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What's Open, What's Still Closed After the Government Shutdown

The Smithsonian museums and National Zoo are closed until Tuesday, Jan. 29

What to Know

  • Many popular tourist attractions and government sites closed during the partial government shutdown are gearing up to reopen
  • Most Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are scheduled to reopen Jan. 29
  • The current shutdown began Dec. 22, when the Senate and House adjourned without a budget deal, and ended Jan. 25

Some popular sites won't reopen immediately after a deal was reached Friday to end the longest government shutdown in American history.

The process of cutting checks for 800,000 furloughed federal workers will be completed "in the coming days," according to a White House tweet. Smithsonian museums are gearing up for a weekday opening.

Here's an overview of what popular sites are open, and when others will reopen to the public.

Photos: Free and Cheap Things to Do in Washington, DC

What's Still Closed?

Smithsonian Museums

Most Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo will reopen to the public on Tuesday, Jan. 29 at their regularly scheduled times. However, the Renwick Gallery won't reopen until Saturday, Feb. 2.

Staff charged with taking care of zoo animals reported to work throughout the shutdown, the Smithsonian said.

The shutdown did delay the opening of at least one exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery, "Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence," from Feb. 28 to a yet-unspecified date.

National Gallery of Art

The gallery will reopen at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The Washington Post reports that work on the much-anticipated Tintoretto exhibit is weeks behind because of the shutdown. 

National Archives

The National Archives Museum will reopen at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The research rooms will also open at their regular times on Thursday. The Federal Records Center and Federal Register have remained open.

National Mall

Because of an agreement with a third-party concessioner, several restrooms on the National Mall remained open during the shutdown, but the National Mall resumed full normal operations on Sunday, Jan. 27.

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

Areas of the park remained closed due to flooding as of Monday, according to the gardens' website.

Washington Monument

The Washington Monument is closed until spring 2019 for elevator repairs. 

White House Visitor Center

The White House Visitor Center closed during the shutdown and has not announced a reopening date.

What's Open or Partly Open?

Capitol Visitor Center

The Capitol Visitor Center is open with options for tours and programs. The center's calendar of events is online here.

National Parks

The National Park Service says to check with your local park before planning a visit. While most parks, park roads, lookouts, trails and open-air memorials remained open during the shutdown, some parks were damaged and need repairs or cleanup.

"The schedule for individual parks may vary depending on staff size and complexity of operations," National Park Service Deputy Director P. Daniel Smith said in a statement.

Rock Creek Park and Great Falls in Virginia remained open at reduced staffing levels during the shutdown. On Monday morning, neither Great Falls nor Rock Creek Park had detailed changes in their operating status.

Ford's Theatre

Most of the historic site — the theater and museum — reopened Sunday, Jan. 27. The Petersen House remains closed for preservation work. 

The performance schedule of "Twelve Angry Men" was not affected by the shutdown, and the Aftermath Exhibits in the Center for Education and Leadership stayed open during the shutdown for daytime visits. 

Private Museums

Privately funded museums weren't affected by the government shutdown.

16 Museums You Can Visit During the Government Shutdown

Metro

Metro nearly put 45 agencies on hold before the announcement Jan. 25 that the government would reopen, but service remained largely unaffected by the government shutdown.

WMATA says it's working with federal agencies to restore Smartbenefits before or close to Feb. 1 for about 21,000 customers.

Library of Congress

The library remained open.

Old Post Office Tower

The Old Post Office Tower was closed to visitors due to the shutdown, but it reopened earlier this month. National Park Service employees resumed tours through an agreement with the General Services Administration, which owns the building and is funding the NPS staff.

The Kennedy Center

During the shutdown, all performances went on as scheduled, but the building's public hours and gift shop hours were curtailed. The Kennedy Center is again operating on its normal hours.

East Potomac and Langston golf courses

The Langston and East Potomac golf facilities are open. 

Glen Echo Park

Despite being owned by the National Park Service, Glen Echo Park remained open during the shutdown because of its new agreement with Montgomery County, the park said on its website. 

Marinas on National Park Land

All marinas on National Park land in the D.C. metro area remained open, including Belle Haven, James Creek, Columbia Island, Washington Sailing Marina and Fort Washington Marina.

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