The Smithsonian museums, National Gallery of Art and other sites that receive federal funding are announcing their reopening plans now that the government shutdown is over.
While the financial impact of this particular shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, has not yet been calculated, past closures have been costly to museums and other cultural sites that were forced to close. In addition to staff furloughs and suspended or canceled programs, the 2018-2019 shutdown resulted in a loss of some $5 billion, according to the American Alliance of Museums. That figure includes roughly $3.4 million from the Smithsonian's gift shops, concessions and IMAX film screenings and, for the National Gallery of Art, "an estimated 334,000 visitors, including 11,700 schoolchildren, and an estimated $1.2 million in gross revenue from its shops and restaurants," according to a September report from the group.
"We're glad to see these museums are able to reopen, but we know from past shutdowns that cultural institutions lose millions in revenue they can never recover," said Marilyn Jackson, president and CEO of the American Alliance of Museums in an email to NPR, "And it's not just the museums but the restaurants, hotels, and small businesses that depend on cultural tourism who suffer alongside them."
Here's a roundup:
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian, which includes 21 museums and the National Zoo, will reopen on a "rolling basis." Beginning Friday, Nov. 14, the National Museum of American History, the National Air and Space Museum, and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia will reopen. All other museums and the National Zoo — including the popular animal cams — will reopen by Monday, Nov. 17. Updates will be posted here.
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art, one of the most visited art museums in the world, will reopen its West Building and outdoor Sculpture Garden on Friday, Nov. 14. The East Building will reopen on Nov. 15. The Gallery's East Building is the first stop on a major U.S. touring exhibition of First Nations art from Australia, which was originally scheduled to open on Oct. 18. The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art, which will now see its first visitors on Saturday, is drawn from the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. After Washington, D.C., the exhibition will travel to museums in Colorado, Oregon and Massachusetts.
Ford's Theatre
The historic Ford's Theatre, a public-private partnership with the National Park Service, was partially closed during the shutdown but is now fully reopened. "We've seen a swell of groups as of this morning at Ford's Theatre," spokesperson Leah Yoon Frelinghuysen tells NPR in an email, "Clearly, visitors are excited to experience what our site has to offer and we are thrilled to be open!"
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