Arts & Entertainment
Natural History Museum, La Brea Tar Pits Announce Reopenings
Unlike those Woolly Mammoths trapped in the tar, Los Angeles is climbing out of the pandemic shutdowns.
LOS ANGELES, CA —Angelenos and kiddos cooped up at home for the better part of the last year will soon be able to stretch their legs and minds again at The Natural History Museum and La Brea Tar Pits, officials announced Tuesday.
The Natural History Museum in Exposition Park will reopen April 1 and the La Brea Tar Pits on Wilshire Boulevard will welcome back visitors April 8. The reopenings are among the latest Southland amenities to bring back guests as the coronavirus outbreak slows.
"The Natural History Museum and La Brea Tar Pits have brought joy to generations of Angelenos for more than a century," Lori Bettison-Varga, president and director of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, said in a statement. "We are thrilled to welcome the community back inside them after a full year of closure and to make them more accessible for all Angelenos.
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"As museums of, for and with L.A., we have been witnessing the impact that our outdoor spaces have on visitors, as they return to our Butterfly and Spider Pavilion and connect with nature. In that spirit, while the world strives to heal from the pandemic, we are more committed than ever to providing opportunities that inspire curiosity, relaxation and wonder."
The museums will limit capacity to 25 percent, but that will increase to 50 percent as Los Angeles phases in less the stringent restrictions of the Orange tier in the state's guidelines for reopenings.
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Advance ticket purchases with reserved times will be required for all guests, along with face coverings. All visitors will be provided with styluses so they can use touchscreens in the museum without having to make physical contact with them.
Some attractions at the museums will remain closed because they don't allow for required physical distancing.
Tickets for the museums will go on sale this Thursday for the Natural History Museum and on April 1 for the La Brea Tar Pits, with information available at nhm.org.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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