With COVID-19, will Fairyland still be open?

Friends of Fairyland,

Hello again.

As promised in a recent blog post, Children’s Fairyland is keeping on top of the COVID-19 coronavirus situation as it’s been developing, for the safety of our staff, visitors, and the animals in our care. As we continue to implement extra sanitizing efforts inside the park, we want to update you on what other proactive measures we are taking at this time, and what you can do to help us.

As you may be aware, the Governor of California, Alameda County Public Health Department, and City of Oakland have all recently issued orders and recommendations to slow the spread of COVID-19 outbreak. To protect the most vulnerable populations, they ask that select gatherings be cancelled or postponed. To adhere to these guidelines, Children’s Fairyland is in the process of rescheduling the following events: Theatre for the Very Young’s Hickory Dickory Dock and Turn the Page! children’s book festival.

The big question: Will Fairyland be open this weekend?

The short answer: Yes.

The longer answer: Yes, because we believe families with young children (i.e. non-vulnerable populations), in this isolating and overwhelming time, will be looking for respite. As Fairyland is an outdoor park, we think “social distancing” (defined as more than arm’s length of one another) is achievable. However, in order to open Fairyland this weekend, we will have chosen to close Alice’s Reading Room, the Alice in Wonderland Tunnel and the Fairy Music Farm Tunnel, and to cancel Game Day.

The even longer answer: Maybe. As we monitor the situation, we may decide to close Fairyland in response to new information. Also, rain is in the forecast for this weekend, and we may decide to close the park for solely that reason. In other words, everything is subject to change. We thank you for being patient with us!

Again, we are going to continue with our regularly scheduled park hours until further notice. We are currently set to re-open Friday March 13 at 10 a.m. and plan to be open both Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

We've installed several additional hand sanitizing stations to help keep all of us germ free!

Here’s an updated list of what you can do:

1. If you or your child is sick, please stay home.
2. Wash, wash, wash those hands — with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
3. While we have hand sanitizer, please plan on packing your own, along with wipes.
4. Use hand sanitizer often (Please ask any staff member if you need help finding a sanitizing station or restroom.)
5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. See #2.
6. If you need to cough or sneeze, please do so in the crook of your elbow.
7. Practice “social distancing” by keeping an arm’s length radius around you.
8. Talk to your children about COVID-19 using these calming tips.
9. Keep tabs on the CDC website for the most up-to-date information on this outbreak.
10. Support Fairyland by making a tax-deductible donation, becoming a member, ordering items from our Animal Gift Registry, or posting friendly and encouraging comments to us on social media!

In other words, be kind and stay safe out there, folks! Thanks for doing your part, as we do ours. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us at communications@fairyland.org.

We love you, Bay Area!