In December Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf instituted stricter COVID-19 guidelines in response to the uptick in cases. Restaurants, gyms, and cultural institutions across the state were required to close. With these stricter guidelines lifted as of January 4, museums across Philadelphia are preparing to reopen their doors.
Five Philadelphia museums have announced that they will reopen this month. The Franklin Institute reopened on January 6. The Academy of Natural Sciences, the Barnes Foundation, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art all plan to open to the public on January 8. Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts will be the last museum to open this month, with a scheduled opening date of January 21.
Despite the eased restrictions, some cultural institutions are opting to wait until later in the year to reopen. Eastern State Penitentiary plans to open sometime in March, while the Rodin Museum announced that it will reopen at some point in the spring.
“With the advent of a new year, we are grateful for the opportunity to welcome our visitors once again,” read a joint statement from the cultural institutions’ leaders.
Information on all these museums’ updated openings and hours can be read here.