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Museums are welcoming back visitors. Here are some of the most enticing exhibits across the US

As communities begin lifting COVID-19 restrictions, many museums around the country are finally able to reopen their doors. Reserve a ticket, venture in and you will find that your favorite artifacts have been waiting patiently for your return and that museum staff have used their "time off" to mount new exhibitions and create new experiences. Many free museum admission programs are back, too.

“While the museum visit may look a little different, whether that be enhanced cleaning procedures or wearing masks, visitors can expect a safe experience in which their curiosity is sparked and they feel reconnected to their communities,” says Laura Lott, president and CEO of the American Alliance of Museums.

Here are some museums where you can start getting reconnected.

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'Pawns & Passports' at the World Chess Hall of Fame, St. Louis

The World Chess Hall of Fame in St. Louis “Pawns & Passports,” exhibition features more than 50 chess sets celebrating the cultures of different regions.
The World Chess Hall of Fame in St. Louis “Pawns & Passports,” exhibition features more than 50 chess sets celebrating the cultures of different regions.

To inspire travel planning, the World Chess Hall of Fame in St. Louis makes a move with “Pawns & Passports,” an exhibition featuring more than 50 chess sets celebrating the popular culture of different regions, including a Russian chess set made from ancient mammoth ivory and an elegant Chinese puzzle ball set with carved concentric spheres. The exhibition runs June 3 through Jan. 30, 2022. A virtual tour of the exhibit will be available.

'Driven to Win: Racing in America' at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Dearborn, Michigan

A look inside "Driven to Win: Racing in America" at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan.
A look inside "Driven to Win: Racing in America" at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan.

The sprawling Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan, is now open daily and revved up with a new permanent exhibit about American auto racing. "Driven to Win: Racing in America" celebrates stock cars, sports cars, drag racing, land-speed racing and more, with plenty of interactive displays, historic race cars and racing simulators. The 80-acre outdoor Greenfield Village reopened April 17, but only Thursday through Sunday for now because of the pandemic. The longrunning Motor Muster in Greenfield Village returns on Father’s Day weekend.

'Kusama: Cosmic Nature' at the New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York

Dancing Pumpkin" is among the works by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama featured at "Kusama: Cosmic Nature" at the New York Botanical Garden.
Dancing Pumpkin" is among the works by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama featured at "Kusama: Cosmic Nature" at the New York Botanical Garden.

A celebration of the wonderfully imaginative artwork of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, who has a lifelong fascination with and whimsical view of nature, is taking place through Oct. 31 across the 250 acres of the New York Botanical Garden. The Kusama takeover includes new, monumental sculptures; expansive floral installations; and soon, a new Infinity Mirrored Room experience. A variety of special programs accompany the exhibit, including weekend pop-up performances and activities for kids.

'SOLDIER|ARTIST: Trench Art in World War II' at the National WWII Museum, New Orleans

SOLDIER/ARTIST: Trench Art in World War II at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans includes art, souvenirs and tools made out of the discarded materials and waste of war.
SOLDIER/ARTIST: Trench Art in World War II at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans includes art, souvenirs and tools made out of the discarded materials and waste of war.

In New Orleans, the National WWII Museum exhibit “SOLDIER | ARTIST: Trench Art in World War II” presents more than 150 artifacts exploring the unique military pastime of creating art, souvenirs and tools out of the discarded materials and waste of war. The collection ranges from ashtrays and jewelry to radios and musical instruments made by prisoners of war. The exhibition runs through Jan. 2, 2022.

'The American Struggle' by Jacob Lawrence, at the Seattle Art Museum

Jacob Lawrence’s revolutionary, 30-panel series, “Struggle: From the History of the American People” is in a touring exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum. Shown here is Panel 16, painted in 1956.
Jacob Lawrence’s revolutionary, 30-panel series, “Struggle: From the History of the American People” is in a touring exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum. Shown here is Panel 16, painted in 1956.

Jacob Lawrence’s revolutionary 30-panel series, “Struggle: From the History of the American People,” painted from 1954 to 1956, is reunited for the first time since 1958 in a touring exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum through May 23. The modernist paintings depict pivotal moments from the American Revolution to westward expansion, with Black, female and Native Americans in central roles. This is the only West Coast venue for the show, which will be at the Phillips Collection, in Washington, D.C., from June 26 to Sept. 19. SAM The Seattle museum has paired this exhibition with artwork by contemporary young artists that responds to Lawrence’s work and addresses the ongoing American struggle.

'#HashtagTheCowboy' at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City

Tim Tiller took over the the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum's social media during the shutdown and became an internet sensation. Here's he's pictured with his coffee mug and fan gifts at the "#HastagTheCowboy" exhibit in Oklahoma City.
Tim Tiller took over the the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum's social media during the shutdown and became an internet sensation. Here's he's pictured with his coffee mug and fan gifts at the "#HastagTheCowboy" exhibit in Oklahoma City.

During the shutdown, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City handed over the reins of its social media account to the facility’s head of security, Tim Tiller. The internet went wild. “People from all around the world were drawn to Tim’s positive messages and a chance to learn something about the history and art of the American West,” says museum president and CEO Natalie Shirley. Now that the museum has reopened, there’s a "#HashtagTheCowboy" exhibit that includes Tiller’s selfie-famous coffee mug and some of the gifts and art sent in by fans.

Virtual museum experiences aren't going away

During the pandemic, virtual exhibitions and experiences were the only way many museums could connect with their audiences. There were challenges – and some upsides.

“Responding to the challenge of the pandemic, we reached 7 million virtual visitors through live, guided programs and on-demand content in 2020,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. “This is something we will continue to do.”

Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors made this blue stage costume embellished with rhinestones and embroidered with Chinese New Year motifs for country music singer Hank Snow.
Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors made this blue stage costume embellished with rhinestones and embroidered with Chinese New Year motifs for country music singer Hank Snow.

In fact, the museum just unveiled two new free-to-access online exhibitions. "Suiting the Sound: The Rodeo Tailors Who Made Country Stars Shine Brighter" explores the artistry of Western-wear designers whose couture designs helped create country’s music’s “rhinestone cowboy” image. "Dylan, Cash and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City" explores Bob Dylan’s 1960s Nashville recordings, the role Johnny Cash’s groundbreaking television show had in expanding the perception of Nashville and the ace session musicians known as the “Nashville Cats.” The museum also is offering a variety of educational programming, including a collaboration with Nashville Fashion Week.

Free museum admission

Although the pandemic made deep dents in nonprofit budgets, many museums reopen with free admission and discount programs intact. Others continue to participate in programs offering free museums passes, such the Blue Star Museums (for active-duty military personnel, including the National Guard and Reserves and their families), Museums for All (for SNAP program participants), Bank of America’s Museums on Us program (for those with Bank of America or Merrill credit or debit cards) and the North American Reciprocal Museum Association, with more than 1,000 art and cultural institutions that honor membership cards from other institutions in the network.

Plus, Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day, which was canceled in 2020, returns Sept. 18 with free admission passes to more than 600 participating museums, gardens, zoos and attractions.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Art museum exhibits, more are welcoming back visitors