- Numerous US tourist attractions, including the Smithsonian, Disney World, and the Mall of America have closed amid the ongoing spread of the novel coronavirus.
- As of Wednesday, more than 214,000 cases have been reported and at least 8,700 people have died worldwide.
- The US has reported at least 7,700 cases and 118 deaths, and cases have been reported in all 50 states.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
As of Wednesday, at least 7,700 people have been infected and 118 have died in the US from the novel coronavirus.
The virus has spread to all 50 states and Washington D.C., as well as US territories including Guam, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. On March 13, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency.
Across the country, measures including public bans, school closures, and city-wide lockdowns have been put into place to halt the spread of the virus.
On Monday, Trump advised Americans to avoid gathering in groups of 10 people or larger. To keep up with CDC guidelines, an increasing amount of cultural institutions and tourist attractions are shutting down across the country.
Here is a list of major US tourist destinations that have closed amid the spread of the coronavirus.
Disneyland in California will shut down from March 14 through March 31.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for Disneyland announced that Disneyland and Disney California Adventure would shut down from March 14 through March 31.
It is only the fourth time in the park's history that operations have been fully suspended, and the first time since 9/11.
There have not been any reported cases of coronavirus in its theme parks, but the decision was made amid a growing spread of the virus in California.
Disneyland Resort hotels remained open until March 16, to allow guests enough time to check out. The company will refund all hotel cancellations during this time period.
Disney World in Florida closed March 15, and remain closed at least through the end of the month.
Disneyland Paris will also be closed; Disney Cruise Line will be suspended; and domestic Walt Disney Company employees are being asked to work from home.
"The hotels at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris will remain open until further notice," according to the statement. "The retail and dining complexes, Disney Springs at Walt Disney World and Disney Village at Disneyland Paris, will remain open."
Disney has a lengthy Q&A with info on refunds and specifics on what's open and what's closed.
Universal Studios in Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort will be closed until at least March 31.
Both Universal Studios in Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort shut down on March 15, and will remain closed until at least March 31.
In Hollywood, select Universal CityWalk locations remain open from 12-8 p.m. daily.
In Orlando, Universal theme parks and Universal CityWalk have closed. All Universal Orlando hotels will close down beginning March 2o.
For information on refunds or hotel bookings visit this site.
SeaWorld is closing all three of its theme parks in Orlando, San Diego, and San Antonio until the end of March.
Starting on March 16, SeaWorld has closed all of its locations through the end of the month in an attempt to half the spread of the coronavirus.
During the shutdown, the company has committed to pay full-time staff to take care of the animals.
Multiple Miami beaches have been closed off for Spring Break parties.
Spring break is notorious in Miami. But as coronavirus runs rampant throughout the country, this year college students won't get their party fix.
Local authorities have shut down Miami Beach (including its most popular section, South Beach), as well as Fort Lauderdale.
Barricades have been set up to block access to public beaches, crowd limitations have been put in place, and an 11 p.m. curfew has settled over the popular spring break destination.
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida has closed.
Beginning March 16, and until further notice, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida has closed to the public. Information on ticket refunds, special interest tours, and educational programs can be found here.
In San Antonio, additional closures include The Alamo, all city parks and galleries, and multiple museums.
City-wide closures began throughout San Antonio starting March 14 and lasting throughout the month. Among these include Pre-K 4 SA centers, city parks, and senior centers. The Alamo, one of San Antonio's most popular tourist sites, will be closed from March 16 until further notice.
Other closures throughout the city include:
- All public libraries
- City-owned galleries and museums
- Municipal Court
- City owned and operated VTA sites
Other tourist sites that have closed throughout Texas include the Space Center in Houston, Dallas art museums, and the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin.
In Dallas:
- Dallas city parks, public libraries, and neighborhood recreation centers
- Children's Aquarium at Fair Park in Dallas
- Dallas Museum of Art
- The Dallas Zoo
- Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
- Dallas Arboretum
In Houston:
- Space Center Houston
- Houston Zoo
- Houston Museum of Natural Science
- Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
- Children's Museum Houston
In Austin:
Additional tourist sites may be closed throughout Texas. If you are planning a visit, be sure to check with your destination's website for possible closures.
In Philadelphia, the Independence National Park announced the closure of all historic sites starting March 18.
On March 18, the Independence National Park announced an immediate closure of all Philadelphia historic sites, which include:
- The Liberty Bell
- Independence Hall
- The Benjamin Franklin Museum
At this time all outdoor areas in these spaces will remain open, though public restrooms will not.
The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York City closed on March 16.
The National Park Service announced on March 16 that operations at the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island would be suspended.
All Broadway theaters in New York City will be closed until at least April 12.
Broadway theaters closed their doors starting March 12, after New York City Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that public gatherings over 500 people will be restricted in the city.
All 41 Broadway theaters have a capacity of at least 500 seats, with some holding over 1,000, according to The New York Times. The Broadway League, the national trade association of the theater industry, issued an official statement informing that Broadway performances would reopen on April 13.
The statement included that "Those holding tickets for performances through April 12, 2020, should contact their point of purchase for refunds and exchanges."
As of Wednesday, New York state has reported 2,499 cases of the coronavirus and 20 deaths.
New York City museums — including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art — are all closed.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that it would temporarily close its location on Fifth Avenue, as well as its sister locations - the Met Breuer on Madison Avenue and the Met Cloisters in northern Manhattan - until further notice. Other museum closures include:
- Museum of Modern Art
- The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- American Museum of Natural History
- The Frick Collection
- Museum of the Moving Image
- New Museum of Contemporary Art
- New York Historical Society
- The Rubin Museum of Art
- The Morgan Library and Museum
- Brooklyn Museum
- The Jewish Museum
- Neue Galerie
Additional museums throughout the city may be closed. If you are planning a visit, you should check your destination's website for possible closures.
The Empire State building in New York City has closed its observation decks.
Offering breathtaking 360-degree views of New York City, the Empire State Building is one of the top tourist attractions in the US. But to halt the spread of the coronavirus, the building has closed both of its observatories until further notice.
Edge, New York's newest observation deck, closed March 13 — only two days after it opened to the public.
The highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere shut its doors following Gov. Andrew Cuomo's ban on gatherings of 500 people or more.
Additional closures in New York City include:
- The Chelsea High Line
- Carnegie Hall
- The Metropolitan Opera
- Tribeca Film Festival
- Chelsea Piers
- New York Botanical Garden
- New York Public Libraries
- Brooklyn Academy of Music
- Madison Square Garden
- Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens
- Lincoln Center for Performing Arts
- Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and the NY Aquarium
Other sites in New York City may be closed. If you are planning a visit, you should check on your destination's website for possible closures.
All Smithsonian museums in D.C. and New York City, including the National Zoo, temporarily closed to the public beginning on March 14.
The institutions affected include:
- National Museum of African American History and Culture
- National Museum of African Art
- National Air and Space Museum
- National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- National Museum of American History
- National Museum of the American Indian
- National Museum of the American Indian George Gustav Heye Center
- Anacostia Community Museum
- Archives of American Art Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery
- Arts and Industries Building
- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
- Freer Gallery of Art
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
- National Zoo
- National Museum of Natural History
- National Portrait Gallery
- National Postal Museum
- Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
- S. Dillon Ripley Center
- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
- Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle)
- Smithsonian Gardens
The White House and the Capitol Visitor Center have canceled tours until at least April 1.
As the coronavirus cases rise in Washington, D.C., and Maryland, the White House and Capitol Visitor Center have canceled all outside tours until April 1.
The US Supreme Court building will be closed from the public until further notice.
On March 12, the US Supreme Court closed its doors to the public until further notice.
Four days later, the high court postponed oral arguments because of a public health crisis for the first time in 102 years. The last time was in October 1918 during the Spanish flu epidemic.
Additional closures in Washington D.C. include:
- Washington Monument
- National Gallery of Art
- John F. Kennedy Center of Performing Arts
- US Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Arlington National Cemetery
- Washington National Cathedral
- Library of Congress
- Lincoln Theatre
- National Children's Museum
- Capitol One Arena
- National Museum of Women in the Arts
- National Geographic Museum
On March 16, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser closed all bars, restaurants, movie theaters, and gyms.
Additional tourist sites throughout D.C. may be closed. If you are planning a visit, you should check on your destination's website for possible closures.
Chicago's iconic tourist spots including Navy Pier, The Bean, and Shedd Aquarium have closed.
Navy Pier, one of Chicago's most popular tourist sites, has closed to the public from March 16 until April 2. But the 3,300-foot stretch of shoreline isn't the only site to close in the city.
The famous Cloud Gate scultpure - known more commonly as "The Bean" - has also been closed to the public, along with Chicago's Shedd Aquarium (but they did let the penguins wander around the empty aquarium and check out the other exhibits. Check out those adorable photos and videos here.)
Here's a list of additional closures in Chicago:
- Museum of Science and Industy
- Art Institute Chicago
- Adler Planetarium
- Field Museum
- Lincoln Park Zoo
- Museum of Contemporary Art
- Chicago Architecture Center
- Illinois Holocaust Museum
- National Museum of Mexican Art
Additional tourist locations may be closed in Chicago. If you are planning a visit, be sure to check your destination's website for possible closures.
In California, major museums — including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and The Broad — have closed.
Major museums throughout the state of California have closed following the cancelation of large public gatherings, and a "shelter in place" order in San Francisco. Here's a list of closures:
- The Broad
- Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles
- San Francisco Museum of Art
- Asian Art Museum
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- San Diego Museum of Art
- California Science Center
Additional museums are likey closed in California. If you are planning a visit, be sure to check your destination's website for possible closures.
The Santa Monica Pier — a destination which attracts over 6 million visitors a year — has closed.
The Santa Monica Pier, one of the cities most popular tourist destinations, closed on March 16, and will remain shut off to the public until further notice.
"We welcome thousands of guests to our Pier each and every day, so we take this step out of the deepest desire to keep people at home and healthy," said Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole, according to the Santa Monica Mirror.
Other cultural sites that have closed in California include:
- Six Flags Magic Mountain and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
- The San Diego Zoo
- The Sacramento Zoo
- Broadway San Francisco
- Hearst Castle on the Central Coast
- The Exploratorium in San Francisco
- Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles
- Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles
- Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverley Hills
- The Broad Stage in Pasadena
- The Old Globe in San Diego
- La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego
- San Francisco Symphony
Additional tourist sites may be closed throughout California. If you are planning a visit, be sure to check your destination's website for possible closures.
Las Vegas Casinos and resorts have closed throughout the city.
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak announced on Tuesday that all nonessential businesses - including casinos, bars and restaurants - have been ordered to close for at least 30 days to halt the spread of the virus. Among this list includes notable tourist attractions in Las Vegas, such as:
Some National Parks — including the Golden Gate National Recreation Area — are beginning to close or offer limited service. Those that remain open will offer free admission to the public.
Starting on March 16, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area has closed.
But two days later, the NPS announced it was offering free admission to the public for all national parks that remain open during the COVID-19 outbreak.
"I've directed the National Park Service to waive entrance fees at parks that remain open. This small step makes it a little easier for the American public to enjoy the outdoors in our incredible National Parks," Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt said in a press release.
For a complete list of what's still open, you can check the NPS service page here.
New Orleans' Bourbon Street has been cleared of people.
Mardi Gras isn't the only time that Bourbon Street in New Orleans gets wild. People flock to the iconic French Quarter destination for its cheap drinks, beads and dancing all year.
To limit the spread of the coronavirus, New Orleans police have cleared the street of gatherings and urged people to go home.
Mall of America in Minnesota will be closed from March 17 until at least March 31.
The largest US retail and entertainment center, the Mall of America, announced on Tuesday that it will temporarily shut down to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Officials said they hope to reopen in April, but will assess the situation as it continues to develop.
The Space Needle in Seattle will be closed from March 13 through March 31.
The move followed guidance from Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan. The Space Needle's website directed anyone with questions to call 206-905-2100 or e-mail [email protected].
The JFK Presidential Library in Boston will be closed until further notice, following an announcement that two employees were exposed to the virus.
On March 11, the JFK Presidential Library in Boston issued a press release stating they will be closed until further notice, after two employees attended a conference where other guests had been diagnosed with the coronavirus.
Due to this exposure, the library is encouraging all guests who have visited between March 5 and March 11 to monitor their health for symptoms of coronavirus.
Additional tourist sites that have closed in Boston include:
- Museum of Fine Arts
- Institute of Contemporary Art
- Isabella Steward Gardner Museum
- Harvard University Museums
- New England Aquarium
- Boston Children's Museum
- Museum of Science
- USS Constitution Museum
- Edward M. Kennedy Institute
The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Detroit is closed until at least April 5.
The Henry Ford Museum will be closed until April 5. This closure includes the Ford Rouge Factory Tour, the Giant Screen Experience, and the Benson Ford Research Center.
For information on ticket refunds, visit this website.
The Newport Mansions in Rhode Island are closed to visitors.
The Mansions were closed to the public starting on March 15.
Properties include The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms, Rosecliff, Chataeu-sur-Mer, Kinsscote, Isaac Bell House, Green Animals Topiary Garden, Hunter House, and Chepstow.
Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's former home and gardens in Virginia, will be closed until at least March 30.
Monticello will close its historic tours to the public from March 16 through the end of the month. In addition, the Saunders-Monticello Trail will be closed to the public.
At this time all tours and public events have been canceled, and ticket holders may receive information about refunds through their website.