Sesame Place Is Reopening This Week After Coronavirus Closure & Here's What To Expect

Children and families will once again be able to experience the magic of Sesame Street at Sesame Place, a children's theme park and water park located in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. On July 24, Sesame Place will reopen with new safety precautions in place to help limit the spread of the novel coronavirus to protect guests and staff. Visitors can expect to see reduced capacity at the park as well as policies mandating face masks and advance reservations.

"Sesame Place is committed to the health and safety of our guests and team members," the children's theme park and water park said Tuesday in a statement released over Twitter. "When we open our gates, we'll be significantly reducing our capacity to ensure even more open space at the park to create a safer environment."

Beginning July 24, Sesame Place will open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time on Fridays, Saturday, and Sundays, according to a calendar detailing park hours on the Sesame Place website. In an effort to enable guests and staff to maintain recommended physical distancing, Sesame Place has transitioned to a reservation-based admission system, meaning all guests under the age of 23 months will need to have advanced online reservations in order to enter the park.

To make a reservation, guests who already hold tickets or season passes to the park should visit Sesame Place's online reservation system, where they'll be prompted to enter their pass or ticket barcode number and select a date for their visit. Guests who currently do not hold tickets, will be prompted to make reservations for their visit when purchasing tickets.

As part of its coronavirus safety precautions, Sesame Place will also require guests over the age of 2 to wear face coverings while inside the park. Guests will not be required to wear face coverings while on water attractions, when eating, drinking, or while inside specially designated "relaxation areas." Guests who arrive at the park without a face covering will be given the option of purchasing one at the park, according to a FAQ section on the Sesame Place website.

"We have worked diligently with state and local health officials, medical and epidemiology experts, and attraction industry leaders to develop protocols and guidelines to safely reopen our park, including requirements for guests and team members to wear face coverings," the park said on its website. "Out of an abundance of caution and safety for everyone in our park, if someone in your party is unable to wear a face covering, you will not be permitted to enter the park at this time."

All guests and staff members will also be required to submit to a temperature screening. Anyone with a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or above will be escorted to a second location for a retest and denied entry if their temperature continues to remain at or above the threshold.

Sesame Place's expected reopening comes just days ahead of the theme park's 40th birthday. It's unclear, however, if current coronavirus safety precautions will impact celebrations at the park.

If you think you’re showing symptoms of coronavirus, which include fever, shortness of breath, and cough, call your doctor before going to get tested. If you’re anxious about the virus’s spread in your community, visit the CDC for up-to-date information and resources, or seek out mental health support. You can find all of Romper’s parents + coronavirus coverage here.