WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Smithsonian Institution announced Sunday that all of its museums and the National Zoo have officially closed as the federal government shutdown stretches into its third week.
The Smithsonian’s 19 museums, along with the zoo, had remained open since the shutdown began on October 1 by relying on leftover funds from prior budgets. Those reserves have now run out.
In a post shared Friday on X, the institution confirmed the closures, writing: “Due to the government shutdown, Smithsonian museums are temporarily closed beginning on Sunday, Oct. 12, along with our research centers and the National Zoo.”
While the zoo emphasized that its animals will continue to receive full care and feeding, officials noted that live animal cameras and other public operations will remain offline until funding is restored.
The reopening timeline depends on when Congress reaches an agreement to end the shutdown — something that remains uncertain as negotiations between Democrats and Republicans have stalled.
According to a review by the Bipartisan Policy Center, roughly 1.4 million federal employees are either furloughed or working without pay, and more than 4,000 received formal layoff notices on Friday.
This is not the first time Smithsonian facilities have been affected by a funding lapse. During the 2018–2019 government shutdown, the museums and zoo stayed open for 11 days before closing for the remainder of that five-week standoff.
Tourists Face Locked Doors on the National Mall
Visitors who came to Washington, D.C., hoping to tour the Smithsonian’s world-famous museums found themselves turned away on Sunday.
Jeff Walsh, visiting from Canada for a business trip, approached the National Museum of Natural History only to find a sign taped to the doors announcing the closure.
“I didn’t realize the museums would be shut down today,” Walsh said. “It’s disappointing the government can shut down like this. It doesn’t happen like this in Canada.”
Others had traveled even farther. Deborah Silva flew in from Alabama with her fourth-grade son, Luke Skopek, who had wanted to see America’s history come to life after learning about it in school.
“They’re out of school this week, so we went ahead and made the trip,” Silva said. “To say that he’s highly disappointed is an understatement.”
For some visitors, the closures threw off entire itineraries. Emily Macpherson, in town from Australia for work, said she had planned to spend her afternoon exploring the museums.
“That’s sort of my plans for the afternoon gone, I guess,” she said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do now.”
Post a Comment