Staying at Penn this summer? Here’s what will be open on campus.

As COVID-19 restrictions loosen in Philadelphia and students continue to get vaccinated, here’s what's going to be open on campus this summer. 

Though all summer 2021 courses are set to be held online, a number of on-campus services — including libraries, recreational facilities, and the Penn Museum — will be open to students staying in Philadelphia.

Campus Recreation

Pottruck Health and Fitness Center, Franklin Field, Hecht and Hamlin Tennis Centers, and the Penn Squash Center will all be open throughout the summer, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Governance and Administration Kevin Bonner wrote in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian.

Pottruck will continue its current hours of operation — 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday — throughout the summer, but it will close for annual building maintenance from May 17 until May 31. During this period, Fox Fitness Center will be open in its place, Bonner wrote. 

This summer, Penn Campus Recreation will begin phasing in non-student membership for the first time, Bonner wrote.

Houston Hall

Houston Hall has been operating as a COVID-19 testing center this semester, and is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. It will continue operating as a testing site over the summer, most likely from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., University Life Assistant Vice Provost for Strategic Planning and Operations Laurie Hall wrote in an email to the DP.

Access to the building will mirror the requirements from this spring — a green PennOpen Pass will be required to enter for any reason. 

Also this summer, enhancements will be made to the first-floor game room in Houston Hall, and construction on an all-gender restroom next to Bodek Hall will begin, Hall wrote. The bathroom will have multiple stalls, and an adjacent lactation space will be added as well.

Penn Commons

The outdoor lounge space on Penn Commons will be available for use by all this summer.

Penn Libraries

Penn Libraries will continue to allow students to reserve a limited number of seats for individual study in the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays, starting May 17. 

Also starting May 17, stacks access will be available by appointment only in Van Pelt.

Books and other materials may also be picked up by faculty, students, and staff through Pickup@Penn, which will continue this summer. The service will operate while the libraries remain largely closed, and borrowers can request to pick up any book from Van Pelt.

The Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books, and Manuscripts will continue to offer remote services for researchers throughout the summer. If a researcher needs to view an amount of material that cannot be supported digitally, on-site access to the Kislak Center's Charles K. MacDonald Reading Room will be offered by appointment starting May 17. 

Penn Museum

The Penn Museum reopened on Jan. 8 with its regular operating hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Sunday. Tickets are available online for advance purchase, and admission is limited. 

All visitors are required to wear a face covering inside the Museum and in any of its outdoor spaces, and must adhere to distancing protocols. Spaces are regularly cleaned and sanitized throughout the day, and hand sanitizer stations are available throughout the building.

The Museum's cafe and gift shop remain closed, with the gift shop operating entirely online through its online store.