NSW Art Galleries, Museums and Libraries Will Be Allowed to Reopen from June 1

From June 1, life is going to be a little more normal for Sydneysiders. As well as being able to head on a regional holiday — as announced last night, Tuesday, May 19 — we'll be allowed to, once again, visit many of the city's cultural institutions.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced this morning that from the first of next month, art galleries, museums and libraries can reopen. Similarly to restaurants and cafes, they'll need to adhere to strict social distancing guidelines and will be allowed one visitor per four square metres.

The Premier has also encouraged the institutions to have dedicated opening times for the city's most vulnerable, like supermarkets. "Many of our cultural institutions — our art galleries, museums, libraries — will be able to open their doors. But again, they'll have special qualifications," the Premier said this morning. "It may involve having a special time to allow the most vulnerable to use the facilities. It does mean booking ahead, but making sure you leave a record if you are visiting one of places, if something happens unexpectedly, if there's a case, we can follow up quickly."

White Rabbit 'And Now' by Kimberley Low

The reopening of these cultural institutions — and the restarting of regional travel — coincide with the Queen's Birthday Long Weekend. So, you can start planning exactly what you're going to do with your three days of (slightly more) freedom.

To help you get started, we recommend checking out this exhibition of greatest hits at Chippendale's White Rabbit gallery and planning a trip to one of these ten NSW country towns.

For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.

Top image: White Rabbit 'And Now' by Kimberley Low