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The Huntington Set To Reopen After More Than Three Months Of Closure

SAN MARINO (CBSLA) - The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens announced Wednesday that after a mandatory closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will reopen most of its 130 acres of gardens in two phases, beginning next week.

Huntington members will be able to visit beginning on June 17, while non-members will have to wait a few weeks longer, on July 1. All visitors will need to secure a ticket in advance on their website with only 1,500 tickets being issued each day. According to the Huntington, this represents about a third of the average number visiting on a busy spring day.

Several new safety measures are being implemented, including a mandatory symptom screening and temperature check. In addition, all visitors will be required to comply with county mandated safety measures like wearing a face covering.

"Getting to this moment where we can open our gardens to visitors again has been a remarkable journey and a very careful process," said Huntington President Karen R. Lawrence. "The Huntington is a resilient institution, staffed with energetic and extraordinarily dedicated people who have worked nonstop to stay in touch with our diverse audiences and get us to the point of reopening in a safe way. We have spent considerable time developing our safety protocols to protect our staff, our members, and the public. We know our visitors can't wait to walk our paths again, and we can't wait to welcome them back."

The Huntington had originally announced a temporary closure of its botanical gardens between March 14 through April 14, but extended the duration due to Los Angeles County's 'Safer-At-Home' order.

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