Visitors Disappointed as Smithsonian Museums and National Zoo Close Up Amid Government Shutdown

Somewhere on the curb of the National Mall, where the sidewalks and benches were laid out for tourists and visitors, Mary and Gary Davis sipped coffees with their 18-year-old grandson, Ryder Miller. They had planned this trip to Washington months ago to celebrate Miller’s high school graduation, only to be disappointed. 48-year-old Ryan Bal also turned long-faced as he tooled along the National Gallery of Art, only to spot a sandwich board that said the museum had shut its doors for visitors. Bal had visited Washington for the first time from his hometown town Toronto.

Deborah Silva also flew from Alabama with fourth grader Luke Skopek, and Mario de la Fuente had arrived with her 2-year-old son Lars. Silva, Fuente, and countless others retraced their steps down the stairways, and the scene played out endlessly in front of the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo, buffeted by the chilly breeze on the Sunday morning, according to reports by The Washington Post and CNN.

Smithsonian, the world’s largest museum and research complex, which draws millions of visitors each year, prodded people to sit outside, redraw their plans, and replan their itineraries. As the government shutdown drags on, the museum has declared a “temporary closure.” On October 11, it shared a post on X, 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.”

“I’m disappointed,” Bal remarked, according to The Post. “We’ll just roam around, minus the museums.” Davis, on the other side, was trying to maintain a calmer demeanor. The trip, she said, was “definitely worthwhile, but just a disappointment.” And while they were headed for a return trip to their home, the shutdown left them wondering whether they’d be able to get through the flight without any disruption. “The big test will be whether the air traffic controllers will let us out,” Gary Davis commented, laughing.

Around the museum campus, all this ruckus might seem like a grand drama, but compared to the entire U.S., this is a pittance. As the Congress has forced itself into a deadlock, most of the non-essential organizations around the country continue to suffer from furloughs and layoffs provoked by staffing shortages and dwindling federal funds. While the government refuses to arrive at a negotiation, the same scene is unfolding simultaneously across the country’s museums, national parks, educational institutions, and health services.

It’s a familiar episode now. A guy walks to the museum door, finds a white poster taped on the interior of the glass, and recoils his footsteps with a sullen expression. “I don’t know what I’m going to do now,” lamented Emily Macpherson, who flew to D.C. from Australia for a work trip. As the shutdown trudges on, adventure-seeking America is on a standstill. Until when, nobody can say, except maybe the President himself.

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