THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART TO REOPEN TO THE PUBLIC ON AUGUST 27

Free Timed-Entry Tickets for One Month, Made Possible by UNIQLO

MoMA to Welcome Visitors Back after State and City Officials Announced New York City Museums Are Permitted to Reopen

NEW YORK, August 17, 2020 — The Museum of Modern Art will reopen to the public on August 27, 2020, with new hours for the first month, through September 27: from 10:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday to the public; and from 10:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. on Mondays for MoMA members only. Admission will be free to all visitors Tuesday through Sunday, through September 27, made possible by MoMA’s long-standing partner, UNIQLO.

MoMA is dedicated to providing a safe environment for all with new safety protocols that follow CDC, New York State, and New York City guidelines. The Museum’s Flagship Store on 53rd Street and the MoMA Design Stores in Midtown and Soho are also open.

“We have been carefully preparing for the reopening of The Museum of Modern Art for months, to ensure the safe return of our staff and visitors, and we are ready to welcome everyone back to our recently expanded and reimagined museum,” said Glenn D. Lowry, the David Rockefeller Director. “With new safety protocols and procedures in place, our audiences can continue to enjoy an unparalleled experience of our collection galleries and exhibitions and, we hope, find solace and inspiration here.”

Upon reopening, the Museum will prioritize visitor and staff health while delivering on MoMA’s mission to encourage an ever-deeper understanding of modern and contemporary art by implementing the following:

• Invite visitors to reserve timed-entry tickets in advance via the Museum’s website MoMA.org. Beginning on August 21, tickets will be available in 30-minute slots and will be released one week in advance, in one-week blocks, every Friday at 10:00 a.m. Members enjoy priority access to all timed ticketed slots and do not need to make advance reservations.
• Limit entry to no more than 100 visitors per hour, with no time constraint on how long visitors can stay during open hours. This restricts the total number of visitors on site to 25% or less of the Museum’s full capacity at all times.
• Welcome all visitors through one entrance, via the main entrance at 11 West 53rd Street.

• Comply with New York State law requiring all visitors older than the age of two to wear face coverings at all times; complimentary face masks will be available.
• Conduct contactless temperature checks and bag checks for all visitors using Evolv Technology. Visitors should leave at home backpacks, umbrellas, and bags over the size of 11 × 17 × 5 inches (28 × 43 × 13 cm). To protect visitor and staff health, there will be no bag or coat check services.
• Require social distancing throughout the Museum, with signs and staff guidance to enforce a socially-distanced visitor experience.
• Place hand-sanitizer dispensers throughout the Museum and maintain the highest standards of frequent cleaning and sanitization of Museum spaces.
• Install plexiglass barriers at ticketing, Membership, and MoMA Design Store desks and points of sale.
• As the Museum will no longer hand out physical audio guides, visitors will be encouraged to enjoy the Museum’s audio guide and digital content on their personal devices via the Museum’s website or app.
• On-site dining options, run by Union Square Hospitality Group, will remain temporarily closed.

Along with providing clear online explanations of these protocols during the timed ticket reservation process and onsite guidance and support from Museum staff, a series of specially commissioned illustrations will remind visitors of the shared responsibility to protect everyone’s health and safety. Designer Nicolas Ménard created MoMA’s “Let’s Stay Safe Together” graphics outlining the new Museum and Stores experience. With all of these safety protocols in place, visitors will enjoy an intimate experience with more than 2,000 artworks on view in over 150,000 square feet of gallery space in the Museum’s collection and special exhibition galleries.

Visitors returning to the Museum will be greeted by a special installation of the iconic “I ♥ NY” logo (1976), designed by Milton Glaser (1929–2020), mounted inside the west end of MoMA’s lobby and visible from 53rd street. Glaser’s design, the concept sketch and layouts for which are in MoMA’s collection, was conceived during multiple crises occurring throughout 1975 and has become a symbol of hope and enduring love for New York City and State throughout the last 45 years. Displaying “I ♥ NY” when MoMA reopens highlights the resilience of New Yorkers in the face of the unimaginable losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the faith that New York will re-emerge stronger than before. The Museum thanks the New York State Department of Economic Development and Empire State Development Corporation for their support of this installation.

The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, beloved by artists and museum-goers as an “Oasis in the City,” will be open every day, weather permitting. MoMA’s Sculpture Garden has a long history of inspiring New Yorkers as an outdoor gallery of art and a welcoming space for reflection and meditation. The current selection of works on view includes numerous favorites from the collection, ranging from Pablo Picasso’s She-Goat (1950) to Alexander Calder’s Black Widow (1959), and Donald Judd’s Untitled (1968) to Katharina Fritsch’s Group of Figures (2006–08, fabricated 2010–11). Visitors will also be greeted by Sculpture Garden mainstays including Isa Genzken’s 36-foot-tall Rose II (2007) and Hector Guimard’s Paris Métro Station Entrance (c. 1900).