Good news for those who want to stand face-to-face with Rembrandt, or count the teeth of the mighty 

 means Ottawa-area museums can reopen for the first time in months.

The National Gallery of Canada&nbsp;and the Canadian Museum of Nature have confirmed they will open to visitors on Friday, and the Canadian War Museum plans to reopen Saturday.

Under the third phase&nbsp;of Ontario's reopening plan,&nbsp;museums may reopen at 50-per-cent capacity indoors and 75-per-cent capacity outdoors.

What you can do in Ottawa and Gatineau starting Friday

As COVID-19 restrictions continue to loosen in both provinces, there are differences in the rules depending on which side of the river you're on.

A television tuned to U.S. election coverage Nov. 7, 2020 in a downtown Ottawa pub, the first day in four weeks people could eat inside under COVID-19 restrictions.

ottawa restaurant indoor covid coronavirus orange rules status

Ottawa residents will be allowed to eat inside restaurants for the first time in months as COVID-19 restrictions ease in Ontario.

Ontario to enter Step 3 of COVID-19 reopening early, detects 1st cases of lambda variant

Ontario is moving to Step 3 of its reopening plan next Friday, five days earlier than planned, allowing for larger indoor and outdoor gatherings, the province said Friday.

Earl Edwards, of Canton, Mass., works out on July 6, 2020, at Answer is Fitness gym, in Canton. Gym owners warn that it won't be fitness as usual as many Ontario facilities implement new measures to keep members safe while they get back in shape after months of COVID-19 languor. 

COVID Gyms Reopen 20200716

Ontario will move to Stage 3 of its reopening plan on July 16 — five days ahead of schedule. But despite the province's improving COVID-19 situation, experts are worried that the spread of the delta variant — and the newly emerged lambda variant — could still pose risks.

Ontario to move to Stage 3 of reopening on July 16

Visitors to the Canadian War museum will need to pre-book their visit, and the National Gallery says it will timestamp tickets to ensure the exhibits are kept below capacity.

The gallery also announced free admission for Indigenous people, as well as caregivers accompanying visitors with a disability. Tickets will be pre-sold starting Wednesday.

In a news release, the gallery said it will reopen with more than 100 works of the renowned Dutch painter Rembrandt, including his iconic self-portrait.

The exhibit also includes the first-ever Canadian showing of Rembrandt's "Blinding of Samson," according to the release.

A sticker asking people to stay two metres apart at the Canadian Museum of Nature Sept. 4, 2020, prior to the museum's reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic the following day.

covid coronavirus canadian museum of nature ottawa mask distancing

Other museums to announce opening dates this week

It's not yet clear when some other national museums will reopen. The Canada&nbsp;Science and Technology Museum said they would confirm their reopening date sometime this week.

The Canadian Museum of History, based in Gatineau, Que., has been 

. It's currently hosting an exhibition of Egpytian artifacts, including the sarcophagi of "legendary" queens like Nefertiti and Hatshepsut.

Most museums have been shuttered since April's wave of COVID-19 cases. Some museums and galleries 

Visitors should expect a slightly more controlled experience than years past. Some interactive exhibits will remain closed, and visitors will be asked to physically distance and observe public health restrictions.

People walk in the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa last July. The gallery is reopening to visitors on Friday after a lengthy closure.

Ottawa museums set to reopen as Ontario enters Step 3

Other museums to announce opening dates this week

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