquire about one of our photography tours.  We do encourage staying as long as you like after the tour to take photos of the exterior of the historic buildings.

• Hard hats will be provided for the interior portion of the tour.  Please remain with the tour group in the designated areas.  While our tours remain in secure areas, there are other sections within the historic buildings which are not safe for visitors.

• Your Docent will begin your tour in the gallery with the guidelines for touring the property. These guidelines must be followed. Failure to follow your Docent’s directions, or those given by other staff and volunteers at any time, will result in immediate dismissal from the property without a refund.

PLEASE BE ADVISED

• These new measures will be strictly enforced by Richardson Olmsted Campus staff and volunteers. If you — or those in your party — do not agree to follow all our safety measures,  we ask that you refrain from visiting until the Covid-19 restrictions have been removed.

• We are truly excited to share our historic site and buildings with you.  To ensure a safe and enjoyable visit and to avoid any unpleasant issues, please review all the above measures with all members of your party and assure their cooperation prior to booking your tour.

• We encourage guests to bring bottled water and a flashlight.  It can get warm inside the buildings in the summer and stairways are dim as there is no electricity .

• As the pandemic continues and knowledge of the disease and guidelines change, these rules and guidelines are subject to change at any time without notice.

• By purchasing tickets, you and your party acknowledge that you have read all and will abide by all of the rules listed above and that you have shared these rules with your party members and elicited their cooperation to the above.
• We have a no smoking, no vaping and no alcohol policy on our campus.