Theme Parks, Festivals, and Major Attractions Reopening Across America

For anyone who loves major events attended by thousands of people, 2020 was a major bummer of a year (and yeah, we know, 2020 was a major bummer of a year for just about everyone). But there are glimpses of hope on 2021's horizon, with theme parks, festivals, sporting events, and other major attractions announcing scheduled dates and openings. While pretty much everything on this list could see backpedaling depending on local virus numbers and health and safety guideline changes, here — for the moment, at least — are some things to look forward to. 

Related: Iconic Activities Canceled by COVID-19 in 2020

While an advance ticket is required (book yours online), there are no out-of-state restrictions to come to the San Diego Zoo. However, masks are required for everyone over the age of two.

This Washington, D.C. landmark reopens on May 21 with free, timed entry passes. The museum is open Friday-Tuesday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m, and passes are available online now.

Related: 24 Free or Cheap Things to Do in Washington, D.C.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced in mid-March that Disneyland would reopen on April 30. The announcement came after new California guidelines permitted amusement parks to reopen April 1 with 15% to 35% capacity, depending on the level of COVID-19 in the community. Additionally, Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa reopened on April 29 with limited capacity, and the Vacation Club Villa at the Grand Californian reopened on May 2. Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel and the Disneyland Hotel have yet to announce reopening dates.

Related: Vintage Photos of Disneyland and Walt Disney World

These two Illinois parks reopened April 24 and will open May 29, respectively, with reduced capacity and a reservation system in place. Additionally, the parks will require other safety protocols such as mask requirements, temperature screenings, physical distancing, increased sanitation, and more. 

Related: 25 Amusement Parks: Then and Now

The county museum of L.A. is open to visitors — but there is a catch. To comply with capacity restrictions, tickets are released in blocks every two weeks. If you're a member, grab tickets on alternate Wednesdays (go to the website to check which ones). Public tickets are made available on alternate Thursdays. Both are available starting at 10 a.m.

After a year of closure, Legoland in San Diego opened April 1 under California's new guidelines. Its reopening strategy has been named Park Preview Days and will limit access to select attractions and rides to Legoland hotel guests, annual pass holders, and existing ticket holders who were affected when the park closed last year.

For more stories about life in the pandemic, please sign up for our free newsletters.

The Broad Museum in Los Angeles is reopening May 26, and as usual, entry is free. However, pandemic restrictions are in place for the time being. Face masks for all visitors over the age of two are required, as are temperature checks. Leave your large bags at home (the coat check is closed), and no food or drink is allowed in the museum.

This marine-life-themed San Diego park has already reopened its indoor animal exhibit areas and has announced plans to offer nightly fireworks later this year. It has yet to announce when it will reopen its rides and other attractions.

Related: Companies That Have Filed for Bankruptcy Since the Pandemic Began — and Which Ones Could Be Next

This north Los Angeles theme park reopened on April 1. The park website notes that it has a "comprehensive" reopening plan that "the company developed in consultation with epidemiologists," and that "meets or exceeds federal, state, and local guidelines for sanitization, hygiene, and social distancing protocols."

Located in Vallejo, California, Discovery Kingdom opened on April 1. 

Related: Summer of Social Distancing: 30 Photos That Capture One Strange Season

This Buena Park, California, amusement park has said that it will reopen May 21. "From hiring and training new associates to working with Government officials on finalizing guidelines," noted a March 12 update, "we will work hard to ensure that we can reopen our park safely for all to enjoy."

Movie buffs, take heart — this major cinema chain recently announced it would be reopening 99% of its locations, including 52 of its 54 California locations. AMC has developed a "Safe & Clean" protocol, which includes social distancing & automatic seat blocking in each auditorium, mandatory mask-wearing, and upgraded air filtration with MERV-13 air filters, as well as many other important health, sanitization and cleanliness efforts, according to CEO and president Adam Aron. 

Related: 21 Companies Refusing to Pay Rent as Millions of Americans Face Eviction

This theater chain, the second-largest in the U.S., also announced it would reopen the doors to 500 of its theaters on April 2. Theater capacity will range from 25%-50%, and guests will be required to wear masks. 

Normally taking place in April (though canceled in 2020), festival organizers have elected to postpone the 2021 event until Oct. 8-17. More information about this year's event can be found at the website.

Related: 36 Bucket-List Destinations for Music Lovers

This popular rock, punk, alternative rock, and hip hop music festival, which was canceled in 2020, has already announced preliminary lineup plans for Sept. 17-19, 2021, at Douglass Park in Chicago. Bands include My Chemical Romance, The Smashing Pumpkins, Pixies, and many more. 

The organizers of this Chicago-based music festival are making tentative plans for Sept. 10-12 in Union Park, though those plans will only be allowed to move forward if the state transitions into Phase 5 of its reopening plan, according to officials. 

This annual four-day music festival is currently scheduled to happen Sept. 2-5 at The Bonnaroo Farm in Manchester, Tennessee. Headliners include The Avett Brothers, Billy Strings, and Jon Mardi. 

After being closed for a year, Alcatraz Island, a National Park Service landmark, reopened on March 15. Ferries are operating at reduced capacity with advance reservations required. More info on the reopening, including which specific areas are welcoming visitors, can be found here. 

Related: 50 Tourist Traps That Locals Still Love

This massive hot air balloon festival, which was also canceled last year, is scheduled to happen in 2021 from Oct. 2-10. Nearly 600 balloons take part, and nearly 900,000 guests have attended over the nine days of the festival in years past.

Opening day for MLB was April 1, and many ballparks — though not all — are planning to welcome fans. Those giving seats to ticket holders at limited capacity include the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees, and Kansas City Royals, among many others. The L.A. Dodgers and Atlanta Braves have home games slated for May 18, and the Dodges are currently allowing seating in socially-distanced pods. CBS Sports is updating a list of related announcements and status changes here. 

The National Basketball Association and National Hockey League seasons will continue into July this year, and many team venues are welcoming fans at limited capacity, while still others are making plans to do so. The Tick Pick blog has a chart of which venues are opening here, but check your local venue's website to see if plans have changed; the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets' Ball Arena, for instance, started allowing fans at games on April 2. 

After canceling its 2020 race, organizers of the Boston Marathon have said that the event's 125th year will take place on Oct. 11. “We announce the 2021 Boston Marathon date with a cautious optimism, understanding full well that we will continue to be guided by science and our continued collaborative work with local, city, state, and public health officials,” said Tom Grilk, Boston Athletic Association president and CEO in a statement. “If we are able to hold an in-person race in October, the safety of participants, volunteers, spectators, and community members will be paramount.”

Another iconic 26.2-miler, this marathon is slated to take place on Sunday, Nov. 7 after being canceled in 2020. 

Canceled in 2020, this marathon is set to take place in 2021, with a current date of Sunday, Oct. 10. 

The league's website notes that the 2021 series is "tentatively scheduled" to take place Aug. 19-29 in various U.S. locations. More info can be found here.