Coronavirus shutters Grand Canyon, San Diego Zoo, Six Flags, Eiffel Tower
Major tourist hot spots across the world, including the San Diego Zoo, the Eiffel Tower, Pearl Harbor and the Grand Canyon, are taking precautionary measures by closing to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The Grand Canyon National Park announced in a press release on Wednesday that it would close to the public after receiving a request to do so from Coconino County, Arizona, health officials.
The park would close immediately until further notice, the press release said. The closure follows an announcement earlier this week that a Delaware North employee is the Grand Canyon South Rim's first identified case of the new coronavirus.
Since mid-March, facilities inside the park have gradually closed, including restaurants, lodging and trails, and the National Park Service suspended entrance fees.
Legoland New York Resort
In a statement posted to its website, Legoland announced it will be delaying the opening of its New York Resort until 2021 due to the pandemic.
"This move is consistent with the closure of venues and postponement of events worldwide. In this unprecedented and challenging time, nothing is more important to us than the health, safety and security of our guests," the statement read.
Those who have already purchased an annual pass or single-day tickets will be able to use those tickets for the new opening date.
San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo announced Monday that the zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park will remain closed until further notice. The popular California destination initially closed on March 13 and had planned to reopen April 1.
According to a statement, the zoo will "continue to have essential and dedicated staff on grounds at both parks, ensuring that the remarkable wildlife in our care continue to thrive. The urgent nature of our work to save species is unchanged, even in the face of this pandemic."
Six Flags
On March 30, Six Flags President and CEO Mike Spanos announced all of its theme parks across the country will suspended operations through mid-May amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"The top priority at Six Flags is the safety and well-being of our guests and team members," Spanos wrote on the company's website. "We continue to monitor and follow the guidance of federal, state, and local officials regarding COVID-19."
Navajo Nation tourist sites, casinos closed
The Navajo Nation declared a state of emergency over the new coronavirus on March 11, and all tourism locations, tribal parks and casinos on the reservation were closed.
At least three tribal members have tested positive for the virus. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said travel agencies that organize visits to the Navajo Nation have been notified and he hopes they will abide by the request. His emergency order urged Navajo people to stay home for 15 days. "We're trying to lessen that curve and get ourselves through this pandemic," he said. "We ask for our visitors to respect the sovereignty of the Navajo Nation."
Pearl Harbor memorial closed
The National Park Service said the Pearl Harbor National Memorial has closed temporarily. The site includes the USS Arizona Memorial, which honors the 1,177 Marines and sailors killed when their battleship sank during the 1941 Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. The memorial normally receives about 1.8 million visitors each year.
Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Guggenheim Bilbao
In case you're in Paris, be warned: The Louvre is closed until further notice. Elsewhere in the French capital, the Eiffel Tower is closed to the public.
In Spain, the Guggenheim Bilbao on March 14 said it will be closed until further notice.
Las Vegas' Neon Museum
The Neon Museum in Las Vegas has closed its doors to the public. The museum's president and CEO Rob McCoy announced the temporary closure following a March 17 order by Nevada governor Steve Sisolak to close nonessential businesses in the state for 30 days.
All events and programs scheduled at the museum have also been cancelled.
Employees at the museum will continue to receive full pay and benefits during the closure, and customers can call 702-387-6366 ext. 1 or email customerservice@neonmuseum.org to receive refunds for purchased tickets.
The Neon Museum's mission is to collect, preserve and exhibit classic neon light displays. At the museum, signs for defunct casinos like the Stardust and Riviera share space in the "Boneyard" with rejected signs from Binion's and the Golden Nugget that have been replaced with more modern examples.
Las Vegas show cancellations: Cirque du Soleil, Blue Man Group
And major Las Vegas shows are suspending performances, too.
All Las Vegas hotels and casinos are affected by mandatory Nevada state closures, as well as ticketed shows.
Caesars Entertainment previously announced that "all ticketed live entertainment" events held in its venues would temporarily suspend performances . Major shows at Caesars properties in Las Vegas include Rod Stewart performances and Reba McEntire, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn's residency at Caesars Palace, plus Kelly Clarkson and Shania Twain residencies at Planet Hollywood.
“Refunds and exchanges for affected dates are available at the point of purchase," an announcement on the website read. "We are taking these bold measures now and look forward to welcoming guests back to enjoy world-class entertainment experiences as soon as we are able. We thank you for your understanding and patience as we work through these challenging circumstances.”
On March 14, Cirque du Soleil announced it would shut down all its shows on the Las Vegas Strip and throughout the world because of the outbreak.
Las Vegas show closures include "Ö" at the Bellagio, "KA" at MGM Grand, "The Beatles LOVE" at the Mirage, "Mystere" at Treasure Island, "Zumanity" at New York-New York, "Michael Jackson ONE" at Mandalay Bay and Blue Man Group at Luxor.
"From the very beginning of the new coronavirus outbreak, (Cirque du Soleil) took rigorous measures to protect its work teams and the public," the statement said. "Our priority has always been, and remains, the health and safety of our artists, our partners, our employees and our audiences. We will continue to monitor and assess the situation to determine when shows will resume."
Tickets for canceled performances will automatically be refunded within 30 days.
Additionally, Cirque shows in Austin, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, Salt Lake City, Boston, Denver and Costa Mesa, Calif., as well as Montreal, Tel Aviv, Munich, Spain (Meloneras) and Australia (Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth), also are cancelled.
Also March 14, Penn & Teller called off their long-running comedy/magic show at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.
Penn Jillette tweeted: "Out of concern and love for our audiences, & well, concern and love for everyone – we will be canceling our shows starting tonight for the next few weeks."
Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island closed
The Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island are both closed. Customers can go here for refund information, or call 877-523-9849.
Chicago shutters 'The Bean' and Navy Pier
Cloud Gate Plaza, a section of Millennium Park featuring Chicago's famous Cloud Gate sculpture nicknamed "The Bean," has closed. The rest of the park remains open, though events and programs in the park are canceled through April 12.
Navy Pier also is closed, according to its official website. The pier shut its doors to the public at least through April 2.
Broadway closes until at least April
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people in a news conference March 12, shuttering Broadway. Cuomo said the shutdown, which The Broadway League said will last until at least until April 12, could remain in place for far longer than one month.
The Tony Awards, scheduled for June 7, also have been postponed to a later date. It is unclear how eligibility rules for the awards will change as a result.
Broadway national tours across the country also have canceled performances.
Washington closures
The White House and the U.S. Capitol are closed to tours until April 1, the House and Senate Sergeant at Arms announced March 12. The Capitol Visitor Center is closed to tours “out of concern for the health and safety of congressional employees and the public” amid broader fears about the spread of the coronavirus. During this time, only staff, credentialed press and those with official business will be allowed entry.
On March 13, the National Gallery of Art announced it was closing due to coronavirus concerns.
The Smithsonian said in a release that all its museums and the National Zoo will close temporarily starting March 14 "as a public health precaution due to COVID-19." No date has been set for reopening and updates will be provided on a week-to-week basis, the Smithsonian announced.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington announced March 17 that it has canceled all public performances and events scheduled through May 10.
Tickets for events can be exchanged or fully refunded, according to a release from the Kennedy Center.
Boston's John F. Kennedy Library announced March 12 in a release that it was closing immediately "after learning that two employees attended a conference at the Row Hotel in Somerville, MA last week where other attendees were confirmed to have come down with the coronavirus." The library said both employees are in self-quarantine, and encouraged people who visited the library between March 5 and March 11 to "monitor your health for symptoms of coronavirus, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath."
New York City closes the Met, Carnegie Hall, Broadway
On March 13, the New York Public Library announced it would close through the end of the month due to health concerns.
The Madison Square Garden Company announced on its website that it "supports Governor Cuomo’s decision regarding New York venues."
"We encourage you to check back to this site, which will be your source for further details about our future events, which we will update regularly as more information becomes available," the statement added.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art also announced March 12 it would temporarily close its doors at its three locations: the Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer and The Met Cloisters .
As for the annual Met Gala held at the museum, Anna Wintour wrote in an article posted to Vogue on March 16 that this year's event has been pushed back.
Carnegie Hall also said March 12 all upcoming events and programming through March 31 are canceled.
Those who purchased tickets by credit card from Carnegie Hall for a performance that has been canceled will receive automatic refunds, and those who purchased with cash can also receive a refund through June 30.
The Frick Collection also announced March 12 it will close its galleries and libraries and cancel all planned events. Visitors requesting a refund for these events are encouraged to contact the institution directly.
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Walking tours impacted by coronavirus
Though travel is diminishing as coronavirus concerns increase, some tours are still available for those interested.
Free Tours by Foot, a walking tour company which operates in DC, Seattle, Chicago, New York City and a dozen other North American cities, said it is still hosting tours on a smaller scale.
"The vast majority of our tours take place outside in small groups already. Our focus is on continuing to offer these and to arrange private tours to individual families and small groups travelling together who do not need to travel far to reach us. Like many in the service industry, we have worked with guides to take measures to help ensure the health of our guides and guests - we have a vast knowledge of where the bathrooms are to wash hands and we encourage online payment rather than cash."
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Contributing: USA TODAY Network; Associated Press