The London Gallery has confirmed that it will reopen to the public on the 8th July.
Following 111 days of closure, the National Gallery has today announced that it will be reopening for visitors on Wednesday the 8th July.
In order to do so, the gallery has put in place a series of measures to protect the public and staff. This includes being in line with other European and American museums, visits will be booked online and in advance to help manage the number of people in the gallery, limit queueing and reduce contact.
Meanwhile, entrance to the National Gallery will be through the Sainsbury Wing Entrance and exit through the Getty Entrance; there will be 2m social distancing measures in place throughout the Gallery. Other measures put in place include three one-way art routes to guide you through different areas of the collection.
Elsewhere, the gallery will also ensure that an enhanced cleaning programme is carried out regularly. It has also installed higher efficiency filters in the air-conditioning system throughout the Gallery and are increasing the flow of fresh air. Perspex protection panels will be in place at Ticket and Information desks, along with the shop and café counters too, and there will be plenty of hand sanitizer at regular intervals throughout the building. In addition, the National Gallery is providing personal protective equipment for our staff (including face masks, gloves and eye protection) and also recommend that all our visitors wear a face covering during their visit.
As part of the gallery reopening, its exhibition Titian: Love, Desire, Death exhibition, that had to close after just 3 days, will also be available to visit and has been extended until 17th January 2021. Nicolaes Maes: Dutch Master of the Golden Age has also been extended, until 20 September 2020.
Those who are planning to visit, should also be aware that while the venue will be open seven days a week, the shorter opening hours will be in operation (daily 11am-4pm, Friday 11am-9pm).
Dr Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the National Gallery, London says “The prospect of reopening is hugely exciting. I believe there is also something symbolic in the Gallery being the first major national art museum to reopen. We want to be a part of the nation’s recovery story and by opening the doors and letting the public back in to see our inspiring pictures, we want to make an important contribution to the process.”“When you visit, you’ll notice we’ve made a few changes. These help us put your safety, as well as the safety of our staff, first – but we are the same Gallery you know and love, just with added social distancing and one-way art routes. The National Gallery will soon be open again and we are ready to welcome you back.”
For more information and to book tickets visit: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/