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Local Institution Closing 4 Days During Papal Visit

By Lynne Adkins

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A cultural institution located on the Parkway is now planning to close from Friday through Monday when the Pope comes to town, which will, of course, result in lost revenue.

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is located right in the heart of the Papal activities.

"My sadness is that we can't be more of a vital part of it all," says Sara Hertz, Vice President for Museum Operations.

She knows because of the closure, the museum will take a big financial hit:

"We're keenly aware of the potential opportunity this was for revenue generation for one of the city's major cultural institutions and a non-profit that needs general admission to survive."

She says there were too many unknowns, like would employees have to go through metal detectors? Through a fenced in area? And could they access public transportation to get to work?

The good news for employees is they will still get paid.

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