The outdoor museum will open its doors to pre-purchased tickets holders on June 27, limiting the visitor numbers to 1000 patrons a day with a range of new hygiene and safety measures to be put in place.

A number of major events will not initially return however with the Winter Wonderlights to not run, while the Gold Museum, Aura and Narmbool attractions will also remain closed in the short term.

FROM MARCH 20: Sovereign Hill to close indefinitely

The museum will operate on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for three months.

President Sovereign Hill Museums Association Damien Butler said the tourist attraction was a critical component of Ballarat's economy.

"We understand how extremely significant Sovereign Hill is to our community, and the importance it plays as an economic driver of visitors to this region," Mr Butler said.

"Our staff have been working tirelessly during this time in anticipation of our re-opening and we all look forward to welcoming visitors back to the unique and authentic experience we offer, to again immerse themselves in our shared stories of humanity."

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Chief executive Sara Quon said the museum will reopen as a cash-free attraction in the short term while social distancing measures will be enforced to ensure a safe environment for all visitors and staff.

"Our primary priority on re-opening is to ensure that we can provide a safe, hygienic and secure site for our staff, friends, families and visitors while ensuring an excellent experience. We are confident we can achieve both with the support of our excellent team," Ms Quon said.

Victorian Tourism Industry Council chief executive Felicia Mariani said it was great to see the return of such a substantial attraction.

"It was a very dark day for our industry on 20 March when Sovereign Hill announced it would be closing its doors indefinitely as a consequence of impacts from the coronavirus crisis," she said.

"Sovereign Hill is a landmark attraction in Victoria welcoming over 750,000 visitors in the past year. Its closure in March was a major indication of the devastation that COVID-19 would inflict on our industry across the state and across the country. "

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