Two weeks ago, state and county officials announced that museums could re-open, but while some have begun the process, not everything on Museum Row is open yet.
Petersen Museum
Last week, The Petersen Automotive Museum re-opened for visitors with special COVID-19 safety protocols. Face coverings are required at all times, excluding guests who are 2 and under. Masks will also be available for purchase in the store (if needed). Guests will receive a complimentary stylus upon entry, which they can use to to push elevator buttons, sign for purchases, and push parking machines buttons. But all interactive items in the museum remain closed, including the Pixar Discovery Center, Forza Motorsport Gallery, Model T photo opp, World’s Reimagined Hololens experience, and Lightning Mcqueen photo opp.
In addition, guests must pre-purchase tickets so the museum can maintain safe capacity levels. Guests are also requested to social distance by placing at least 6 feet between themselves, and they are encouraged to wash their hands regularly and sanitize them using the available stations (kids under 9 years old must have a parent present for the use of sanitizer).
Visit the Petersen website for more information, and to plan your visit to see the Tesla Cybertruck display which has been extended through July 5.
La Brea Tar Pits
The Natural History Museum’s La Brea Tar Pits museum is not yet open but plans are underway to re-open by this summer as well as the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park .
“While LA County Public Health has entered Phase 3 of the Roadmap to Recovery, the Natural History Museum and La Brea Tar Pits are still slowly welcoming back staff and are in the process of planning new health and safety protocols in our galleries and gardens. Therefore, we will not be reopening until later in the summer,” explained Sally Márquez, museum spokesman.
Craft Contemporary and LACMA
The Craft Contemporary is also planning a summer re-opening.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is hoping to re-open in July, according to a story on LAist. LACMA Director Michael Govan told the news blog that the museum is planning to reopen next month, with its entire staff intact – thanks to a $6.7 million Paycheck Protection Program loan.
According to LAist:
Govan said the museum is aiming to unlock its gallery doors possibly as soon as July 6. Visitors will be required to follow a variety of safety and social-distance guidelines, and admissions will be limited and timed to avoid overcrowding. Some LACMA programs, such as outdoor jazz concerts, won’t come back immediately, Govan said.
Museum guests will have to answer health questionnaires and follow proscribed traffic patterns in galleries with defined spacing, and use touchless technology for ticketing, according to Govan.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced two big delays. First, it announced last week that the 93rd Oscars ceremony will move to Sunday, April 25, 2021. The show, which will air live on ABC, was originally scheduled for February 28, 2021. Also, coinciding with the Oscars celebration, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which was initially scheduled to open to the public on December 14, 2020, will now open on April 30, 2021, also as a result of the health crisis.
Earlier this year, we toured The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, for a sneak peak at the building, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano. The building features six floors of exhibition spaces, education and special event spaces, a conservation studio, a restaurant, a museum store, the 1,000-seat David Geffen Theater and the 288-seat Ted Mann Theater.
Bill Kramer, director of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, said in a press statement about the postponements, “I speak for all of us at the Museum when I say that we have been eagerly awaiting the moment when we can share the Academy Museum with movie lovers everywhere. With the unprecedented and devastating pandemic happening around the world and our commitment first and foremost to the health and safety of our visitors and staff, we have made the difficult decision to wait a few more months to open our doors. Thankfully, with COVID-19 safety protocols in place, exhibitions continue to be installed. We look forward to April 2021 when Los Angeles and the world will be able to join together as the Academy celebrates the Oscars and the opening of its long-dreamed-of Museum.”
