Fermilab to close to public Aug. 26-Sept. 8

Fermilab, a particle physics and accelerator laboratory in Batavia, will be closed to the public from Aug. 26 through Sept. 8, reopening Sept. 9, spokeswoman Tracy Marc said.

The temporary closure is not about funding, Marc said, but about balancing the budget, as the lab’s fiscal year ends Sept. 30.

“It will not be completely non-operational,” Marc said. “Experiments and research will be continuing to happen. Those are the high-priority, mission-critical support projects.”

Marc said Fermilab’s operational budget already has been allocated for employees’ vacation time, so having them take their time off during the closure aligns spending with the fiscal year-end.

The areas that will be closed to the public include the Lederman Science Center, all outdoor areas and Wilson Hall, according to its website, fnal.gov/.

Visitors who need access to non-public areas must submit an access request form, according to the website.