“Carrying on During COVID,” the new exhibit at The L. Alan Cruikshank River of Time Museum and Exploration Center, remains on display through July 2.

The display features examples of what area residents did during the lockdown. Vaccinations, mask mandates, panic buying and hoarding along with a host of other challenges will be forever linked to the coronavirus. Visitors to the exhibit may be reluctant to remember, but hopefully a glimpse into the creative way residents met these challenges will remind everyone of the resilience of the human spirit.

Ken Dobbs discovered a new hobby to stay busy during quarantine. A gift from a relative resulted in more than 30 hand assembled models of everything ranging from a replica of the White House to a working ferris wheel. The miniatures are made of a balsa-type wood and fit together like puzzle pieces. Dobbs has donated his collection to the River of Time to support the organization’s fundraising efforts. Each of his hand-crafted items are on sale.

Other features in the exhibition include poetry, an oil painting, photos and colored pencil works. Stories from residents on how they coped or changed their plans or just made the most of all the challenges offer an interesting look back on the two years of the pandemic.

The exhibit will be on display at the River of Time Museum and Exploration Center through July 2. Summer hours at the Center are Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and by appointment. There is no charge to visit the COVID display. The Riverbanks Gift Shop also is open for shopping without admission.

Center admission is $12 for adults and $7 for children 6-18, veterans and health care workers. Members, children five and younger and Fountain Hills school students are free. Memberships also are available. Individual memberships are $25 and $35 for a family of four.