PAFA has announced that September 12, 2020 is the planned public reopening date for the Museum. The PAFA campus has been closed to the public since mid-March, in compliance with orders from state and municipal authorities, and in effort to reduce potential pathways for the spread of COVID-19.

PAFA continues to closely monitor and comply with advisories from government and health agencies. This planned public reopening date is subject to change, pending further developments related to the pandemic status and the public health situation in Philadelphia.

The public opening will be preceded by preview days at the Historic Landmark Building for PAFA members and essential frontline workers. Previews will take place on Thursday, September 3 through Sunday, September 6. Beginning with these previews, the PAFA Museum will operate on a revised operating schedule.

Events celebrating the opening of the 2020 Annual Student Exhibition will take place September 10 through 12. Further details will be shared as they are confirmed.

Revised Hours of Operation

Safety & Preventative Measures

The health and safety of visitors, staff, and the entire PAFA community is always PAFA's highest priority. As such, PAFA has implemented the following preventative measures and policies to reopen its physical spaces.

To protect the well-being of the community, all entrants to the PAFA campus will be required to abide by these new policies and procedures:

• Face masks must be worn by all visitors older than the age of 2. Face masks will be required for all staff members, students, faculty, or any other persons on the PAFA campus.

• Temperature checks will be required before entry for all persons entering the PAFA campus. Temperature checks will be administered by PAFA staff via a no-contact infrared forehead thermometer. Visitors exhibiting a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher will not be admitted.

• There will be a single designated entrance for all visitors to PAFA at the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building, located at 128 N. Broad Street.

• In both the Historic Landmark Building and Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building, visitor capacity will be reduced. Attendance will be monitored and controlled for all gallery spaces.

• Physical-distancing markers will be installed at the designated visitor entrance and elsewhere throughout the PAFA campus, to ensure appropriate personal distance is being maintained by all.

• Any on-site purchases, including tickets at entry, must be made with credit, EBT, or debit cards only. Cash will not be permitted for on-site transactions.

• Plexiglas panels will be installed in front of the admissions/entry desk, and at the Museum Store cashier station.

• A standalone hand-washing station will be installed in the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building lobby, and hand sanitizer units will be available throughout the buildings.

• Enhanced regular cleanings of high-touch surfaces will be performed throughout the day.

• New "self-cleaning" protective stickers will be installed on all high traffic touchpoints.  High traffic touchpoints include all lobby access doors, elevator buttons, and exterior access doors.

• Coat-check will not be available. Bags larger than 11 x 15 inches will not be permitted, in addition to baby backpacks or children on shoulders. Soft front-facing carriers and strollers will be allowed.

• Wheelchairs, in limited numbers, will be available for temporary use. Visitor Experience Associates in the lobby will be available to assist in providing wheelchairs for visitors.

In addition to safety protocols outlined above (masks, temperature taking, etc.), the Museum will also produce signage for each gallery, listing the maximum number of occupants and defining circulation routes for visitors. Brochures and other printed materials will not be distributed to avoid the spread of infection. 

Due to concerns for air circulation, the Richard C. Von Hess Foundation Works on Paper Gallery will remain closed. All other galleries will be open.

The Museum will be closed from October 4 through November 19 for de-installation of ASE and reinstallation of the permanent collection and fall exhibitions:

• Taking Space: Contemporary Women Artists and the Politics of Scale, Fisher Brooks and Maguire Galleries, Samuel M. V. Hamilton Building.

• Only Tony: Portraits by Gilbert Lewis, Galleries 8 and 9, Historic Landmark Building.

PAFA looks forward to welcoming the public back to our galleries, studios, and other physical spaces to celebrate the transformative power of art, while responsibly prioritizing our collective health and well-being.