Reopening Roundup!

New York City began the process of reopening back in June, amidst great caution. There have been many changes in the game plan since then, with data based on re-openings in other states showing that mass indoor dining, bars, theaters, etc, risk a COVID resurgence here, and so those remain in limbo here. But the reopening continues, even as we’ve left behind the numbered phases.

All of these re-openings, of course, aren’t a return to the old normal (that is still likely a year or so away from now), requiring new restrictions on capacity, timed entries, required face coverings, and more.

Many NYC attractions had reopened in prior weeks, among them: The High Line, Governors Island, the city zoos, botanical gardens, observation decks at the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center, the September 11th Memorial, and others. I had visited several of these attractions since, partly for some staycation fun and also to see first-hand how these new regulations were being implemented and enforced. You can read my experiences and thoughts on a previous Blog entry.

This past week brought news that museums could now reopen as well. The state-required restrictions for now include a cap of 25% of their standard capacity, timed ticketing, and mask compliance. Here is a rundown of all the institutions that have made reopening announcements since this news, along with the dates they will reopen to the public (some have early preview days for members):

-Statue of Liberty Museum: August 24
-Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration: August 24
-Ripley’s Believe It Or Not: August 26
-National Lighthouse Museum: August 26
-Museum of Modern Art (MOMA): August 27
-Museum of the City of New York: August 27
-New York Aquarium: August 27
-Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo & Prospect Park Zoo (indoor exhibitions): August 27
-American Folk Art Museum: August 28
-Fotografiska: August 28
-Madame Tussauds: August 28
-Metropolitan Museum of Art: August 29
-Poster House: August 31
-Whitney Museum of American Art: September 3
-The Morgan Library & Museum: September 5
-The Edge at Hudson Yards: September 8
-American Museum of Natural History: September 9
-Bronx Museum of the Arts: September 9
-Morris-Jumel Mansion: September 10
-The New-York Historical Society: September 11
-9/11 Memorial Museum: September 12
-The Met Cloisters: September 12
-Brooklyn Museum: September 12
-El Museo del Barrio: September 12
-Museum of Jewish Heritage: September 13
-New Museum: September 15
-Museum of Arts and Design: September 17
-Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: October 3

Museums remaining closed for now include The Tenement Museum (though they are resuming their neighborhood walking tours), The Frick Museum (renovating; scheduled to reopen early 2021), the Museum of the Moving Image, Queens Museum, the Jewish Museum, and the Rubin Museum.

GANYC will continue to work to stay on top of all this on behalf of its membership, and continue to help work towards a safe and sustainable return to our vital tourism industry over the next year.