Visitor Code of Conduct
The Spurlock Museum strives to provide a welcoming, inclusive, comfortable, and engaging environment to ensure a pleasant, safe, and rewarding experience for everyone. You are expected to exercise tolerance and be courteous and responsible towards other visitors, guests, staff, volunteers, and Museum facilities and their contents. This Code of Conduct applies to visits within our building, but also, to the furthest extent possible, to our online and sponsored programs as well. The Spurlock Museum reserves the right to modify any portion(s) of the Code.
Additionally, follow verbal instructions given by any Museum staff.
Visitors who violate this Code of Conduct, University guidelines, or staff instructions may be subject to University-imposed discipline and/or be asked to leave the Museum.
Health and Safety
For the well-being of our staff and other visitors, please consider postponing your visit if you are feeling unwell. Hand sanitizing stations are available. Inquire at the information desk about scheduled group tours and programs if you prefer to avoid larger crowds.
Health and safety guidelines, including mask restrictions, are subject to change according to local, state, and federal guidelines.
Harassment and Discrimination
The Museum will not tolerate harassment or discrimination against any other visitor, guest, staff member, or volunteer. Unacceptable activity in this area is any threat, action, language, or any physical or nonverbal expression that jeopardizes an inclusive or welcoming visitor experience or makes an individual feel unsafe. We will not accept harassment of any type, including that which is related to sexual orientation, gender, physical appearance, size, race, ethnicity, color, age, religion, or ability.
If you feel unsafe and/or that you have been the target of harassment or discrimination, please consider taking any of the following actions:
- If you feel it is safe to do so, ask the offender to stop, especially if you feel that the behavior was unintentional.
- Leave the area. Removing yourself from the location of harassment, if possible, may give you the easiest ability to increase your safety in the situation. From a more secure location, you may wish to take additional actions.
- If you can, report the issue to the Information Desk attendant, other Museum staff, or the Museum Director, either in the moment, or afterwards, even if anonymously, so that we can make you and other visitors more safe.
- Contact the police or other authorities. Direct contact with the appropriate authorities is the fastest way to receive professional assistance in instances when you feel you—or others—are in imminent danger.
Animals
Animals are not permitted anywhere in the Spurlock Museum, with the exception of Service Animals and Service Animals in Training. See the Campus Administrative Manual Campus Administrative Manual, Policy FO-53 for more.
Personal Property
For safety and personal comfort, lockers are provided to store personal items while visiting the Museum. Lockers require a $.25 deposit to lock and remove the key. The deposit will be returned to the visitor upon re-opening the locker. If you need a quarter, please see the information desk attendant. Visitors are responsible for locker keys and may be charged for any lost locker keys. The Museum cannot be responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen personal items.
No firearms or weapons of any kind are permitted inside the Museum. See the Campus Administrative Manual, Policy FO-54 for more.
The Spurlock Museum reserves the right to restrict from Museum galleries large items or other items that pose a safety concern.
Photographing or Video Recording
Photography and video recording is allowed. No flash photography, video lighting, selfie sticks, tripods, or other external equipment is allowed inside of the Spurlock Museum without consent of the Registrar, Assistant Registrar for Photography and Photographic Collections, Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions, or Assistant Director of Education.
You may be photographed or recorded by Museum staff for security, promotion, reporting, or other internal purposes. Please let the information desk attendant or other staff member know if you have concerns with this policy.
Clothing
Visitors are not permitted in the Museum without clothing. For safety, shoes are recommended. Nudity is not allowed, but breastfeeding is not considered nudity.
Museum Exhibits
The Museum encourages close inspection of objects on display, but you must maintain a minimum safe distance of 12 inches from all open-air exhibits. To protect our collections, please do not touch any objects unless signage indicates otherwise. Please do not touch, lean, climb, sit, or place items on the exhibit platforms, interpretive panels, display cases, or walls.
Disruptive Behavior
The Spurlock Museum does not permit behavior that interferes with the use and enjoyment of the Museum by its visitors or staff. Unacceptable behavior includes, but is not limited to:
- soliciting,
- posting or distributing any sign, petition, notice, ad, pamphlet, or other print materials without Museum permission,
- creating a disturbance/excessive noise of any kind,
- using, wearing, or displaying abusive language, profanity, or violence,
- sexual harassment or any overt sexual behavior,
- overt signs of substance abuse, including drunkenness,
- obstructing foot traffic,
- entering any non-public area without authorization,
- using bikes, skateboards, or skates anywhere in the Spurlock Museum, and
- fighting, running, shouting, pushing, jumping, or any other rowdy behavior.
Supervision of Children
Children must be closely supervised and/or accompanied by a responsible adult at all times.