Here’s a look at 10 California visitor destinations that are reopening, as well as dozens of others that have already reopened — including, in the next week, downtown Los Angeles’ Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego’s Old Globe and Yosemite’s Wawona Hotel.
Beyond museums, the list includes parks, theme parks, campgrounds and other attractions, dozens of them already open. Check the linked websites before planning a visit; many destinations have shortened their hours or reduced their offerings (or both).
All of California’s national parks are open, but details vary. For instance, some seasonal mountain roads are still closed by snow, but Yosemite’s Tioga Road opened May 27.
Travelers should check individuals sites for up-to-date information. All but four of California’s 280 state parks are open, but many of their campgrounds are not, so you’ll need to check individually.
Also, details on 40 California museums, including many not on this list, are available here. Details on California theme parks are here.
Opening soon, by date
Gustavo Dudamel conducts the L.A. Phil during rehearsal May 12 at the Hollywood Bowl.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
The Museum of Contemporary Art in L.A. reopens today.
The Old Globe theater in San Diego’s Balboa Park will resume outdoor presentations Friday, with full-scale indoor productions to follow in fall.
Yosemite National Park’s Wawona Hotel is projected to open June 10 after a long closure to upgrade its electrical system.
Disney Hall in downtown L.A. reopens June 26 with a free concert by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for invited guests and ticket giveaway winners. (The giveaway tickets are only open to people who have been vaccinated.)
The Exploratorium on San Francisco’s Embarcadero reopens July 1.
Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, an open-air venue in Topanga Canyon, will present a summer season of three plays July 10 through Nov. 7, including “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Julius Caesar.” Ticket sales began June 1. The venue is also presenting an afternoon concert by singer-songwriter Inara George on June 6.
The Hollywood Bowl set five free concerts for healthcare workers, first responders and essential workers, with two more coming in June, and kicks off a 14-week season beginning July 3. Seating in most sections will require that guests show proof of vaccination.
Laguna Beach’s Pageant of the Masters will run nightly July 7 through Sept. 3. The summer tradition features “living pictures” on an amphitheater stage. Tickets are on sale.
The Pantages Theater in Hollywood said it will resume the run of “Hamilton” on Aug. 17.
The Dolby Theater in Hollywood has scheduled a production of “My Fair Lady” beginning Oct. 7.
Open now
Pinocchio and Tinker Bell greet Disneyland guests on Feb. 27, 2020, shortly before the pandemic shut down the park.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Alcatraz, part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, is open, though access to some areas is still restricted.
Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach
Asian Art Museum, San Francisco
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive opened May 2.
Big Basin Redwoods State Park, closed after the CZU Lightning Complex Fires, partially reopened May 29.
Bodie State Historic Park, Bodie, is open, but automobile access is blocked by snow in winter months.
Bowers Museum, Santa Ana
The Broad museum, L.A., reopened May 26.
Buena Vista Cafe, San Francisco
California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco
California African American Museum, Los Angeles
California State Railroad Museum, Sacramento. Weekend 45-minute train rides are open; walk-through train cars and children’s area remain closed.
Anacapa Island, part of Channel Islands National Park, features a lighthouse completed in 1932.
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Channel Islands National Park
Cold Spring Tavern, outside Santa Barbara, has reopened for dining but no live music yet.
De Young Museum, San Francisco
Death Valley National Park
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Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park opened April 30.
French Laundry restaurant, Yountville
The Getty Center in Brentwood reopened May 25. The Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades is also open.
The Great Park Balloon, Irvine, resumed flights May 6. The Great Park’s visitor center is open, as its sports complex (for participants, not observers) and the Great Park Gallery. The carousel, under renovations, is expected to reopen in fall.
Highway 1, which has been closed for repairs between southern Monterey County and Big Sur since late January, reopened April 23. With that option open, Southern Californians regain a scenic coastal route to Big Sur and points farther north.
Bixby Creek Bridge, completed in 1932, spans Bixby Canyon on the Big Sur coast along Highway 1.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino is partially open, including select galleries, many gardens, store and cafe
Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles
Joshua Tree National Park
Kings Canyon National Park
Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park reopened May 6 for season-pass holders, with a May 21 public reopening to follow.
La Brea Tar Pits & Museum, Los Angeles
La Purísima Mission State Historic Park, Lompoc
Lassen Volcanic National Park is open, but its Park Highway is partially closed by winter snows.
Legoland California Resort, in Carlsbad, reopened April 15, including Sea Life aquarium and Chima Water Park. On May 27, the park opens a new area, The Lego Movie World, with six rides and attractions on 2 acres. Reservations are required.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Maritime Museum of San Diego, including historic bay cruises
Monterey Bay Aquarium opened to the public Saturday.
Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego
Musso & Frank Grill, an iconic Hollywood restaurant, reopened May 6 and is accepting reservations.
The Napa Valley Wine Train, which visits wineries between Napa and St. Helena, resumed operations May 17.
Nepenthe restaurant, a Big Sur landmark
The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, Simi Valley, reopened May 15.
The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena reopened to the public May 20.
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway resumed daily service May 10 after several months of running Thursday-Sunday.
Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, a restaurant and bar near Joshua Tree, is open indoors and out. Live music is limited.
Pinnacles National Park
Raging Waters Los Angeles in San Dimas reopened May 29.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, Simi Valley, reopened May 26.
Redwood National and State Parkssna
The Downtown San Luis Obispo Thursday Farmers’ Market returned May 6 at reduced size with tighter restrictions.
Sacramento History Museum and Old Sacramento Underground Tours
Star of India, San Diego Maritime Museum, Harbor Drive, San Diego.
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
San Gorgonio Wilderness, San Bernardino National Forest. Parts of the wilderness within Sand to Snow National Monument have reopened, including South Fork, Lost Creek, Aspen Grove and Fish Creek trailheads. Some interior trails remain closed. Also, the Falls Picnic Area, Big Falls Trail and Vivian Creek Trail in the Forest Falls area reopened too.
Santa Barbara Mission, including self-guided tours
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Santa Monica Pier‘s Pacific Park amusement area has reopened, but its merry-go-round remains closed.
Sequoia National Park. The park’s Crystal Cave reopened Friday, May 28.
This 2020 aerial view shows Six Flags Magic Mountain, closed because of the pandemic, with a hawk perched atop the blue tracks of the Dive Devil ride.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia
Trout season in the Eastern Sierra
Yosemite National Park is open, but requires advance reservations even for day trips, May 21 through Sept. 30. The park’s Upper, Lower and North Pines, Camp 4, Wawona, Bridalveil Creek and Tuolumne Meadows campgrounds will be open for the summer, advance reservations required for all. The Ahwahnee, Curry Village and the Yosemite Valley lodge are open too, with some restrictions. There’s no shuttle bus service. Also, visitors in cars won’t be able to reach the towering sequoias of Mariposa Grove, which was closed to traffic after a January wind storm. But you can hike or bike to the trees on the Washburn Trail (4 miles, round trip from Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza).
Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad that takes visitors on rides through Sierra National Forest, starting in Fish Camp near the south entrance to the national park.
Closed indefinitely
Bear Gulch and Balconies caves at Pinnacles National Park
Coit Tower, San Francisco
Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles remains closed. Director Ed Krupp said that if the state sticks with plans to ease restrictions on June 15, the observatory should be able to reopen “well before the end of summer.”
The Roman Pool at Hearst Castle remains off-limits to visitors.
(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Hearst Castle, San Simeon
Medieval Times, the Buena Park dinner theater that features horses and jousting.
