WASHINGTON — Preparations are underway to temporarily close some of the most visited museums in the world, open for a final weekend before the partial government shutdown impacts the Smithsonian.
The institution announced on Twitter most of its facilities would be forced to close Wednesday, Jan. 2, after running out of funds to operate.
The only exception will be the National Gallery, closing Jan. 3 because it is not open New Year’s Day.
While the National Zoo and museums are shuttered to the public, essential employees consisting mostly of maintenance and security personnel will make sure national treasures are protected.
The zoo will have the most staff of the Smithsonian’s 19 divisions, with zoo keepers and researchers maintaining care of the park’s species.
“But like all other essential employees forced to work, our zoo keepers will be ensuring our animals are in good health without pay,” Chief Smithsonian Spokesperson Linda St. Thomas said in an interview Friday.
“We’re just happy we had the extra funds to stay open through the holiday season when we have so many tourists visiting our facilities. It would have been a disaster if we were forced to close.”
Tourism numbers generally drop after the Jan. 1, with families returning from holiday travel. Most of the Smithsonian’s $1 billion budget comes from federal funding – already expired because of the impasse over a southern border wall.