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List of things closed, canceled in St. Louis area due to coronavirus concerns

Several schools have canceled in-person classes and events have been postponed due to concerns over COVID-19

ST. LOUIS — Since news broke about the first person in Missouri testing positive for COVID-19, St. Louis area schools have been canceling in-person classes and events have been postponed.

On Sunday, leaders in the greater St. Louis area announced new restrictions and suggestions about gatherings and schools. Most major school districts in St. Louis and St. Louis County responded less than an hour later by announcing the closure of schools from March 18 to April 3.

Here is a list of everything that has been closed, canceled or postponed.

RELATED: Everything we know about coronavirus in the St. Louis area

Closings, cancellations

Concerts and other events have been canceled or postponed due to the threat of COVID-19.

The National Park Service has temporarily closed the Gateway Arch National Park, including the Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse, until further notice. 

All recreation programs at St. Charles County parks have been suspended through April 3. All indoor reservations that are larger than 50 people scheduled through May 10 will be rescheduled.

All St. Charles County parks will remain open.

Missouri State Parks remain open. However, visitor centers, park offices and site offices will close beginning Friday, March 20 and lasting through April 30. All state park day-use areas, lodging, campgrounds, boat ramps and trails will stay open.

Governor Mike Parson announced casinos in Missouri will close at midnight on Wednesday and will remained closed through March 30.

All Missouri municipal elections scheduled for April 7 have been postponed until June 2.

RELATED: St. Louis attractions temporarily closed due to coronavirus concerns

The Rolling Stones announced they will be postponing their “No Filter” tour. The band was set to take the stage at The Dome at America’s Center on June 27.

The rescheduled dates for the tour have not been announced.

Sesame Street Live! Make Your Magic, which was scheduled for March 27-29 at Stifel Theatre, has been canceled. Refunds are available.

Bert Kreischer's two shows that were scheduled for April 5 at Stifel Theatre have been postponed. Information about a rescheduled date will be available at a later time.

Six Flags St. Louis was scheduled to open March 18, but has decided to suspend operations until the end of March.

Silver Dollar City in Branson is delaying its opening for the season to March 28. However, park officials said that opening date is subject to change.

Chaifetz Arena, home of Saint Louis University and the host stadium of several concerts and shows, has postponed all events through April 30. It falls in line with SLU's suspension of in-person classes and the city's new prohibition of events involving 1,000 people or more. 

The events at Chaifetz include: Festival of Laughs, Sturgill Simpson concert, Varsity Cheerleading, Blues Fest, Second Chance job fair, Madi Gras Cheerleading, All Elite Wrestling, NF concert, The Gathering Easter Service, Legends of Hip Hop and the Millennium Tour.

Chaifetz management is working with the promoters to reschedule as many events as possible for later this year. Guests are urged to keep their tickets until new dates are announced.

RELATED: St. Louis prohibits events with 1,000 or more people over coronavirus concerns

The Saint Louis Art Museum has suspended all tours and events through April 30. This change begins at 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 15. The museum's collection galleries and exhibitions will remain open, according to a press release from the museum.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra has canceled performances of "The Damnation of Faust" on March 13 and March 14 and the Youth Orchestra concert on March 15. 

The Fabulous Fox has postponed all performances and tours that were scheduled through the end of April. "The Bachelor Live on Stage" was scheduled for March 13. "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" also was postponed for the performances from March 17 - 29. The Fox said plans to reschedule are underway and ticket holders should keep their tickets because they will be honored on the new date.

A few shows at the Stifel Theatre have been postponed including Gabriel Iglesias "Beyond The Fluffy” World Tour scheduled for March 13 and 15, the Franco Escamilla show on March 14 and the Ron White show scheduled for March 20.

The St. Louis Science Center will be closed through March 31 due to coronavirus concerns.

"As a hands-on and primarily indoor learning space in which guests interact closely in excess of thousands a day, we feel that the Science Center has an obligation to take this position" the St. Louis Science Center said in a press release.

St. Louis made the decision to postpone downtown St. Patrick's Day Parade and run.

“I know that postponing large and popular events can be disappointing, but protecting the public's health and safety is paramount as COVID-19 continues to spread. We can't take any chances,” St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson wrote on Twitter.

Cottleville canceled its popular Shamrock Run & Parade, which was planned for March 14 in St. Charles County. Officials said it was a joint decision between all organizers involved.

Dogtown also made the decision to cancel its St. Patrick's Day Parade and Irish Festival.

"Both committees are disappointed that we had to make this decision, and we did not make it lightly, but are doing so in abundance of caution," a spokesman for the Ancient Order of Hibernians said in a statement.

Belleville has postponed its St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Downtown Alton canceled its St. Patrick's Day Festival, which was set for March 14.

Live racing at Fairmount Park on March 14 has been canceled. The track will race on March 17, but will not be open to the general public.

Missouri University of Science and Technology has canceled all university-sponsored events associated with the annual St. Pat’s Celebrations and the university’s Teaching and Learning Technology Conference. For a full list of the canceled events, click here.

RELATED: Kansas City bans all public events with more than 1K people

The Nike Mid-East Qualifier volleyball tournament set for March 13-15 at America's Center has been canceled.

Pearl Jam made the decision to postpone the first leg of its upcoming tour, which included a date in St. Louis.

“As residents of the city of Seattle, we’ve been hit hard and have witnessed firsthand how quickly these disastrous situations can escalate,” the band said.

The Zac Brown Band also postponed its national tour. The band was set to take the stage at Enterprise Center on Thursday.

“This was an extremely difficult decision, but the well-being of our fans is always our top priority,” the band wrote on Facebook.

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Missouri Special Olympics canceled its State Indoor Games. The organization said county health officials “strongly requested” that organizers not move forward with the event.

A Pokémon event, Go Safari Zone, that was scheduled for March 27-29 was postponed. Niantic said it is looking for alternate dates for the event in the next 12 months.

The Missouri Botanical Garden, Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, Shaw Nature Reserve, Litzsinger Road Ecology Center, and Little Shop Around the Corner will temporarily close until April 3.

Schlafly canceled its popular Stout & Oyster Festival, which was set to take place on March 20 and March 21 at the Schlafly Tap Room. It's one of the brewery's biggest events of the year. Because Schlafly brews so much extra beer for the large festival, it plans to hold beer and food specials late next week.

The GO! St. Louis Marathon Weekend, which was set for March 28 - 29, was canceled.

The Art Fair at Queeny Park that was scheduled for April 3-5 has been canceled.

RELATED: How to talk to your kids about the coronavirus

The grand opening celebration of the new Blues restaurant at St. Louis Lambert International Airport has been canceled, but the restaurant will still open.

Effective at 5 p.m. Monday, the Missouri Historical Society is temporarily closing all three of its locations — the Missouri History Museum, Soldiers Memorial Military Museum and the Library & Research Center — to the public, a statement said. MHS currently plans to reopen its locations to the public on May 9, 2020. All scheduled on- and off-site programs, events and tours are canceled until May 9 as well.

The St. Louis Art Museum joined the history museum in closing temporarily. It will be closed for "at least four weeks."

"The Art Museum strives to be a contemplative space in times of crisis, but this emergency closure is necessary for the health of our community,” said Brent R. Benjamin, the Barbara B. Taylor Director of the Saint Louis Art Museum. “We look forward to opening again as soon as it is advisable.”

The School of Rock Kirkwood has canceled its spring break camp.

RELATED: 'Keep us in your thoughts' | Metro east woman living in Italy talks about lockdown

All St. Louis County Library locations will be closed from March 17 to April 3. Patrons are asked to keep materials at home until the library reopens. Book drops will not be available during the closure. You can check the SLCL website for updates.

The St. Louis Public Library is doing the same. All locations will be closed effective Monday at 6 p.m. and will remain closed until further notice. You can find more information at slpl.org.

St. Charles and St. Charles County Library locations will also be closed for a few weeks. Effective March 17, all branches will be closed until April 5. Online library services will continue as usual. Customers should keep all materials until the Library resumes operation.

Rec centers in St. Louis are also closed until further notice. That includes all seven centers: Tandy, Buder, Cherokee, Wohl, 12th & Park, Marquette and Gamble.

The Moolah Shrine Circus is being rescheduled. It was set to take place March 19 - 22 at the Family Arena in St. Charles. Officials plan to release an update on the circus on the Moolah website on Monday, March 16.

The Boy Scouts of Greater St. Louis are canceling all district and council events for the next 10 days, including District Pinewood Derby events and hikes. Plus, all camps will be closed.

Vetta Sports suspended all operations from March 13 to March 20.

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis canceled its 102nd Annual Dinner on March 23 at the Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel.

The St. Louis Aquarium is temporarily closing until March 31, saying "our team members will be keeping the 13,000 animals in our safe care and well-tended during this temporary closing."

A spokesperson for the St. Louis Aquarium and St. Louis Wheel said the Wheel Ropes Course, Mirror Maze and Union Station restaurants will remain open for now, even after the aquarium announced it would close.

The Saint Louis Zoo announced it will be closed effective March 16 and until further notice. All public and private events are canceled through April 3. You can check the latest status of the Saint Louis Zoo on its website here.

All events and leagues at Jefferson County parks have been canceled until May 4, in accordance with CDC guidelines limiting gatherings to 10 or fewer people. Additionally, all court business has been suspended while the county is under a state of emergency.

Hazelwood is limiting access to City Hall starting March 17. Additionally, court business has been suspended until April 3. 

Community Center and the Civic Center East will be closed until April 3. In addition to following best practices for social distancing, the closure will give our staff time to perform a deep clean on both facilities so that we can protect the health of our community. All rentals for the Community Center and Civic Center East are canceled through April 3. Anyone with a reservation for either facility will have the option to have a refund or re-book their event for after Apr. 3. Pavilion rentals will still be available starting April 18. 

Arnold's OATS public transportation the JeffCo Express was scheduled to return to service on AMrch 23. That start date will now be delayed until April 2020. An exact date has not been decided.

Missouri State park visitor centers, campgrounds and lodging will remain open according to a press release from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The St. Peters Rec-Plex and Cultural Arts Centre will shut down all operations through April 3. 

All O'Fallon-operated buildings, including City Hall, the Justice Center's Records and Courts offices and Parks offices will close to the public beginning at 5 p.m. March 18. They're expected to reopen on April 4.

What public places are doing

Some gyms in the area have decided to temporarily close their doors due to the threat of COVID-19.

Club Fitness announced it will temporarily close its locations starting at 10 p.m. on March 19 and will remain closed until at least April 1.

Gold's Gym announced that some of its locations in the St. Louis area would be closed until March 31.

Duck Donuts has eliminated seating and is encouraging customers to order ahead for pick-up or delivery, where available.

The Humane Society of Missouri will temporarily limit adoptions to appointment-only and postponing all other scheduled shelter visits including field trips and Shelter Buddies programs.

From March 18 through March 22, adoption fees will be waived for adult dogs, adult cats and critters, 50% off the adoption fee for puppies and kittens and 25% off the adoption fee for goats.

Skilled nursing facilities, assisted living homes and retirement communities are also working on ways to protect their residents, many of whom are most at risk.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is taking steps to limit the coronavirus exposure risks to its most susceptible patients.

Starting March 10 until further notice, all 134 VA nursing homes across the country will not allow any outside visitors to see residents.

RELATED: CDC awards $9.8 million to Missouri for coronavirus response

The Archdiocese of St. Louis was forcing parishes to make changes to parts of Mass in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus, but on Monday, the Archbishop announced all public Masses would be suspended until further notice.

RELATED: Archdiocese of St. Louis suspends all public masses over coronavirus concerns

Sump Coffee announced it will no longer accept customers' reusable cups. The coffee spot said it is making efforts to sanitize the cafe and all common areas through the day.

Starbucks said it is considering transitioning some stores in the U.S. and Canada to drive-thru only while others may limit the number of people allowed inside.

The St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station is closed through March 31.

On March 16, the Saint Louis Zoo announced it is closing until further notice.

As a precaution, Metro Transit said it's enhancing cleaning and disinfecting procedures for MetroLink, MetroBus and Metro Call-A-Ride vehicles.

HealthWorks! Kids’ Museum will close to the public at 4:30 p.m. on March 14 and remain closed through at least March 30.

Republic Services is suspending yard waste pickup for two weeks, as of Monday, March 16. Trash and recycling will continue as normal.

AMC Theaters said they are limiting seat capacity in every auditorium. They will be capping ticket availability to 50% of the normal seating capacity for every show. 

AMC theater teams will also enhance cleaning protocols by cleaning frequently touched areas at lease once per hour.

Apple is closing all of its stores worldwide, except for those in Greater China, where cases have declined. The closures will last through March 27 so the stores can be deep cleaned and disinfected.

Grapevine Wines and Spirits in Kirkwood has curbside carry out. You can call the store with your order and credit card number and an employee will run it out to your car.

Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois are suspending service disconnections and forgiving late payment fees.

Crown Candy Kitchen will be shutting down at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, according to owner Andy Karandzieff. Its dining room will be closed for the foreseeable future. 

All of the shop's candy will be offered online through its website and will be offering curbside pickup for all of its food.

The Missouri Department of Conservation is closing its nature centers, visitor centers and education centers around the state effective Thursday, March 19. The indoor facilities will remain closed through April 15. Nature center trails will stay open.

West County Center and South County Center shopping malls announced they will be closing, effective immediately. Some restaurants at the malls will remain open for carry-out services only.

Schools moving to online classes

Several schools in the St. Louis area have closed or have canceled in-person classes due to the threat of the coronavirus, COVID-19.

On Sunday, the Hillsboro R-3 School District said it will be closed on March 16 and 17 for professional development and planning. They will have more information as decisions are made.

Villa Duchesne announced it will remain closed through April 3. The school originally decided to close after learning a St. Louis County woman who tested positive for the virus is the older sister of one of their students.

Maryville University has suspended on-campus classes and will remain virtual through the end of the spring semester, including final exams. Residential Life staff will help students move out of the dorms between March 17 and March 19. Students with extreme cases can request to stay on campus. Otherwise, access to campus will be limited.

RELATED: Missouri opens hotline for COVID-19

Saint Louis University also canceled in-person classes for when students return from spring break, during the week of March 15.

SLU has also taken preventative measures in advance of the A-10 Men’s Basketball Championship in Brooklyn, New York. SLU’s athletic department said it will restrict all non-essential travel to Brooklyn, which includes pep band, cheerleading and dance, in addition to various university staff members.

Spring break at Washington University's Danforth and Medical campuses will be extended.

Beginning March 23, the Danforth and Medical campuses will shift to online classes. There will be no in-person classes until at least April 30.

Webster University moved all classes at non-military U.S. locations and at the Vienna, Austria campus to an online environment through April 3. Courses in Athens, Greece are also moving online until March 26.

Webster said staff in Athens will continue to work on the campus but at reduced staffing levels. Webster’s China locations have been operating remotely since the beginning of the spring term in January.

RELATED: MU Health offering $10 video visits amid coronavirus concerns

All University of Missouri system schools will hold remote courses for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester amid concerns over COVID-19, according to a news release from the University of Missouri system. During this week, there will be no penalties for missed connections, or assignments, tests or quizzes, the school system said.

All housing, dining halls and libraries will remain open to accommodate students. All university recreational centers will be closed.

“Our university communities are working hard to maintain the level of excellence that our students and Missourians expect from their public research university,” UM System President Mun Choi said. “We are also working with colleagues around the world to develop treatments for COVID-19, sharing our extensive testing capabilities and sustaining our commitment to research and health care as we continue our service to the state.” the University System said in a press release.

Students will be on spring break from March 21 to March 29, and the school plans to resume in-person classes on Monday, March 30.

All schools in the Ferguson-Florissant School District will be closed from March 18 until  April 3 amid coronavirus concerns.

Meals will continue to be provided to students during the days that the schools are closed.

Teachers will also continue to be paid during this closure.

The school district will be "deep cleaning" the schools during this closure.

Lindenwood University said it will switch entirely to virtual classes for all programs for the rest of the semester.

Harris-Stowe State University extended its spring break until March 23. On March 16, the school will host training for professors for a possible shift to online-only classes. The campus and William L. Clay Early Childhood Center will remain open.

Harris-Stowe has closed its daycare, the William L. Clay Sr. Early Childhood Center, until April 3.

Missouri State University is extending its spring break for an additional week, through March 27. On March 30, classes will resume "via alternate delivery methods." Face-to-face classes are canceled through the end of the semester.

RELATED: St. Louis County Police Department asking retired officers to work amid coronavirus concerns

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is extending spring break for on-ground students by one week, through Sunday, March 22. School officials said they will use this extra time to monitor the situation and plan for additional changes. 

Southern Illinois University Carbondale is extending spring break for students through March 22. Also, beginning March 23, classes will be offered online or in other alternative formats until further notice.

SIU Carbondale said it is extending its spring break through March 22. After that, classes will be held online-only until further notice.

RELATED: St. Charles County launches website to track coronavirus cases

Missouri Baptist University will temporarily transition to an online format from march 16 - April 4. The school is on spring break through March 15. Students are urged to check Canvas daily for class updates beginning March 16 and monitor MoBap's coronavirus website here.

Jefferson College is extending spring break through March 29, including all clinical rotations at area hospitals. Faculty and staff are expected to work from home. Beginning March 30, classes will move to an online-only format until further notice. However, staff members are expected to return to their on-site work location beginning March 30.

St. Louis Community College extended spring break to March 29. Classes will resume on March 30. The college will stay open during the extended break.

Southwestern Illinois College will move all classes online for the remainder of the semester. Starting March 22, and continuing until April 18, the Belleville Campus and Main Complex and the Liberal Arts Building will be open but with restrictions. All other campuses will be closed. The Cafeteria will be open for made-to-order take-away services only. Hours of operation are 8 am to 2 pm.

St. Charles Community College has moved all services and classes online beginning March 23 and continuing through the end of the spring semester.

The school also canceled its spring commencement ceremonies.

Indiana University put a hold on in-person classes after two of its students, including one from St. Louis County, tested positive for the virus.

What’s happening around the world 

The coronavirus is impacting several parts of the U.S. along with other countries around the world.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee that was scheduled for May 24 has been canceled.

As of Friday morning, the U.S. reached more than 14,000 cases. More than 240,000 people around the world have been sickened by the virus and more than 10,000 people have died.

Macy’s, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom will close all stores by end of business on Tuesday through March 31.

The National Hockey League announced it is "pausing" the 2019-2020 season.

Major League Baseball canceled spring training games as of 4 p.m. ET Thursday, and that the start of the regular season will be delayed by at least two weeks.

The Big Ten Conference, the SEC, the Atlantic Coast Conference and the American Athletic Conference have canceled the remainder of their men's basketball tournaments.

The NCAA also canceled March Madness, the Frozen Four and other championships.

Major League Soccer has suspended its season for 30 days.

The entire Major Arena Soccer League also decided to end the 2019-20 regular season on Wednesday. St. Louis' MASL team is the St. Louis Ambush.

The Masters golf tournament has been postponed until a later date.

RELATED: MLB suspends spring training, opening day pushed back

Disneyland will be closed most of the month of March over concerns about the coronavirus. The California theme park is closing Saturday through the end of the month. Cast members and other crew who run the park will continue to be paid, according to a Disney Parks announcement.

For the first time in its 34-year history, South by Southwest was canceled after the City of Austin declared a local disaster due to concerns over the virus.

Major events like Coachella and Stagecoach have been rescheduled. Chicago, San Francisco, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Boston canceled parades due to coronavirus concerns.

Ireland has canceled all St. Patrick’s Day parades across the country in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus.

RELATED: Coronavirus live updates: WHO classifies coronavirus as a pandemic

Earlier this week, Madonna canceled shows in Paris after the country banned events of more than 1,000 people to limit the spread of the virus.

Here is an interactive map that shows all reported coronavirus cases in the world.

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