Here’s what to expect when City Museum, Arch and other St. Louis attractions reopen
Many museums in the St. Louis area are reopening in the next week after three months of being closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
That includes Gateway Arch National Park, which will begin a phased reopening on Wednesday. People can visit its underground museum and visitor center on a reservation-only basis, but they can’t take tram rides to the top of the arch.
“The health and safety of our visitors and our employees is our highest priority,” Pam Sanfilippo, chief of museum services and interpretation, stated in a news release.
“This phased approach will allow us to refine the visitor experience as necessary, assess visitation levels and adjust capacity and monitor changing conditions in the City of St. Louis and surrounding counties and revise operations if needed. We are so excited to tell the stories of St. Louis and westward expansion onsite while continuing our virtual programming.”
Museums are using their websites to let visitors know what changes to expect and what precautions are being taken to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which causes the respiratory disease COVID-19.
That includes shortened hours, reductions in capacity limits, new reservation systems, the implementation of cashless payment procedures, temporary closures of certain exhibits, the creation of one-way walking paths and extra cleaning and sanitation.
Most museums are following recommendations of health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by requiring visitors ages 9 and up to wear masks or other face coverings. It’s being encouraged at the Gateway Arch “when social distancing cannot be maintained.”
Several museums offer warnings.
“An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present,” the St. Louis Science Center website states.
“COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, senior citizens and guests with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable. By visiting the Saint Louis Science Center, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19. Help keep each other healthy and safe.”
Here’s a list of some of the most popular museums in the region:
Ballpark Village and St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum, 601 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314-797-7530
When will it reopen? Ballpark Village will reopen Wednesday with a new venue called Sports & Social that overlooks the outdoor plaza, which has 300 new seats. It will host live music Thursdays through Sundays.
Other attractions: The main FOX Sports Midwest Live! bar will reopen June 24, followed by the PBR St. Louis country bar on June 26.
Safety precautions: Customers will have options for contactless ordering and payment.
What remains closed? The St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum is closed, and no tours are being offered for Busch Stadium across the street.
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, 30 Ramey St., Collinsville, 618-346-5160
What is open? The grounds at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site are open from dawn to dusk with groups limited to 10 people. That includes Monks Mound, Woodhenge and other walking areas.
Safety precautions: Visitors are asked to wear face coverings and practice social distancing by staying 6 feet apart.
What remains closed? The interpretive center, picnic pavilion, playground, water fountains and toilets.
Brochures: Available near the interpretive center entrance.
City Museum, 750 N. 16th St., St. Louis, 314-231-2489
When will it reopen? The City Museum will reopen Wednesday with a limited number of visitors allowed during each session. That will start with two sessions a day, one from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and one from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Reservations: Tickets must be purchased in advance by everyone, including members.
Face coverings: Required for visitors ages 9 and up and all staff.
Your responsibility: Visitors should be committed to social distancing, good hygiene, frequent hand-washing, coughing or sneezing in elbows and using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, including at entrances to some exhibits.
Other safety precautions: Credit cards and other cashless payment methods and extra cleaning with hospital-grade disinfectant.
Getting around: Climbers will be one-way, and all attractions and exhibits will operate under a queue.
What remains closed? Attractions that don’t allow for social distancing, as well as the rooftop, which is expected to open later this summer.
Gateway Arch National Park, 11 N. Fourth St., St. Louis, 314-655-1600
When will it reopen? The Gateway Arch Visitor Center, Museum at the Gateway Arch, The Arch Store and Arch Café will reopen Wednesday with significantly reduced capacities. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Face coverings: Required of staff “when appropriate” and encouraged for visitors “when social distancing cannot be maintained.”
Reservations: Visitors will need timed entry tickets, which are free. It’s strongly recommended that they be obtained in advance. The reservation process starts at noon Monday.
Other safety precautions: Social-distancing floor markers, plexiglass barriers, queuing lines at counters, hand-sanitizing stations and rigorous and frequent disinfecting and sanitizing of public spaces.
Getting around: Visitors must enter through the new west entrance (opposite Old Courthouse) and exit through one of the arch legs.
What remains closed? Tram Ride to the Top.
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, 314-678-7442
When will it reopen? Missouri Botanical Garden will reopen Tuesday. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.
Reservations: Tickets must be purchased in advance for timed entry with parties limited to 10 people.
Face coverings: Required for all staff and visitors ages 9 and up unless they have health conditions that prohibit it. Masks must be worn over noses and mouths.
Other safety precautions: Credit card or other cashless payments only, increased sanitation practices and blocking of every other lavatory and toilet in restrooms. People must use refillable water bottle stations instead of water fountains and ice machines.
Getting around: The tram will not operate. Visitors must walk on one-way paths and practice social distancing, staying 6 feet away from people not in their parties (wheelchairs and scooters available).
Refreshments: The Sassafras Cafe dining room will be closed, but “grab-and-go” items can be purchased from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Table seating on the patio and Spoehrer Plaza will be 10 feet apart.
Gift shop: Hours for the Garden Gate Gift Shop are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with limited capacity.
What remains closed? Climatron, Linnean House, and Temperate House, Bakewell Ottoman Garden, Blanke Boxwood Garden, Brookings Exploration Center, Carver Garden, Margaret Grigg Nanjing Friendship Garden, Doris I. Schnuck Children’s Garden, English Woodland Garden, Kaeser Memorial Maze, Kresko Family Victorian Garden, Little Shop Around the Corner, The Mausoleum, PlantLab, Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum, Suzanne Stagg Wright Rock Garden, Tower Grove House and William T. Kemper Center for Home Gardening and Display Gardens.
Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 314-746-4599
When will it reopen? Missouri History Museum will reopen June 20 at 10% capacity. Reduced hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.
Reservations: Visitors must obtain tickets, which are free, in advance.
Face coverings: Required for all staff and visitors ages 9 and up.
Getting around: People must walk through exhibits, galleries and other public areas on one-way paths with queuing lines.
Gift shop: Hours for The Museum Shop are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays with enhanced social-distancing measures.
What remains closed? Cafe STL will open July 22. The History Clubhouse will be closed until further notice.
Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, 15193 Olive Blvd., Chesterfield, Missouri, 314-577-0888
When will it reopen? The Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House will reopen in phases. The first phase consists of guided tours only for a maximum of nine people Tuesday through June 21 for members and June 23-July 5 for non-members. Tours include a circus-themed exhibit called “Under the Big Top.”
Reservations: E-tickets must be purchased in advance.
Face coverings: Required for employees, volunteers and visitors ages 9 and up (also recommended for ages 3-8).
Other safety precautions: Credit card or other cashless payments only, hand-sanitizing stations and increased cleaning and sanitation. Every other lavatory and toilet in restrooms will be blocked off.
Getting around: Visitors must use one-way paths and practice social distancing, staying 6 feet away from people not in their parties.
Refreshments: Drinks and snacks will be available for purchase. Carry out your own trash.
What remains closed? The gift shop and Nature T.R.E.K.
St. Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts Drive, St. Louis, 314-721-0072
When will it reopen? The St. Louis Art Museum will reopen Tuesday with a limit of 350 people at a time in permanent collection galleries, which is 10% of normal capacity, and a limit of 60 people per hour in the “Millet and Modern Art” exhibit.
Getting there: People must enter the East Building, either through Taylor Hall doors on Fine Arts Drive or the parking garage.
Face coverings: Required of all staff and visitors ages 9 and up (also recommended for younger children).
Other safety precautions: Visitors are encouraged to practice social distancing and leave backpacks and bags larger than 11-by-17 inches at home. Staff will do extra cleaning and sanitizing.
Tours: Tours and other in-person programming is suspended through at least Sept. 7.
What remains closed? The Panorama restaurant and the Museum Cafe (reopening date to be determined) and Richardson Memorial Library and Print Study Room (suspended until at least Sept. 7).
St. Louis Science Center, 5050 Oakland Ave., 314-289-4400
When will it reopen? The St. Louis Science Center will reopen June 20 with a limit of 500 people in the Oakland Avenue building and McDonnell Planetarium. Member preview days are June 18 and 19. Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Thursdays and 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays.
Reservations: It’s recommended that people buy on-the-hour timed entry tickets in advance, but a small number will be available at the door. People can stay as long as they want.
Getting there: Enter through the Oakland Avenue building and go the right direction on one-way walking paths.
Face coverings: Required for all staff and visitors ages 9 and up. Those who can’t wear masks for medical reasons are asked to visit on a later date.
Other safety precautions: More than 70 hand-sanitizing stations, plexiglass dividers at counters, contactless payment options and reduced elevator capacities.
Refreshments: The cafe will be open with tables moved 6 feet apart.
Show schedules: Times for OMNIMAX theater productions and planetarium star shows have been spread out to allow for cleaning in between.
What remains closed? Life Science Activity Bench, Makerspace Classroom, Discovery Room, Take the Controls! Simulation in Experience Flight Simulators and Dig Site and Paleo Lab in Ecology and Environment.
St. Louis Zoo, 1 Government Drive, 314-781-0900
When will it reopen? The St. Louis Zoo reopens to the public Saturday with limits on number of people on the grounds and in shops, restaurants and certain attractions (members had early access). Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Reservations: Timed reservations required for free visits. Some dates are already booked.
Face coverings: Required for all staff and visitors ages 9 and up unless they have health conditions that prohibit it (no costume masks allowed).
Other safety precautions: Credit card or other cashless payments only, increased cleaning and sanitation and reduced seating in picnic areas and restaurants.
Refreshments: Only prepackaged food will be sold as part of shorter menus.
What remains closed? The 4-D Theater, Antelope House, Insectarium, Children’s Zoo, Aqua Tunnel at Sea Lion Sound, Penguin and Puffin Coast, Jungle of the Apes and Wild Wonder Outpost Discovery Room.
The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum, 516 S. Kirkwood Road, St. Louis, 314-822-8900
When will it reopen? The Magic House will reopen Monday with significantly reduced capacity levels.
Reservations: Tickets must be purchased online for sessions that last two hours, allowing staff to clean with hospital-grade disinfectant in between. Tickets will be scanned at the entrance.
Face coverings: Required for all staff and visitors ages 9 and up.
Other safety precautions: Individual activity kits with crayons, scissors and glue; social-distancing markers, acrylic barriers, hand-sanitizing and wipe stations and touchless faucets in restrooms.
Refreshments: Food from the Picnic Basket Cafe must be ordered online and enjoyed on the front porch or in the garden.
Exhibits: New exhibits have been added and former exhibits have been removed, spread out or modified for safety purposes.
This story was originally published June 12, 2020 at 11:03 AM.
