Museums

Here's the Reopening Status of Some of DC's Most Popular Museums & Sites

You’ll need free, timed tickets to visit the Smithsonian museums and National Zoo — and a special pass to visit the zoo's new panda cub.

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Museums that are back open in the D.C. area include the National Zoo, along with multiple other Smithsonian facilities and entertainment venues.

Read on to find out what's open now, what's coming soon, and how to get entry passes.

DC-Area Museums That Are Now Open:

  • The National Museum of the American Indian will be open Wednesdays through Sundays 11 a.m.­–4 p.m. Free timed-entry passes are required.
  • The Smithsonian's National Zoo will be open daily 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Free, timed-entry passes are available to the public in advance. Visitors must follow safety measures, which include mandatory face coverings for everyone age 2 and older. If you'd like to see Xiao Qi Ji, the zoo's new panda cub, you'll have to pick up a separate pass at the zoo.
  • The National Museum of American History will be open Fridays through Tuesdays 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Free timed-entry passes are required.
  • The Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is open daily 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. What's new: For the first time, visitors will be able to see the Mercury Capsule Freedom 7, which carried Shepard into space during a 15-minute flight at 5,000 mph. See what else is new here. You’ll need a free, timed ticket to enter, and there’s a $15 parking fee. Face coverings are required for all visitors ages 2 and over.
  • The National Museum of African American History and Culture is open Wednesdays through Sundays 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Free timed-entry passes are required. Face coverings are required for all visitors ages 2 and over, regardless of vaccination status.
  • The Renwick Gallery is open Wednesdays through Sundays 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.  Timed-entry passes are required, as are face coverings for all visitors ages 2 and over, regardless of vaccination status.
  • The National Portrait Gallery and the American Art Museum are open Wednesdays through Sundays 11:30 a.m.–7 p.m. Visitors must use the G Street entrance.
  • The National Gallery of Art (Sculpture Garden and West Building only) — free timed-entry passes are required for the West Building.
  • Ford’s Theatre and the Ford’s Theatre Museum began a phased reopening schedule, with advance tickets required.
  • The Glenstone Museum in Potomac, Maryland, which features indoor and outdoor exhibits devoted to art, architecture and nature, will open in a limited capacity to visitors who reserve tickets in advance. Its hours are Thursday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Masks are required and groups are limited to five.
  • The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You must buy tickets in advance for $15.95 for adults and $9.95 for children.
  • The National Museum of Women in the Arts is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. You need to purchase a ticket ($10 for adults, $8 with a qualifying discount and free for kids under 18) to go and abide by social distancing and masking rules.
  • The National Capital Trolley Museum in Colesville, Maryland, reopens for visitors on Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Space is limited, so make an online reservation before you go. Tickets ($10 for adults, $8 with discount) include a guided tour and trolley ride.

Some galleries or exhibits may be closed.

Expect added health and safety measures at all Smithsonian facilities, plus a face covering requirement for visitors over age 2.

Spring weather is here — and the National Zoo's panda cub, Xiao Qi Ji, is also enjoying the weather. For the past few weeks, he’s been exploring more of the outdoors. Credit: National Zoo

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