What Museums in Washington Will Be Open Jan 3 if the Shut Down Continues

Sure, the District itself is open for business, but as the term "Federal City" implies, most federally funded locations are shuttered during the government shutdown. Here's what you need to know.

WASHINGTON — Sure, the District itself is open for business, but as the term "Federal City" implies, most federally funded locations are shuttered during the government shutdown, which has been in effect since Dec. 22.

Not even the National Park Service website is being updated.

It reads:

"During the federal government shutdown, this website will not be updated and may not reflect current conditions. Some national parks may remain accessible to visitors; however, access may change without notice. Some parks are closed completely. Some visitor services may be available when provided by concessioners or other entities. For most parks, there will be no National Park Service-provided visitor services, such as restrooms, trash collection, facilities, or road maintenance."

WTOP has an FAQ about what to expect during the shutdown.

The Zoo's famous panda cam has also been turned off, but the animals are still being fed and cared for, reports NBC Washington.

As of Tuesday morning, WTOP's Alejandro Alvarez reports that it's mostly news crews outside the National Zoo and tourists who are confused about why it's not open.

Aside from a handful of tourists muttering "this sucks" and "what the hell" at the shuttered National Zoo this morning, there was this boy who came back twice, as if he expected the gates to suddenly open again. @WTOP #GovernmentShutdown pic.twitter.com/KyJYRcndy9

— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) January 2, 2019

One local business owner, Yael Krigman of Baked by Yael across from the National Zoo, told WTOP the shutdown is hurting operations.

"I rely on the zoo visitors, staff and volunteers who will be kept away if the shutdown persists," Krigman said in a statement.

She also said her company support federal workers during the shutdown.

"We're doing what we can to add some joy to a very stressful time for many people," Krigman explained.

At least one WTOP reader/listener said they were unable to get their marriage license due to the shutdown. D.C. courts confirmed on their website that the marriage bureau is closed.

Garbage piles up on the National Mall during the government shutdown. (WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez)

Signage outside the National Air and Space Museum during the government shutdown. (WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez)

A family tries to visit the National Zoo during the government shutdown Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019. (WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez)

A young boy at the gates of the National Zoo on Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019, during the government shutdown. (WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez)

A closed sign is posted on the gate of Smithsonian's National Zoo, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019, in Washington. Smithsonian's National Zoo is closed due to the partial government shutdown. President Donald Trump is convening a border security briefing Wednesday for Democratic and Republican congressional leaders as a partial government shutdown over his demand for border wall funding entered its 12th day. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The National Zoo is shuttered Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2019 during the government shutdown. (A young boy at the gates of the National Zoo on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2019, during the government shutdown. (WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez) — The National Zoo is shuttered Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019 during the government shutdown. (WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez)

Normally bustling with activity, the National Mall is more like a ghost town during the government shutdown Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019. (WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez)

Visitors tour the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, as a partial government shutdown stretches into its third week. A high-stakes move to reopen the government will be the first big battle between Nancy Pelosi and President Donald Trump as Democrats come into control of the House. The new Democratic House majority gavels into session this week with legislation to end the government shutdown. Pelosi and Trump both think they have public sentiment on their side in the battle over Trump's promised U.S.-Mexico border wall. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The Capitol is seen as New Year's Day comes to a close with the partial government shutdown in its second week, in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. The new House majority led by Democrat Nancy Pelosi gavels into session this week with legislation ready to end the government shutdown. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The U.S. Capitol is seen early in the morning in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, as a partial government shutdown stretches into its third week. A high-stakes move to reopen the government will be the first big battle between Nancy Pelosi and President Donald Trump as Democrats come into control of the House. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

A closed sign is displayed at The National Archives entrance in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, as a partial government shutdown stretches into its third week. A high-stakes move to reopen the government will be the first big battle between Nancy Pelosi and President Donald Trump as Democrats come into control of the House. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The Federal Reserve building is seen during a partial government shutdown in Washington, Monday, Dec. 24, 2018. President Donald Trump's attacks on the Federal Reserve spooked the stock market on Christmas Eve, and efforts by his Treasury secretary to calm investors' fears only seemed to make matters worse, contributing to another day of heavy losses on Wall Street. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Trash begins to accumulate along the National Mall near the Washington Monument due to a partial shutdown of the federal government on December 24, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Maila and her brother Sammy Farag, play with meerkat cutout boards at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, Monday, Dec. 31, 2018. In the event of a prolonged government shutdown and Smithsonian's National Zoo closes, the zoo keepers will be working unpaid. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

June Cai and her 5-year-old son, Jai Cai, spend the day together in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He would normally be in day care, but the day care he attends has been affected by the partial government shutdown. (WTOP/Mike Murillo)

Tourists arrive to visit the U.S. Capitol on a rainy morning in Washington, Friday, Dec. 28, 2018, during a partial government shutdown. The partial government shutdown will almost certainly be handed off to a divided government to solve in the new year, as both parties traded blame Friday and President Donald Trump sought to raise the stakes in the weeklong impasse. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

A statue of Benjamin Franklin is seen in an empty corridor outside the Senate at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, during a partial government shutdown. Chances look slim for ending the partial government shutdown any time soon. Lawmakers are away from Washington for the holidays and have been told they will get 24 hours' notice before having to return for a vote. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) — A statue of Benjamin Franklin is seen in an empty corridor outside the Senate at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, during a partial government shutdown. Chances look slim for ending the partial government shutdown any time soon. Lawmakers are away from Washington for the holidays and have been told they will get 24 hours' notice before having to return for a vote.

So what's open and closed?

Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are closed as of Tuesday — even their social media accounts will be unstaffed. That includes the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of Natural History. Several galleries are also among those closed.

Due to the #GovernmentShutdown, Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are closed. We will update our operating status as soon as the situation is resolved. We do not plan to update social media other than to inform you of our operating status.

— Smithsonian (@smithsonian) January 2, 2019

The National Gallery of Art will close on Jan. 3.

Memorials on the National Mall remain open to visitors but are unstaffed. No tours, no Rangers.

If you're looking for restrooms, they can be found at the World War II Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial (on the south side) and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

Unlike the Smithsonian sites, most of the private museums and attractions (which charge entrance fees) are open, including the National Geographic Museum, the Newseum, the Phillips Collection and Madame Tussauds.

Other sites still open include, but are not limited to the following:

The Newseum (which is offering free admission to federal workers)
National Building Museum
Artechouse
Kreeger Museum
Hillwood Estate, Museum and Garden
Washington National Cathedral

People will still be able to see the city's monuments and memorials and the National Mall, but visitor centers and park ranger talks won't be available.

"You'll still have access to the those things. You'll still have an opportunity to get on a Segway, get on a bicycle or walk through the city," said Elliott Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination DC, the city's official tourism organization.

The winter months tend to be a slow period for major conventions and meetings in the nation's capital, but Ferguson could not rule out the possibility that some visitors to D.C. may have postponed trips because of the partial shutdown.

"We're keeping our fingers crossed that this government shutdown will be a short-term thing, and we'll be able to get back to business as usual," Ferguson said.

Also closed:

Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial (previous closure for rehabilitation)
Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument
Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site
Clara Barton National Historic Site
Daingerfield Island restaurant, Triple Craft (previous closure)
Ford's Theatre National Historic Site (Ford's Theatre Society will continue to offer performances in the theater as scheduled)
Fort Marcy
Fort Washington Park entrance road and visitor center
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
Great Falls (Md.) entrance road and visitor center
Old Post Office Tower
Olmsted Island/Great Falls Overlook (Md.)
Great Falls (Va.) entrance road and visitor center
Hains Point
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site
Oxon Hill Farm
Peirce Mill
Rock Creek Park Nature Center and Planetarium
Rock Creek golf course (seasonal closure)
Turkey Run Park (gated areas)
Washington Monument (previous closure for elevator modernization)
White House Visitor Center

Here's what's open:

The National Building Museum
National Geographic Museum
U.S. Holocaust Museum
Newseum
Luther W. Brady Gallery, located in the Corcoran-Flagg Building
The Phillips Collection
Kreeger Museum
National Museum of Women in the Arts
The Decatur House
Dumbarton Oaks
Tudor Place
Woodrow Wilson House
Saint John Paul II National Shrine
Observation Deck at CEB Tower
Folger Shakespeare Library

Of course, D.C.'s bars remain a bastion for those so motivated.

And WTOP has a list of shutdown specials for furloughed government workers.

Will Vitka

William Vitka is a Digital Editor and reporter for WTOP.com. He's been in the news industry for over a decade. Before joining WTOP, he worked for CBS News, Stuff Magazine, The New York Post and wrote a variety of books—about a dozen of them, with more to come.

Like WTOP on Facebook and follow @WTOP on Twitter to engage in conversation about this article and others.

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Source: https://wtop.com/government/2019/01/government-shutdown-whats-open-and-closed-in-dc/

What Museums in Washington Will Be Open Jan 3 if the Shut Down Continues

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