Smithsonian museums to close on Oct. 12 if shutdown persists
The Smithsonian Institution should be able to remain open for another week but will close should the government shutdown persist beyond next Saturday.
Smithsonian museums, research centers, and the National Zoo are open today and will remain open through our scheduled closing time on Saturday, Oct. 11," the institution wrote in a post on social platform X.
"If the government shutdown continues past Oct. 11, Smithsonian locations will be closed beginning on Sunday, Oct. 12," it added.
The collection of museums previously stated, before government funding lapsed, that its entities would stay open until Oct. 6.
"The Smithsonian will use prior-year funds still available to us to remain open," the statement read.
Along with information shared across all of its social media accounts, the institution is also providing updates on its website.
About 62 percent of the Smithsonian's budget comes from the federal government.
While employees are unpaid once the shutdown closes the museums, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute will make sure that the zoo's animals "continue to be fed and cared for," according to the zoo's website.
The Animal Cams at the zoo will also be turned off, as they "require federal resources, primarily staff, to run and broadcast," it continues. "They are deemed non-essential."
The news comes on the third day of the shutdown. Senators are expected to hold a vote on Friday on legislation that could reopen the government. If the latest round of votes are unsuccessful, another round will be held on Monday, according to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.).
The Smithsonian runs 17 museums and the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., but also holds two museums in New York City and eight research centers across the country.
The institution estimated that 16.8 million people visited its museums and the National Zoo in 2024, according to its website.