Distribution of museums in North America 2020-2021, by operational status
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic posed unprecedented challenges for museums in North America in 2020 and 2021, with institutions having to close for long periods to limit the spread of the virus. According to a study released shortly after the pandemic's outbreak, nearly 93 percent of museums reported being closed as of May 2020. While this scenario improved significantly over the following months, around 15 percent of museums were still closed to the public in May 2021. As of that month, only 20 percent of surveyed North American museums were open as usual, whereas 50 percent claimed to be either open or closed on a local basis.
