Franklin Institute, Philadelphia Museum of Art announce reopening dates
"Despite the continued challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the resilience of the cultural sector shines through and cultural experiences remain essential to the well-being of the human spirit."
The Franklin Institute has announced a reopening date after the latest coronavirus closures.Read moreMONICA HERNDON / Staff Photographer
Several cultural institutions in Philadelphia have announced public reopening dates following temporary closures mandated over the holiday season to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
“Despite the continued challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the resilience of the cultural sector shines through and cultural experiences remain essential to the well-being of the human spirit, providing inspiration, enrichment, and rejuvenation,” the leaders of the Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Barnes Foundation, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and Eastern State Penitentiary said in a joint statement.
Separately, the Museum of the American Revolution announced it plans to reopen on Friday at 10 a.m., though the museum’s Revolution Place discovery center and Battlefield Theater will remain closed. The Mütter Museum announced on Tuesday it will reopen on Friday, Jan. 15, with a capacity of just 25 guests per hour.
Here are the scheduled reopenings. A spring reopening date for the Rodin Museum will be announced later.
Franklin Institute: Wednesday, Jan. 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Academy of Natural Sciences: Friday, Jan. 8, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Barnes Foundation: Friday, Jan. 8, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Philadelphia Museum of Art: Friday, Jan. 8, 10 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.
Museum of the American Revolution: Friday, Jan. 8, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
National Liberty Museum: Friday, Jan. 8, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Penn Museum: Friday, Jan. 8, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mütter Museum: Friday, Jan. 15, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: Thursday, Jan. 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Eastern State Penitentiary: March 2021
Keith Hagigal, lead porter, sprays disinfectant in The Giant Heart exhibit at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pa. on Tuesday, January 5, 2021.Read moreMONICA HERNDON / Staff Photographer
Cleaning subcontractor Garrick West mops up at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Jan. 5, 2021 in preparation for the museum's reopening Jan. 8. He has been regularly maintaining the museum interior throughout the pandemic.Read moreTOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer
Keith Hagigal, lead porter, sprays disinfectant in The Giant Heart exhibit at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pa. on Tuesday, January 5, 2021. The Franklin Institute will reopen on Wednesday, January 6 after some state and city coronavirus restrictions have been lifted. The museum is operating at reduced capacity and advance tickets are required for all guests.Read moreMONICA HERNDON / Staff Photographer
An "Open" sign hangs on the front of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pa. on Tuesday, January 5, 2021. The Franklin Institute will reopen on Wednesday, January 6 after some state and city coronavirus restrictions have been lifted. The museum is operating at reduced capacity and advance tickets are required for all guests.Read moreMONICA HERNDON / Staff Photographer
Caitlin Clifford, a fossil preparator at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University works - as she has throughout the pandemic - at the museum Jan. 5, 2021. Her work area is behind plastic panels so visitors - as before COVID - can watch her and her colleagues work. The museum is reopening Jan. 8.Read moreTOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer
Jennifer Sontchi, director of exhibits and public spaces at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University tours the new exhibit, "Permian Monsters: Life Before the Dinosaurs," Jan. 5, 2021 as the museum prepares for reopening. Sontchi was familiarizing herself with the new exhibit as she will host a media preview on Jan. 7, the day before the museum reopens. The exhibitÕs opening was delayed because of COVID shutdowns.Read moreTOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer
Jennifer Sontchi, director of exhibits and public spaces at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University looks over a Titanophoneus ("titanic murderer," an extinct genus of carnivorous dinocephalian therapsid) Jan. 5, 2021 as the museum prepares for reopening. Sontchi was familiarizing herself with the exhibit, "Permian Monsters: Life Before the Dinosaurs," as she will host a media preview on Jan. 7, the day before the museum reopens. The exhibitÕs opening was delayed because of COVID shutdowns.Read moreTOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer
The polar bear in the front lobby at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is masked and ready for visitors Jan. 5, 2021 as the museum prepares for reopening on Jan. 8.Read moreTOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer
Mike Beers, exhibit preparator at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, uses a small vacuum to clean the specimens on the wall shelves (they get dusty) in the museum's front lobby Jan. 5, 2021 in preparation for reopening Jan. 8.Read moreTOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer
Signage at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University ready for visitors Jan. 5, 2021 as the museum prepares for reopening on Jan. 8.Read moreTOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer
Donnell Wright, building engineer, reinstalls the “Welcome Back” sign outside the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, Pa. on January 4, 2021. The museum will reopen to the public on Friday, January 8th after closing due to the coronavirus pandemic. “People keep looking in the windows to see if we are open. They want to come in,” he said.Read moreDAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer
