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Philadelphia museums follow city’s lead and drop mask and vaccination requirements

In the last week, museums from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to the Museum of the American Revolution have eased COVID-19 mandates for visitors.

Masked visitors walk past the colorful walls outside of the "Elegy" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Friday, just days before the museum lifted its mask and vaccination requirements.
Masked visitors walk past the colorful walls outside of the "Elegy" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Friday, just days before the museum lifted its mask and vaccination requirements.Read moreHEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer

Following the relaxation of COVID-19 mask and vaccination mandates by the city on March 2, most major museums in Philadelphia have eased their own institutional restrictions as well.

Woodmere Art Museum in Chestnut Hill announced on Tuesday that, “in accordance with CDC and City of Philadelphia guidelines, proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test is no longer required to enter the Museum and mask-wearing is optional, effective immediately.”

The Museum of the American Revolution, at Third and Chestnut Streets, lifted its vaccination requirement in mid-February and eased its mask mandate on March 3. The Philadelphia Museum of Art has dropped its vaccination requirement and made mask-wearing optional for visitors.

The Franklin Institute no longer requires masks. Neither does the Barnes Foundation. The Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia has also dropped its mask requirement.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art lifted its COVID restrictions on Saturday. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts dropped its mask mandate Monday.

Of the major museums on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, only the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University maintains a mask mandate.

A spokeswoman said, however, that the academy sent a survey to audiences on Tuesday.

“Museum officials will weigh those results with other factors when they meet to decide next step. Probably this week,” the spokeswoman said Wednesday.