ST. LOUIS — Signs of what life was like before the COVID-19 pandemic are beginning to pop up across the metro area. Albeit, slowly. Not everything is open yet, and dates vary for when everything else can reopen – if there’s even a target date at all.
5 On Your Side has gathered up the latest information from city and county leaders, along with information from officials at some of the area’s largest attractions, about what can reopen and when.
Major attractions:
St. Louis Aquarium, St. Louis Wheel, June 8
The St. Louis Aquarium and St. Louis Wheel at Union Station announced they will reopen on June 8 after receiving clearance from the City of St. Louis.
At the aquarium, employees and guests over the age of 9 must wear masks. At the Ropes Course and Mirror Maze, guests will be offered gloves.
All aquarium guests will be required to reserve timed tickets in advance, including annual pass holders, the aquarium said. Read more here.
Saint Louis Zoo, June 13
The Saint Louis Zoo will be the first major, large attraction to welcome visitors back.
The turnstiles will be ready for guests to walk through beginning Saturday, June 13. However, reservations will be required (it’ll still be free), so the zoo can help limit the capacity to one-third of its attendance, which still ends up being about 3,000 people.
Masks will be required for guests older than 9 who are medically able to wear them.
While the zoo will be open, three attractions inside will remain closed: Penguin and Puffin Coast, the Insectarium and the 4D Theater. Read more here.
The Magic House, June 15
The Magic House announced Monday that it will reopen June 15. Its St. Louis city location, MADE for Kids, will reopen June 9.
Guests must buy tickets in advance and can reserve a slot during one of three two-hour visits. After reserving, they will receive electronic tickets that allow for touchless scanning to enter.
Employees and guests ages 9 and older must wear masks. Face covers made at MADE for Kids will be available for purchase for anyone who doesn't have one. Read more here.
Missouri Botanical Garden, June 16
If you’re looking for a change of scenery, the Missouri Botanical Garden will reopen to the public on Tuesday, June 16.
Capacity will be limited and advanced tickets will be required. There will be no walk-up or on-site ticket purchases. Tickets will be available online and over the phone beginning June 9 on the Missouri Botanical Garden’s website. Hours will be limited to 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The garden will remain closed on Mondays until further notice.
Face coverings will be required for all visitors 9 and older who are medically able. Read more here.
Saint Louis Art Museum, June 16
The Saint Louis Art Museum will reopen June 16 with new safety measures in place based on guidelines from the City of St. Louis' Department of Health, the CDC and other agencies.
Visitor capacity will be limited to 10% of its usual capacity, or 350 persons at a time in the permanent collection galleries. All staff and visitors age 9 and older are required to wear a face mask, and masks for those between the ages of 2 and 8 are encouraged. The museum will offer a coat check area at the entrance but officials encourage visitors to leave backpacks and bags larger than 11x17 inches at home. Read more here.
Gateway Arch, Phase 1: June 17
The Gateway Arch National Park will begin its first phase of reopening on Wednesday, June 17. At 9 a.m. that day, guests will be able to go to the visitor center, museum, the Arch store and Arch Cafe.
However, the tram rides to the top of the Arch will remain closed in Phase 1. Rides and other experiences at the Arch will reopen during later phases.
Timed reservations are required. They'll be available beginning at noon on June 15. Read more here.
Ballpark Village, Phase 1: June 17
Ballpark Village will reopen in phases beginning Wednesday, June 17.
The tentative schedule is:
- June 17: Sports & Social St. Louis, outdoor plaza and OneLife Fitness
- June 24: FOX Sports Midwest Live!
- June 26: PBR St. Louis
Sports & Social St. Louis is a brand new venue at Ballpark Village, bringing 9,000 square feet of food, drinks and fun. Read more here.
City Museum, June 17
It will reopen at 10 a.m. on June 17 with a new safety plan in place and two three-hour sessions per day. Only 400 guests will be admitted per session to make it easy to spread out, explore and get through lines in a timely manner, the attraction said in a news release.
Some attractions and galleries will be closed or operate at a limited capacity. Guests over the age of 9 will be required to wear masks, and those who cannot wear masks will be permitted to wear face shields. Read more here.
Saint Louis Science Center, June 20
The Saint Louis Science Center will reopen on June 20. It posted on its website that the science center team has been working closely with local authorities, health officials and the City of St. Louis as it moves forward with reopening.
New safety measures and operating guidelines will include limited occupancy, timed ticket reservations and masks to be required for guests ages 9 and above, as well as all employees, vendors and contractors. Read more here.
Missouri History Museum, Soldiers Memorial Military Museum, June 20
The Missouri Historical Society is planning to reopen the museums it operates — including the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park and Soldiers Memorial Military Museum — on June 20.
The Missouri Historical Society said the museums and the MHS Library & Research Center will reopen to the public, but there will be several enhanced safety measures. All the facilities will allow 10% visitor capacity with advanced reservations required. The facilities also will have altered days and hours of operation. Read more here.
Six Flags St. Louis, June 22
Six Flags St. Louis will reopen on June 22 in a “preview mode” with several changes in place.
“Preview mode” goes from June 22-25. It’ll only be open to members and season pass holders during that time. After this soft opening, the park will open to all guests.
During both phases of reopening, the park will limit attendance to encourage social distancing. All guests will need to make a reservation online. Read more here.
Raging Rivers Waterpark, June 26
The popular water park will welcome visitors again beginning June 26, with several safety precautions in place.
There will be 6-foot markings at entrances, rides and food service areas, enhanced sanitizing, required gloves and face masks for customer-facing staff and frequent hand washing. There also will be attendance limits to control the number of guests in the water park in an effort to avoid uncontrolled crowds.
Raging Rivers plans to stay open through Labor Day. Read more here.
Not reopening in 2020
The Muny has postponed the 2020 season for the first time in the outdoor theater's history. “This is a historic first, and hopefully last, for our beloved theatre,” said Muny Board Chair Louis A. Cella in a news release. Read more here.
No dates set yet
Busch Stadium/St. Louis Cardinals: Major League Baseball and the St. Louis Cardinals do not have a specific date when play will resume for teams across the league. MLB owners have agreed to making a proposal to the players’ union that could lead to a delayed season starting around the Fourth of July weekend in ballparks without fans. Spring training would start in early to mid-June. No official agreement has been made. Read more here.
Enterprise Center/St. Louis Blues: The National Hockey League and the St. Louis Blues do not have a specific date when play will resume for teams across the league. The NHL unveiled its plan if play can resume in 2020. Teams will go straight to the playoffs with 24 teams instead of the normal 16. The NHL is hoping to move to Phase 2 in early June, with players resuming non-contact skating at team facilities. The 24-team playoff is Phase 4. The commissioner said he expects the season to end up going into much of the summer. Read more here.
Grant's Farm: At this time, Grant's Farm remains closed.
"We are looking forward to welcoming guests to tour our facilities as soon as we can. We are prioritizing the health and safety of our guests, employees and animals at this time," a farm spokesperson told 5 On Your Side on June 16.
City of St. Louis
June 1: Summer camps, some swimming pools and aquatic centers
Swimming pools will be allowed to open on June 1, Mayor Krewson announced. However, at this time, the city does not anticipate opening city-owned and operated pools for the summer because lifeguards haven’t been hired and trained.
Summer camps also will be allowed to operate. However, all activities must be designed for kids to practice social distancing. Overnight camps, field trips and aquatic activities are prohibited. You can read more about the city’s pool and summer camp policies here.
June 8: Cultural institutions, larger venues
Cultural institutions include many of the places St. Louisans treasure, where they take people visiting from out of town or where they catch a game or a show. June 8 is the first day all of those large-venue locations will be allowed to reopen. However, it’s up to each individual location to make their own determination on when they want to reopen.
Each location needs to have their operating plans and procedures approved by the city’s health department before they can reopen. Click here for the full policy.
June 15: Gyms, fitness centers, yoga/dance studios and similar businesses
Personal training services, gyms, fitness centers and health clubs will be allowed to welcome back guests. Capacity will be limited to 25%.
Sports courts and adult and youth team leagues are advised to remain closed. The city also suggests preventing clients from using treadmills “due to the increased risk of spreading respiratory illness.” You can read the city’s full policy on gyms reopening here.
St. Louis County
June 1: Summer camps
Kids will be able to go back to camp, but it won’t be like summers before. Kids will still need to practice social distancing, which means no big group activities. Individual projects need to be the priority, along with maximizing time outside over doing activities inside.
Field trips won’t be allowed, and camps need to follow pool and sports guidelines for those activities. You can read the full summer camp guidance on the county’s website.
June 8: Bars
St. Louis County Executive Sam Page announced all bars will be able to reopen on June 8. Guidelines for reopening will be posted on stlcorona.com.
June 15: Pools, gyms, casinos, mass sporting events — and all other businesses
All other businesses can reopen June 15, including gyms, pools, bowling allies, conference centers, casinos and mass sporting events.
St. Louis County Executive Sam Page released the plan for reopening businesses in St. Louis County on Monday. Guidelines for reopening will be posted on stlcorona.com.
More lists and guides on reopening:
- List of St. Louis area pools staying closed this summer
- List of St. Louis area Fourth of July events canceled this year
- These St. Louis area fairs have been canceled this year
- Gyms, casinos, pools reopening in St. Louis area
- St. Louis County reopening guidelines for banquet, conference centers
- New guidelines for pools in St. Louis County when they can reopen
- St. Louis County guidelines for movie theaters, arcades and bowling alleys