The North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh has taken the unexpected step of closing its doors on a typically busy Sunday due to a social media threat. Officials opted for the closure after the threat surfaced, prompting a response from local authorities. CBS 17 reported that the museum, often open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays, is now slated to remain closed until the following Wednesday for safety reasons.
According to ABC11, the museum announced the decision on their website, following a statement by spokesperson Lizzie Newton on Sunday that confirmed the institution was cooperating with an ongoing criminal investigation. The local visitors and long-distance travelers who arrived facing locked doors, like George Moore, who drove up from Emerald Isle, expressed their disappointment yet understanding of the necessary precautions. “Totally unfair that our life was affected this way but you adapt and overcome,” said George.
Laura Hourigan, a spokesperson for the N.C. Department of Public Safety, detailed the immediate actions taken in response to the threat, including evacuating the museum and the surrounding area to allow law enforcement to conduct a thorough search. Despite this, officials determined there was no immediate danger but have kept the museum closed as a precaution, CBS 17 learned from the department’s news release.
The intervention of State Capitol Police and the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has underscored the seriousness with which threats of this nature are handled. People looking forward to a cultural experience were instead met with a closed sign, leading to confusion and disappointment. “It makes me feel really bad, because museums are always just a place to be happy and experience art,” Bryan Holguin told WRAL News.
The museum, which already closes regularly on Monday and Tuesday, pushed its re-opening to midweek according to the facility’s online schedule.
