By BARRY GOODRICH
With the health of both visitors and employees the paramount concern, Cleveland’s cultural institutions are once again open to the public after months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History re-opened its doors on July 1 with all museum staff and guests required to wear protective face coverings. The museum encourages all guests to bring their own facemasks and staff and visitors are subject to a temperature check before entering the museum. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Wednesday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday.
The museum will have a single flow of traffic through its exhibits and staff will help maintain social distancing. Guest capacity will be managed with timed-visit reservations for both member visits and general admission. Reservations must be made in advance by calling 216.231.4600, option #8 or by visiting www.cmnh.org.
The Museum of Natural History’s gift shop and café is open to visitors but the Shafran Planetarium, Smead Discovery Center and all High-Touch exhibits are closed until further notice.
The Cleveland Museum of Art reopened June 30 with modified hours from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. New protocols include daily cleaning, antibacterial stations throughout the museum, social distancing and mandatory face coverings.
Free reserved tickets are required in the first phase of CMA’s reopening with a maximum of 500 visitors per day permitted in the building. On the 15th of each month, additional tickets will be released for the next month. Tickets, limited to eight per visitor, can be obtained by calling 216.421.7350 or by visiting www.clevelandart.org.
CMA’s restaurant, café, and museum store remain closed along with the ARTLENS Gallery and the Ingalls Library.
The Cleveland Botanical Garden’s outdoor trails and gardens and Holden Forests & Gardens have reopened with timed-entry reservations required. The Garden’s Glasshouses and Garden Store are also open. All visitors are required to wear facemasks.
Tickets for the Botanical Garden will not be sold on site but can be purchased by calling 216.721.1600 or at www.cbgarden.org. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and 12-5 p.m. Sunday.
The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has re-opened from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. daily with a reduced maximum daily capacity. Viewing areas have safety measures in place to guarantee social distancing with hand washing stations throughout the Zoo. Some exhibits will have a one-way directional flow and facial coverings are recommended.
All Zoo members and the public must reserve tickets in advance at www.clevelandmetroparks.com/zoo/tickets. The new Daniel Maltz Rhino Reserve is now open, but The Rainforest is closed due to construction to replace the geodesic dome.
The second phase of the Great Lakes Science Center’s reopening began on July 1 with over 74 percent of the exhibit collection accessible to visitors. All guests will have a temperature screening at check-in and must wear facemasks. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are available at www.greatscience.com/tickets or by calling 216.694.2000.
The Science Center is also offering both home and Science Center summer camp experiences. Each of the scheduled summer day camps for Camp Curiosity (grades K-8) has a corresponding home version. Camps include Lights & Lasers, Chemical Investigators and Bot Basics. For more information, visit www.greatscience.com or email campsandclasses@glsc.org.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame reopened last month with daily hours of 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and limited capacity advance timed tickets available online at www.rockhall.com. Early access is available to teachers (Mondays), vulnerable fans (Tuesdays), Rock Hall members (Saturdays) and healthcare workers (Sundays).
The Rock Hall’s new protocols include daily continuous cleaning, hand sanitizing stations, temperature checks prior to entry and masks required of all visitors. Live music returns to the Hall’s plaza this month with performances from 5-7 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays.
The Cleveland History Center of the Western Reserve Historical Society reopens to members Friday, July 24 and to the general public Saturday, July 25 with hours of 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The first hour of each day is reserved for at-risk guests.
History Center timed tickets are limited to a maximum of 10 per household and are available by visiting www.cletix.com/organizations/cleveland-history-center.
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