Six months after closing for COVID-19, Nelson-Atkins to reopen, with new restrictions
Almost exactly six months after closing because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art finally will reopen.
Kansas City’s world-class art museum will welcome back the public Sept. 12 with revised hours and protocols. Admission will remain free, but timed tickets will be required to promote social distancing and to manage the number of visitors. Masks will be required.
“The new experience will feel a bit different to those accustomed to visiting the museum before the pandemic,” Nelson-Atkins CEO and director Julián Zugazagoitia said in a news release. “But the encounters with art will continue to be powerful, engaging, and transcending.”
The coronavirus caused the Nelson-Atkins, which welcomes about 500,000 visitors a year, to shut its doors March 14.
“We have been anxiously awaiting the day when we can safely open our doors to visitors,” Zugazagoitia said.
Access to the museum will be limited to four entry points into the Bloch Building, including from both levels of the parking garage.
Larger exhibitions, programs, classes and tours have been canceled through April. However, “Gordon Parks x Muhammad Ali: The Image of a Champion, 1966/1970,” with 55 photographs Parks took of Ali while on assignment for Life magazine, has been extended through April 4.
Other adjustments include closing some restrooms, providing hand sanitizer throughout the museum, placing directional signage to encourage social distancing and changing Rozzelle Court from a cafeteria-style setting to a fast-casual restaurant.
Hours starting Sept. 12 will be 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Monday and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday; the museum will be closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The time slots of 10-11 a.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays will be reserved for museum members, who also can visit Sept. 4-11 to help provide feedback on new safety protocols.
The museum is asking guests to consider small donations to help cover the costs from the pandemic.
“This beloved institution will withstand the setback of this pandemic, and our generous donors are working hard to sustain it into the future,” Zugazagoitia said. “Each donation, whatever the amount, helps underscore the importance of art and expression during these difficult times.”
