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The AGO is reopening!

Welcome back! The AGO is set to reopen safely to visitors starting July 2. Here's all the updates on who, what, when and how!

Portrait of a Lady with Lap Dog

Rembrandt van Rijn. Portrait of a Lady with a Lap Dog, c. 1665. Oil on canvas, Overall: 81.3 x 64.1 cm. Bequest of Frank P. Wood, 1955. © Art Gallery of Ontario 54/30

The wait is finally over! After more than three months, the AGO is ready to safely reopen on Thursday, July 2. And we can’t wait to open our doors and welcome you back. Following public health and the Government of Ontario guidelines, the AGO will open in stages. 

As we slowly start welcoming visitors back, the AGO will be open Thursday through Sunday, from 10:30 am to 5 pm.

To help ensure our visitors, staff and employees stay safe, everyone entering the AGO over the age of four will be required to wear a mask or face covering while visiting the Gallery. Social distancing measures have been implemented, including a cap on the total number of visitors allowed to enter during each 30-minute timeslot, and additional signage noting the total number of visitors allowed in each gallery space. 

Before you book your visit, make sure to review our reopening web page for more information and some helpful FAQs.

Here’s what else you need to know: 

Stage 1

On July 2, the AGO will open to Members and Annual Pass Holders who book timed-entry tickets in advance. 

Not a Member or an Annual Pass Holder? Not a problem. Purchase one online, or if you are 25 and under, sign up for free, before booking your time to visit the Gallery. More information on how and when to book timed-entry tickets, visit AGO.ca.

Stage 2

On July 16, those purchasing single tickets can begin booking their timed-entry spot on our ticketing website and can start visiting the AGO on July 23.

What can you see when you visit? 

To welcome you back, the first three levels will be open. This includes the J.S. McLean Centre for Indigenous & Canadian Art, the Thomson Collection of European Art, the Thomson Collection of Canadian Art and the Henry Moore Sculpture Centre.

Our exhibition schedule has also changed. Originally scheduled to close in May, the AGO’s special exhibitions Diane Arbus, Photographs: 1956-1971 and IllusionsThe Art of Magic have been extended until November 8, 2020.

All other exhibitions, including Haegue Yang: EmergenceAndy Warhol, I am Here: Home Movies and Everyday Masterpieces and of course, Picasso: Painting the Blue Period, have been shifted to dates in 2020/2021. 

For more details about upcoming exhibitions, visit AGO.ca/exhibitions

In addition to the online store, shopAGO will reopen to all visitors with a timed-entry ticket. For now, all food services including the AGO Bistro, caféAGO, the Norma Ridley Members’ Lounge and the Galleria Italia Espresso Bar remain closed. 

At this time all group courses, tours and programs, including the Dr. Mariano Elia Hands-On Centre, are also closed to the public. However, the AGO will continue to have important conversations, lectures and artmaking experiences virtually, at AGO.ca. Check it out! 

It’s been a long few months, and we are incredibly excited to welcome everyone back safely to the AGO. We can’t wait to see you! 

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