The Smithsonian Institution announced it would be reopening four other museums with safety measures in place as part of their phased reopening plan.
The National Portrait Gallery, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Renwick Gallery, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum will open their doors to the public on Friday, September 19, for the first since they closed in mid-March.
According to the Smithsonian, all four museums will open with new COVID-19 health and safety measures in place. The museums will be offering reduced days or hours of operation, Wednesday through Sunday and will require visitors to book free time passes to access most locations. The Renwick Gallery will be the only one not requiring passes.
Here’s the full breakdown of the new measures including the obligatory use of face masks for visitors 6 or older:
- Requesting that all visitors who are sick or do not feel well stay home.
- Requiring that visitors ages 6 and older wear face coverings during their visit. Face coverings are strongly recommended for visitors ages 2 and older, per CDC guidelines.
- Closely monitoring and limiting the number of people in each museum. Most locations will require visitors to obtain a free timed-entry pass in advance of their visit. Beginning today, visitors can reserve passes online or by phone and select the desired date and time for their visit.
- Implementing safe social distancing, including one-way paths and directional guidance where appropriate.
- Providing hand-sanitizing stations for visitors and conducting enhanced cleaning throughout all facilities.
- Establishing maximum capacity for restrooms to accommodate safe social distancing.
You can book your tickets to the Smithsonian online or by calling 1-800-514-3849, ext. 1.
In other news, have you met the Smithsonian Zoo’s new baby panda cub yet?
[Featured image: Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution]