Museums will continue to operate on modified schedules

Several museums and the National Zoo are modifying their hours in response to staff shortages.

Secretary Bunch announced today that several Smithsonian museums that temporarily reduced hours of public operation from Jan. 5 – 17 in anticipation of unprecedented staff shortages due to COVID-19, will continue to operate on modified schedules until further notice.

During the past two weeks, museum directors and the Secretary’s leadership team evaluated operations, staffing needs and public visitation patterns and have determined that museums in the Washington, D.C., area and the National Zoo will continue to operate under a modified schedule beginning Jan. 18. This newly revised schedule allows us to continue repositioning key staff across museums as needed while offering the public more opportunities to visit by opening all museums on weekends. 

Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 18, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia and the Smithsonian Institution Building (“The Castle”) will be open seven days a week. The National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of African American History and Culture will be open five days a week. Other museums in Washington and the National Zoo will adopt a Thursday–Sunday schedule. During this period, the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall, the National Postal Museum and the Anacostia Community Museum will be closed to the public.

In addition, museums may have limited public entrances, and some exhibition spaces may be closed. You can find detailed information on hours of operations on museum websites and at si.edu/visit.  During these six weeks, the Smithsonian will continue to assess staffing needs and adjust the schedule as needed.  

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