From Graceland to Memphis Zoo: When some of the city's top attractions will reopen

When the Memphis Zoo reopens to the public Wednesday, the red pandas won't be the only ones wearing masks.

Unlike the paintings at the Brooks Museum, the sculptures at the Metal Museum and the beaded jumpsuits at Graceland, the main attractions at the zoo — the animals — are, in some cases, susceptible to the coronavirus.

As a result, all visitors to the zoo will be asked to wear a "facial covering" when Memphis' top tourist attraction — excluding multi-venue entertainment "districts," like Beale Street — begins admitting paying patrons next week. 

Mask-like patterns of fur, feathers and scales aside, "Our animals can't wear masks, and we want to ensure their safety, too," said Nick Harmeier, the zoo's chief marketing officer. So masks will be mandatory, to protect zoo inhabitants as well as staff and tourists. (This caution is not excessive: On April 5, the Bronx Zoo revealed that one of its tigers had tested positive for COVD-19. Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that scientists fear the virus could "jump" from people to great apes, which share close to 99% of their DNA with humans.)

Memphis' second most-visited attraction, Graceland, also has announced a reopening date. Most other museums and indoor attractions, however, are still working out details of their public comebacks, subject to approval by the Shelby County Health Department and the office of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, which has issued a lengthy "COVID-19 Compliant Protocol" document that enumerates "Measures to ensure physical separation," "Measure to protect customer/visitor health," and so on.

Here's a look at the status of some local attractions, as Memphis continues with Phase 1 of its back-to-business plan: 

The Memphis Zoo: The zoo reopens May 13. Visitors must wear masks, although Harmeier said zoo employees won't behave like the "mask police." "We're asking parents to do the best they can," he said, acknowledging that small children are likely to frequently tug off their masks.

In addition to adding masks, the zoo is eliminating cash: To minimize contact between patrons and staff, admission fees must be paid with a credit card or via some other computer-assisted or online transaction, whether at the gate or in advance. Inside the gates, visitors will notice numerous "social distance reminders" painted on the walkways, to remind people to stay 6 feet apart and to avoid crowding (or even touching) the guardrails.

Crowding also will be discouraged in other ways: The zoo train and other rides won't be in operation; animal shows and talks are canceled; and fans of gopher tortoises, aardvarks and naked mole rats are out of luck, because indoor facilities — the herpetarium (Reptile House), the aquarium, the "Animals of the Night" exhibit, and so on — will remain closed. Overall, no more than 2,500 visitors will allowed onto the zoo's 75 acres at a time. (Regular capacity is 10,000 people at a time, Harmeier said.)

Graceland: Attracting about 650,000 visitors a year (making it second in attendance to the zoo, which gets close to a million tourists), Elvis' former home is tentatively scheduled to reopen May 21. Details have not been announced, but expect the Graceland area to comply with health department recommendations. 

Memphis Botanic Garden: The botanic garden has a visitor center that was closed to the public even before the pandemic, because it is undergoing extensive renovation. But like the zoo, the botanic garden is primarily an outdoor experience, making it an easy candidate for reopening: Its 96 acres of irises, herbs, roses, conifers and other plants offer plenty of social-distancing space. The botanic garden actually was reopened to its 5,000-plus members Thursday, and it will reopen to the public May 19. Like the zoo, the botanic garden will become a cash-less enterprise, requiring patrons to use credit cards or make online transactions.

The Memphis Pink Palace Museums: The different attractions associated with the so-called "Pink Palace Family of Museums" will reopen in phases, with the Lichterman Nature Center — 65 acres of lake, meadow and forest in East Memphis — likely to reopen in early June. The members of the "family" that ask visitors to mostly remain indoors — including the Pink Palace itself, its attached Sharpe Planetarium, and the historic Magevney and Mallory-Neely houses — will reopen later.

In other words, the trend now is attractions that emphasize the outdoors likely will reopen soon. Meanwhile, art museums, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and other indoor-oriented attractions have yet to set definitive reopening dates, as officials work with the city and county to ensure that they will be compliant with recommended health protocols.

"Our assumption is we will open the gardens well before we open the museum," said Kevin Sharp, director of the art museum-surrounded-by-flowers-and-forest known as the Dixon Gallery and Gardens. "I can't give you a date yet, but I'm hoping we get the gardens open within a month."

This story will be updated as more reopening dates are announced.