The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) will reopen to the public on weekends beginning Friday, April 16. Admission is free but with reserved tickets only; no walk-in admissions.
“JANM has always been a vibrant gathering space for our local communities and visitors from across the nation and the globe to come together to reflect, to learn and to celebrate,” said Ann Burroughs, president and CEO of JANM. “We are poised to reopen our doors and to re-establish those physical connections which are so important to our mission.
“This has been a difficult and painful few weeks in which the heightened racism and violence against the Asian community has been at the forefront of our minds, particularly in the wake of the abhorrent and tragic killings in Atlanta. Offering JANM as a place of healing and renewal is one of the most important services we can provide at this time.”
Highlights of the museum’s reopening include:
• “Transcendients: Heroes at Borders,” a contemporary art exhibition by Taiji Terasaki, in collaboration with JANM, honors individuals who advocate and fight for those who face discrimination, prejudice, and inequality at borders. This includes “Transcendients: 100 Days of COVID-19 and Memorial to Healthcare Workers,” created during the pandemic, weavings that tell stories ranging from issues around race and class, to food sustainability, art, scientific innovations, and climate adaptation.
• “Under a Mushroom Cloud: Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the Atomic Bomb,” was organized by JANM in partnership with the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the 1945 bombings.
• JANM’s permanent exhibition, “Common Ground: The Heart of Community,” is also on view.
New museum hours:
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PT), Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only.
Last entry is at 4 p.m.
Closed Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
New rules:
Advance tickets are required (no walk-in admissions) at http://janm.org/tickets
Face masks are required, except for children age two and younger.
Social distancing is a requirement.
All visitors will be COVID-screened with a new, contactless temperature check system.
The free public admission will continue for a limited time. JANM will offer a special, free, members-only weekend on April 9-11.
All visitors and staff will experience new protocols and procedures, including an upgraded heating, ventilation, and air filtration system, one-way directional routes, more frequent surface cleaning, and reduced visitor capacity.
Note that water fountains will be closed off. Water bottles will be allowed except in galleries. For more details see: http://janm.org/visit/covid-19-rules-and-protocol
Some parts of the museum will remain closed, including the Hirasaki National Resource Center and the Chado tea room entrance through the museum’s Hirasaki Family Garden. (Chado is open at its First Street entrance. See http://chadotearoom.com.)
The JANM Store remains closed, but online orders continue 24/7 at http://janmstore.com. For orders or questions, leave a message toll-free at (888) 769-5559. On-site pickup is available.