After extensive planning, we are excited to welcome you back! Fernbank Museum of Natural History will reopen to the public on June 4 with exclusive member preview days June 1-3. Online reservations will be required for everyone, and online fees have been eliminated!
Guests and members must reserve tickets for one of three timed sessions:
- 9 am-Noon (Fernbank Forest hours 9 am-11:30 am)
- 1pm-4pm (Fernbank Forest hours 1pm-3:30pm)
- 5pm-9pm (Fernbank Forest hours 5pm-8pm)
Some things have changed, including new temporary hours, enhanced cleaning protocols, visitor safety guidelines, online-only tickets and more. But one thing will never change—our mission to ignite a passion for science, nature and human culture through exploration and discovery.
Here's what we're doing to protect our guests, members, staff and volunteers:
- Regularly Disinfecting Hard Surfaces
- Adding Deep Cleaning Sessions Between Each Timed Entry Period
- Opening Outdoor and Non-Contact Areas Only (Some Exhibits, Interactive Features and Programming Will Remain Temporarily Suspended)
- Limiting Attendance and Optimizing Staffing Needs (Some Staff Will Continue to Work Primarily from Home with Staggered On-Site Shifts)
- Delaying Group Reservations
- Encouraging Physical Distancing and Use of Face Coverings Via Signage, Visual Cues and Announcements
- Creating No-Contact Entry via Advanced Reservations and Mobile Tickets
- Offering Cashless Payments Only, No Cash
- Offering Café Concessions with Limited Grab & Go Menu
- Operating Museum Store with Curated Inventory and Contactless Purchases
- Added Plexiglas Barriers at Ticket Scanning Stations and All Point-of-Purchase Locations
- Implementing One-Way Pathways in Many Areas with Dedicated Entrance and Exits Identified
- Requiring Daily Employee Health Checks
- Requiring Anyone Ill to Stay Home
- Adding 19 Hand Sanitizing Stations Around the Campus
- Remaining Welcoming and Friendly with Handshake-Free Greetings
- Suspending Volunteer Roles Temporarily
- Adapting Protocols as Needed
- Continuing to Offer Free Museum at Home Educational Programming
- Offering a Digital Visitor Map for Mobile Devices
To reopen safely, we need everyone to do their part. Help us keep each other safe by following CDC guidelines and important safety procedures, including:
- Advanced Tickets Only
- Wear a Face Covering for Ages 2 and Older (Please Follow Your Doctor's Advice for Any Medical Conditions That May Prevent Use of Face Coverings)
- Practice Physical Distancing
- Stay Home if Sick or Experiencing any Flu-Like Symptoms
- Bring Credit or Debit Card for Onsite Purchases
- Wash Hands and Use Hand Sanitizer and Don't Touch Your Face
- Leave Strollers at Home or in your Vehicle to Allow Elevator Usage for Those with Physical Need and Allow More Room for Physical Distancing
- No Outside Food
- No Re-Entry
- Fernbank Forest Closes 30 Minutes to 1 Hour Prior to the End of Each Ticketed Session
UPDATED JULY 10, 2020 |
New Hours Effective Sunday, July 12, our new hours will be 10 am – 5 pm daily, with all-ages evening hours 5:30 pm – 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.*
Fernbank After Dark, exclusively for ages 21+ resumes Friday, August 14.**
New Opportunities
- Play the nature way in Adventure Outpost, now open! This outdoor exhibit includes nets, challenge ropes and crawl spaces to promote physical exploration.
- Explore some of the animal world’s most unique critters through live animal displays and outdoor explorations at Scales & Tails, Saturday, July 18 (10 am – 1 pm).
- Take your gaming to the next level and enjoy the action on the big screen with exclusive Gaming Rental opportunities.
The health and safety of our guests, members, staff and volunteers is essential to our reopening. We've been working on plans to reopen safely since March when we temporarily closed to help flatten the curve of COVID-19. Our hearts are with everyone who has been impacted and we remain dedicated to following the guidelines of the CDC as well as state and local health organizations to open responsibly.
Please refer to our FAQs or contact us by email with additional questions.
You inspire everything we do, and we can’t wait to see you again. Thank you for your continued support!
Fernbank Museum of Natural History General admission, including all exhibitions, WildWoods and Fernbank Forest as low as $18. Add a 3D giant screen movie as low as $23.
Fernbank Museum of Natural History is located at 767 Clifton Road NE Atlanta, GA 30307. Their number is 404.929.6300. Fernbank Museum of Natural History is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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