Rock City began a phased reopening of Rock City Gardens during its Founder’s Day week Monday for annual and Lookout Mountain resident passholders. A reopening date for other guests is to be determined soon.
“Rock City is looking forward to welcoming guests back in a safe way, after being closed since March 14 due to COVID-19,” said Susan Harris, president and chief operations officer for See Rock City. “Our team has done great work preparing our place to open in line with the guidance we’ve received from public health officials.”
All gift shops and food locations are also opening with capacity limitations. Rock City’s outdoor restaurant, Café 7, is reopening for the season at 50% capacity from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The annual event Summer Music Weekends is not scheduled for the summer season to help guests maintain physical distancing for the foreseeable future.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp allowed businesses including barbershops, nail salons, gyms and bowling alleys to reopen in late April, as well as letting restaurants resume limited dine-in service. Businesses must continue to operate with social distancing and sanitation rules through May 31. Bars, nightclubs, amusement parks and live performance venues will also remain closed until May 31, according to the state’s website.
New safety measures and operating procedures at Rock City include one-way traffic, timed tickets and sanitizing stations through the gardens. Employees will wear masks, have health screenings including temperature checks, and perform regular sanitizing of surfaces.