Museum of the Aleutians reopens after yearlong closure

The Museum of the Aleutians has officially reopened in Unalaska — after a scandal closed the space for nearly a year. Last week, new Executive Director Neal Hitch announced the museum has set regular hours for the first time since last fall — when the former director resigned after items from the collection were found in her home.

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In his first month on the job, Hitch has reopened the museum gradually — allowing visitors during cruise ship and ferry stops, even though the building’s technically been closed.

So far, he says the museum has had more than 1500 visitors.

“In the first six weeks of this fiscal year, we’re going to eclipse our visitation numbers for the entire last year,” said Hitch.

The museum has hired two part-time employees to staff the front desk, and Hitch says he’s looking for a full-time collections manager. He’s also applying for grants to fund future exhibits.