Medium or High-Security Access Doors: Which is the Better Choice for a Museum?

Whether you prefer "How to Steal a Million" (1966) starring Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole, (filmed at Bonnet’s House in Paris (now demolished), or "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1997) with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo, (filmed at the MET Museum in New York), museum heists are often featured in movies - they're also a reality making museum security a serious matter

Museums and art galleries are home to priceless and irreplaceable artifacts and historical pieces valued in the millions requiring careful security planning. Along with strategic designs, complex security systems are installed to safeguard collections and exhibits – not only from theft but also from tampering and potential damage. Security access doors are an essential facet of a museum's security features.

But how do you decide what kind of access doors to install? Will medium-security access doors be adequate? When should your museum design include high-security access doors? This article will help answer those questions.

What Role Do Access Doors Play in Museum Security?

Museums follow specific processes to secure their collections with designated spaces to hold valuable items assigned for auctions and assessments. Full compliance with protocols includes strengthening the building's security to prevent theft and damage.

Understanding the basic concepts of access doors and how they can enhance a building's security can help you quickly determine which access door is best to integrate with your museum architecture.

Security access doors provide restricted access to building components and exhibits. Whether you choose medium or high-security doors, both use durable materials like steel and reinforced alloys that strengthen structural integrity and protect from tampering and accidental impact. 

Along with steel construction, reinforced steel access doors feature advanced locking systems that integrate with today's technology to control and grant access to authorized personnel. These doors integrate with your surveillance system without compromising security. Through CCTVs, motion sensors, and alarms, you can quickly identify who comes in and out of the holding space for heightened museum security. 

In addition to enhancing security, security access doors comply with OSHA regulations, fire safety, and building codes for added protection.

When Secure Access is Needed for Maintenance and Repairs

If you're simply looking for locked access to building components for maintenance, service, and repairs, a medium-security door offers moderate security and quick access for authorized personnel.

Architects, engineers, and other construction professionals use medium security access doors to regulate and restrict access to sensitive assets in server rooms, equipment rooms, and storage rooms.  

An example of a reliable medium security access door is the Cendrex MDS Medium Security Panel with its 14-gauge thick galvanneal steel door and 1 ½" deep galvanized steel frame for advanced structural integrity.

Another medium security access door used in art galleries and museums is the Acudor MS-7000 Medium Security Access Door which has 12-gauge steel construction and a tamper-resistant latch with a security pin.   

When Maximum Security is Required to Protect Artifacts and Exhibits

When high-level security and strict access control are required, installing high-security access doors such as the 10-gauge steel Milcor security access doors with unremovable stainless steel hinges is your best choice.

Maximum security prisons and jails often use Acudor SD-6000 High-Security Access Doors, a viable option for enhanced museum security when the highest level of protection is required. The 10-gauge door panel and angled frame with heavy-duty but hinge strengthen security. Choose these doors to enhance resistance against theft and intrusion attempts, safeguarding classified information, artifacts, intellectual properties, and sensitive data subject to cyber and physical breaches. 

Medium-security doors are ideal for limiting access to building components. However, high-security museum access doors serve as robust physical barriers that you can integrate with advanced locking mechanisms offering the highest level of protection.

Which Security Access Door is the Best for a Museum?

Potential theft and unauthorized access are two primary challenges architects face when drafting museum designs. Medium and high-security access doors offer durability, security, and compliance with safety standards.

A medium security access door like Cendrex MDS of Acudor MS-7000 works for areas or buildings that require convenience and moderate security to allow authorized staff, employees, and other authorized personnel to access the room quickly. 

However, to protect high-value exhibits and artifacts, a high-security door provides maximum protection for non-compromising security. In this kind of setting, opt for either Milcor 3211 or Acudor SD-6000 for robust durability, advanced locking mechanisms, and technology integration best suited to art galleries, museums, prisons, and data centers.

Invest with the Best!

Take control of your art gallery and museum security by investing in high-security access doors to safeguard valuable art collections and historical from tampering, damage, and theft. Call us at 1-800-609-2917 to get started. 

If you have a special request, let us know. Most of our models are customizable. Our product specialists are ready to help!