Boston, MA – May 8, 2020 – The Trustees today announced it is reopening five of its most popular properties starting May 19,to provide residents of those respective communities with more opportunities to spend time in nature during the COVID-19 pandemic. Crane Beach in Ipswich, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Naumkeag in Stockbridge, and World’s End in Hingham will all be opened in a controlled and limited manner that will ease overcrowding, ensure social distancing, and keep both visitors and staff safe by staying aligned with the Governor’s Stay at Home order which calls for local use only.

The Trustees closed all its 119 properties on March 24 and then reopened more than 70 unstaffed properties on April 8. These five properties, which require a staff presence,are being opened for local use only and will be made available through an online reservation system. No on-site transactions will be allowed, visitor access will be limited to grounds only, and all visitors and staff will be required to wear face coverings in keeping with the most recent Governor’s order. Knowing how difficult it has been to get outside, get exercise, and connect with nature over the past weeks, The Trustees has worked tirelessly with local and state officials to safely expand access to our special places while balancing the need to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Crane Beach and Fruitlands Museum will offer parking passes for the day, available online only. There will be a limited number of daily passes to ensure parking lots never exceed half capacity. While Fruitlands will offer passes to Trustees members and the general public right away, Crane Beach will restrict passes to existing parking permit holders and Trustees members for two weeks (May 19-June 2) while they test out the operational procedures required to open the beach, then will open to the general public. Members and permit holders will be asked to use their membership numbers when reserving their passes. The reservations will be less than 50% of capacity for the parking lot at Crane Beach. Limiting the parking will allow for easier social distancing and assurances that staff will have no or little contact with the public. There will be no on-site transactions and visitors without passes will be turned away.

Visitors to World’s End, deCordova, and Naumkeag will also book daily parking passes on an online-only basis for a specific time window of time. Like Crane and Fruitlands, a reduced number of passes will be sold to limit the parking lots to no more than half capacity for safety reasons.

Parking passes will be sold as Member/Nonmember with members and permit holders able to access discounted passes by entering their membership number. It is imperative to note that no transactions will be occurring on-site for the safety of the staff and the public. Cars without reservations will be turned away. Trustees staff will visually inspect passes at the gate through the vehicle window using a six-foot demarcation zone that will clearly mark gate staff from visitors, and signage will be installed at the property entrance informing visitors of the need for pre-purchased parking passes. No one without a pre-purchased pass will be allowed to enter these properties, and a turnaround route for non-pass holders will be clearly marked.

Parking for Members is free or discounted for all five sites, and only Member passes will be available until May 12. Starting May 13, all will be able to reserve a parking pass. Visit thetrustees.org/COVID19 to select a parking pass for these properties.

“I have received hundreds of letters and emails describing how much these properties are loved and appreciated, which is why our staff is working so diligently to reopen these special places that serve to heal and restore us during this difficult time,” says Trustees President & CEO Barbara Erickson. “We are thrilled to reopen these five beloved properties and ask for the public’s help in following CDC social distancing guidelines and the Governor’s stay local recommendation.”

The Trustees is requiring all visitors to abide by the following social distancing guidelines at all open properties, for the health and safety of all and to help keep sites open in these challenging times:

• Bring and wear a face covering for all visitors above the age of two;
• Limit visits to open Trustees properties in your respective town or neighborhood;
• Stay at least six feet from other visitors, including stepping aside on the trail to let others pass;
• Where dogs are allowed, please keep them leashed and away from other visitors at all times;
• If a parking area is full,please come back at a less busy time.

To reserve parking passes to these five properties, view the complete list of open properties, see PSA videos that explain ways to limit the spread of COVID-19, and become a Trustees member or renew your membership, visit thetrustees.org/COVID19. The Trustees is also creating online activities and content to bring the wonders of Massachusetts to homes throughout the Commonwealth and beyond.

More about The Trustees
Founded in the City of Boston by landscape architect and open space visionary Charles Eliot in 1891, The Trustees has, for more than 125 years, been inspiring generations to embrace nature, culture, and the great outdoors. As a steward of distinctive and dynamic places of both natural and historic value, The Trustees is the nation’s first and the Massachusetts’ largest preservation and conservation nonprofit, with 119 publicly accessible parks, gardens, farms, beaches, historic homesteads, campgrounds, inns and recreational sites that welcome millions of residents and visitors annually. thetrustees.org.

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