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Smithsonian Museums, National Zoo Reopen on Staggered Schedule After 43-Day Shutdown

A phased restart brings heavy turnout to cultural sites despite lingering payroll and benefits delays.

Travelers walk with their luggage from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
FILE - Students help put away supplies at the end of a reading and writing lesson at the Head Start program run by Easterseals, an organization that gets about a third of its funding from the federal government, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
A cashier scans groceries, including produce, which is covered by the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), at a grocery store in Baltimore, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Visitors in line at the Smithsonian Institute's National Air and Space Museum following the end of the federal government shutdown in Washington, DC, on Friday.

Overview

  • The National Zoo and multiple Smithsonian museums reopened this weekend with large crowds, with remaining venues scheduled to resume public access by Monday.
  • The National Gallery reopened portions of its campus Friday and completes its restart Saturday with the debut of the delayed The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art.
  • Federal workers have been directed back to offices, and back pay timing varies by agency as payroll providers process deposits.
  • Congress passed, and the president signed, a short-term funding bill that ends the shutdown and finances the government only through January 30.
  • SNAP operations are restored with funding secured through September 2026, though distributions remain inconsistent across states after recent legal wrangling.