The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens today announced its reopening plans to welcome back members and friends this summer. The Museum will open in phases, beginning June 20, 2020. 

The first phase of the Museum’s reopening will restore community access to the historic riverfront gardens; phase two will include the Museum’s galleries and exhibitions.

Details are as follows:

• The gardens will reopen for a special free admission weekend starting on June 20, 2020. Free admission on Saturday, June 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., has been sponsored by Florida Blue. Free admission on Sunday, June 21, will be available to all guests from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

• The gardens will be closed for routine maintenance on Monday, June 22.

• The gardens will reopen to members only from Tuesday, June 23 through Friday, June 26, 2020. 

• The gardens will reopen to the community under normal operating hours starting on Saturday, June 27, 2020.

The gardens will be limited to 50 percent capacity, following the guidelines put forth by the State of Florida and the City of Jacksonville. Members and guests are required to reserve a timed ticket in advance of their visit at cummermuseum.org/admission. 

The reopening timeline for the second phase will be announced in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the Museum’s galleries remain available for online viewing at cummermuseum.org/engage. 

The Museum’s reopening plans were developed in collaboration with a national analytics and insights firm, which surveyed staff, members and guests about safety measures. The Museum also partnered with PATH, a program of Baptist Health, to perform healthcare monitoring for its employees for the pre-opening phase and beyond. 

“In this trying time, we are excited to reopen the gardens and invite everyone in our community to come take a moment to experience the healing power of art and nature,” said Interim Director and Chief Advancement Officer, Kerrie Slattery. “Our goal is to create the safest, best visitor experience centered around the highest quality works of art, access for all and fun for everyone.” 

The Museum has implemented many safety and sanitation measures, including hand sanitizer stations throughout the campus, plexiglass guards for the front desk area and expanded daily cleaning and sanitation policies for all common areas and surfaces according to the Centers for Disease Control and Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines. Transitioning to a timed ticket model provides the Museum with additional time for cleaning and disinfecting throughout the campus, including high-touch surfaces. Museum staff, members and guests will be required to wear masks. 

In-person programming will resume in July with limited-capacity outdoor events, including sunset garden picnics on select Thursdays and Saturday evenings and yoga in the gardens on Thursday mornings. Advance registration will be required.

For more information on the Museum's reopening plans and upcoming events, visit cummermuseum.org.