Which Metro Phoenix Cultural Attractions Are Open?

The novel coronavirus has kept metro Phoenix museums, zoos, and other attractions on their toes since the spring. Most of the institutions closed in March or early April, and in June, just when some places were beginning to reopen, COVID-19 cases spiked in Arizona, causing many of our favorite places to shut down again or scrap their reopening plans.

It can be hard to keep track of who's open, who's planning to reopen, and who's staying closed, so here's a handy guide to which metro Phoenix cultural attractions are ready to see you.

All of the open or opening institutions have new guidelines in place, and changes could include any or all of the following: reduced hours, extra cleaning protocols, attendance caps, social distancing, mask requirements, advance reservations required, and more. Check with your destination of choice to see what you'll need to do for a successful visit.

The science center was set to reopen in mid-June before the case numbers began to rise. As of now, there's no word as to when it'll reopen.

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ASU Art Museum will welcome back visitors starting next week.

Lynn Trimble

The museum announced on August 13 that it would welcome guests back the following week. (And remember, admission is always free.)

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Desert Botanical Garden invited guests back in July.

Desert Botanical Garden

DBG reopened in June.

The Heard has been open since June.

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The Musical Instrument Museum reopened just a few days ago.

Lynn Trimble

MIM was set to reopen in late June, but the coronavirus case numbers had other plans. It finally was able to invite guests back earlier this week.

You can hang out with the fish whenever you want: Odysea Aquarium is open.

OdySea Aquarium

Odysea has been open since May.

The wait is almost over to go back to Phoenix Art Museum.

Lynn Trimble

Phoenix Art Museum has been closed since March, but announced earlier this week that it would reopen in the fall.

Phoenix Zoo had just reopened to foot traffic when it was forced to close by the June COVID spike. There's no word on when you'll be able to walk up to the lion habitat again, but the Zoo is continuing its popular Cruise the Zoo drive-thru feature at least through September.

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art's doors are staying closed ... for now.

SMoCA

SMoCA has remained closed since the spring.

Taliesin West

Andrew Pielage/Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

The former home of Frank Lloyd Wright has been closed since March.

The animal attraction in the far west Valley has been closed since the spring. At the end of July, it posted on Facebook that it hoped to reopen Labor Day weekend, but no firm date has been announced.

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