The government shutdown ended last week, meaning thousands of federal employees headed back to their posts.
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Today, Monday, November 17th, the Smithsonian museums and National Zoo in Washington, DC, have opened their doors to the public. That’s a pretty quick turnaround considering this year’s shutdown was the longest in US history, spanning 43 days.
Despite the fact that the federal government is now back to work, operations across multiple agencies won’t return to pre-shutdown levels for a few more weeks. Despite the slow return, the Smithsonian Museums of Washington, DC, are once again open to visitors.
Smithsonian Museums reopen—but shutdown impact hasn’t been felt yet
Currently, all 19 Smithsonian Museums are open, along with the National Zoo. The Smithsonian properties in New York City, including the Cooper Hewitt and Smithsonian Design Museum, are also open to the public. (The live animal cams from the zoo are also back!)
It’s a welcome relief to visitors who will be in town this week, but the Smithsonian Museums aren’t yet in the clear—at least, when it comes to finances.
The 43-day shutdown has wreaked havoc on the museums’ annual revenue expectations. According to figures from NPR, the last 34-day government shutdown from 2018-19 cost the Smithsonian Museums around $5 billion. That’s because sales lagged when it came to a range of vendors, from IMAX movie tickets to gift shops to restaurants.
The same is likely to occur this year, although the full economic impact can’t yet be forecasted. During the last shutdown, some of the first programs to get the axe due to lack of funds were school visits and academic programs.
