Smithsonian officials announced Thursday that all of its museums, as well as the National Zoo, will be shuttered on Jan. 2 unless a deal is reached. “There's no getting around it,” Linda St. Thomas, chief spokeswoman for the Smithsonian, told NPR.
If the #GovernmentShutdown continues beyond Jan. 1, all Smithsonian museums, research centers and the National Zoo will be closed starting Jan. 2. We will update our operating status as soon as the situation is resolved.
— Smithsonian (@smithsonian) December 27, 2018
The Smithsonian will remain open to the public through New Year's Day using prior-year funds, Thomas explained.
Thomas added that the week between Christmas and New Year's Day brings tens of thousands of visitors through the Smithsonian's 21 institutions, including the newest museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the most popular of all its destinations.
The last time the government shutdown in 2013it lasted for 16 days.
