MARTIN, Tenn. -- Though Discovery Park of American will remain closed to the public through May 2020, the museum and heritage park is planning to reopen the outside areas for members only on Sat., May 30 and Sun., May 31, 2020. Park officials say that they will operate under strict social distancing guidelines.
The park will then open to the public beginning June 1, 2020 and will be closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays for deep cleaning, the park announced today. Discovery Center, the park's museum, will remain closed at this time. Most of the outdoor areas, except the Children's Discovery Garden Playground, will be open to the public on June 1.
Officials say entrance to Discovery Park will be through the outside North Ticket Gate. The park has implemented a task force made up of managers of various departments to work on guidelines for employees and guests to the park that incorporate the "Tennessee Pledge" guidance from Governor Bill Lee's Tennessee Economic Recovery Group.
“As one of our leading museums and attractions in the state, we’ve been working closely with Discovery Park’s leadership to provide information and guidance as they create their reopening plan,” said Tennessee Department of Tourist Development’s commissioner, Mark Ezell, who is also chairing the Tennessee Economic Recovery Group.
According to park officials, employees will follow procedures that include temperature checks, masks and a strict social distancing policy. Guests will also be given guidelines that will help them enjoy the park while staying safe. A list of guidelines for guests can be found on Discovery Park's website.
“Since Discovery Park of America first closed on March 17, 2020 because of the threat brought on by the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak, our goal has been the safety and welfare of our community, guests and staff,” said Scott Williams, Discovery Park’s president and CEO.
The task force says they will continue to monitor data and review state and federal guidelines to decide if changes over time are necessary.