Local playgrounds begin to open Friday, museums announce reopening dates

Phase 2.5 means more NC businesses can reopen, more children must wear masks

According to Cooper's announcement, bars and movie theaters must remain closed, but other entertainment complexes can reopen under the following guidelines:

Cooper also announced everybody age 5 and up must wear a face mask in public.

Here's what we know so far. I'll update this list as I learn more.

And, effective Sept. 12, normal operating hours will resume with reduced capacity at community and neighborhood centers, museums and historic sites and art centers. City-operated gyms and fitness rooms will remain closed.

Rentals will be available for outdoor picnic shelters, outdoor special events and athletic fields (excluding tournament play) as long as state rules on capacity and mass gathering limits are met. Also, according to the city's website, "adult and youth athletic leagues will resume for baseball and softball only. Other classes and programs may be held if they are low-intensity and able to be modified to meet state and local guidelines."

To limit capacity and ensure safe and socially distant play, according to a press release, all members and guests will be required to reserve a timed entry ticket online prior to museum admission. Everyone age 5 and older will be required to wear a CDC-approved face covering.

Playgrounds at Garner's parks will reopen at 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 4. Kids ages 5 and up will be required to wear a mask.

The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences will open to the public on Sept. 22 with new hours, new procedures and other plans to ensure the safety of staff and guests.

According to a press release, free, timed-entry tickets will be required because the museum will be opening at limited capacity to start. The museum's new hours also are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. It will be closed Mondays.

Face masks will be required for everybody age 5 and up. The museum will undergo enhanced cleaning multiple times a day. And there will be hand sanitizer stations available throughout the downtown Raleigh museum.

Parts of the museum won't reopen for now. They are:

The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences' outdoor learning lab will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays, starting Sept. 22. Reservations or tickets are not required, but capacity will be limited and the Nature PlaySpace and Bird Blind will remain closed. Prairie Ridge is at 1671 Gold Star Dr., Raleigh.

Cary's playgrounds reopen at 5 p.m., Sept. 4.

“Cary is excited to give families another option for fun and exercise, especially with fall weather just around the corner,” said Public Safety Director Allan Cain in a press release. “At the same time, it’s important for everyone to be mindful of the advice of our public health officials and continue to observe mask usage, hand washing, and social distancing guidelines while you’re in the parks or on the playgrounds.”

Some things to note, according to the press release: The town is not regularly sanitizing playground equipment. Visitors to playgrounds are urged to continue observing strict social distancing guidelines, including regular hand washing/sanitizing, wearing face coverings, and maintaining six feet of distance between themselves and others who are not members of their households. Help us keep the playgrounds safe and clean for everyone by disposing of masks and trash in their proper receptacles.

Also, anyone age 5 and older should wear a face covering in situations where social distancing is difficult to consistently maintain. Comfort stations at parks are open and regularly sanitized, however water stations are closed, so please remember to bring your own water when visiting a park or a playground.

Town of Cary staffed facilities, including Sk8-Cary and the sprayground at Jack Smith Park, remain closed to citizens at this time. Picnic shelters, fields, and sports courts, including the outdoor courts at Cary Tennis Park, are open and continue to operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

Playgrounds owned by Wake County and operated by its parks department, which include Crowder County Park, Blue Jay Point County Park, Lake Crabtree County Park, Green Hills County Park and Harris Lake County Park, will reopen on Saturday morning, Sept. 5, said Alice Avery, a communications specialist for Wake County. Park centers and buildings will remain closed for now. They are currently scheduled to be closed until Sept. 15.

The N.C. Museum of Art will reopen on Sept. 9 and require timed tickets to encourage social distancing, cloth masks and one-way paths through the museum, among other health and safety procedures. For now, the museum's interactive experiences in the family lounge, African Textiles Lab and Ancient Art Lounge will remain closed. Seating also has been removed from galleries and common areas. And indoor events and tours are still suspended.

The N.C. Museum of History will open to the public on Sept. 10 with new procedures in place. They include:

The gift shop will be open with limited capacity. And interactive exhibit features will be paused or modified. Special hours of operation will be 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Tuesday through Saturday, for those who are immunocompromised and senior citizens. It will be open to the general public from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m., Sunday.

Marbles Kids Museum has not set a reopening date, but hopes to share more information with its fans soon. "The safety of visitors, staff and volunteers is our top priority and will require everyone's cooperation and awareness," its website says.

Durham's playgrounds will reopen for play at 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 4. Playground users are encouraged to maintain social distance, wear masks or face coverings when social distancing is not possible, and often wash or sanitize hands.

The Museum of Life and Science opened to the public this summer, but has kept its indoor spaces closed. Those indoor spaces are slated to open this Saturday, Sept. 5, Matt Pusateri, the museum's senior director of marketing, tells me. More details to come.

Kidzu Children's Museum in Chapel Hill is looking at possibly opening in mid to late-October. But they plan on reaching out to museum members and visitors to gauge their interest in actually returning to play at the indoor museum, especially as COVID-19 case rise in Orange County.

"We will be listening to what our city and county officials recommend over the next few weeks," Sabrina Varney, special projects manager, tells me.

Organized league play will continue to be suspended at the courts. Also remaining closed will be public athletic fields, outdoor basketball courts, and gymnasiums. In Orange County, the opening of playgrounds was delayed to Sept. 11 to allow staff in the county and towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough time to prepare the areas for use. Some maintenance had been deferred due to the COVID-19 closure and reduced staffing levels.

The state's aquariums will reopen to the public on Sept. 14. More details will come on Friday, but the reopening will include reduced capacity inside the aquariums and online ticket sales, according to Jay Barnes, president and CEO of the N.C. Aquarium Society.