Queens' Museum of the Moving Image set to reopen April 30

Photo courtesy of MOMI

By David Brand

The Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria will soon welcome back visitors for the first time in more than year, officials announced Wednesday.

The popular museum, a physical tribute to the history of film, is set to open for members on April 30, and to the general public on May 1. Galleries will open on Fridays from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.

MOMI thanked members and funders who attended virtual programs during the pandemic, donated to keep the museum afloat or participated in a Kickstarter campaign that raised more than $50,000 last year.

“It is impossible to overstate our gratitude to this incredible community—whether you’ve provided a donation, joined us for an online event, or sent a kind note, it means the world to us,” the museum said.

MOMI Executive Director Carl Goodman said the physical museum may have closed, but the spirit of education and community continued throughout the COVID crisis. The museum played a key role in the creation of the Queens Drive-In, which screens films — including the world premiere of Coming 2 America — outside the New York Hall of Science.

“Though our in-person activity stopped in March of last year, we are proud to have spent the past year shifting our programs online,” said Carl Goodman, the Museum’s Executive Director. “We are grateful to our members and staff who stuck with us through it all, the many supporters who donated to our fundraisers and Kickstarter campaign, and the new audiences we found across the country and around the world.”

The museum will continue its online programming, Goodman said.

The museum will reopen at 25 percent capacity after upgrading air filtration systems and setting up barriers to promote social distancing. Masks are required.