DES MOINES, Iowa — The silence on stage is nearly deafening in a place that is usually packed with families around the holidays.
The Hoyt Sherman Place during the holidays is known for music and activities, however, the novel coronavirus had other plans this year.
The venue closed its doors back in March, meaning they've had very little revenue coming in for the last nine months.
Workers have been using their time to renovate and tend to the historic building.
"The only way we are surviving is in skeleton mode," said Robert Warren, executive director of Hoyt Sherman Place. "We are down to nine full-time staff members. We still have a $26 million facility that has to be maintained, so we focused our attention on that."
Warren said he hopes the facility will be back up and running in March with re-scheduled events from this year. Fortunately, donations have really helped them keep their doors open through these difficult times.