Cabot’s Pueblo Museum reopening after 11-month Covid-19 closure

The Cabot's Pueblo Museum in Desert Hot Springs is set to reopen Friday after closing for the pandemic nearly a year ago.

"We're really excited. I miss seeing people around the grounds," said Irene Rodriguez, the museum's executive director. "Should be great. There's enough space; it's about a 5-acre space, and there's different nooks and crannies you can see."

The museum is only opening its outdoor grounds, as indoor museums are not permitted to reopen under the state's "purple" tier framework. Coronavirus precautions will be enforced.

"When the stay-at-home order was lifted, we thought, 'Well, let me open the grounds. It's outdoors; we can still follow social distancing and of course wear a mask," Rodriguez said.

The closure caused Cabot Pueblo's revenue stream to plummet about 80 percent. Museum officials said it only survived the past year thanks to a PPP loan, several grants, and support from donors, members and the city of Desert Hot Springs.

"Now that we're still closed coming to a year, that only goes so far," Rodriguez said. "We're thinking, 'What can we do now,' because we dont want that money to run out."

Most of the museum's 8 employees were furloughed through the pandemic. Despite the reopening, only two of them have been hired back.

Rodriguez said she's looking forward to getting the site's history back in front of visitors. "Every time you come and take a tour of the pueblo, you see something new, you learn something new about cabot about his family," she said.

The museum reopens Friday, Feb. 19 and Saturday, Feb. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $5. Only 20 people per hour will be permitted on the grounds.

You can make a reservation by clicking here.