Most Smithsonian Museums in Washington To Close on Inauguration Day

The Smithsonian museums on the National Mall will be closed on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, in an effort to reduce pedestrian and vehicle congestion around the Capitol.

Several Smithsonian museums elsewhere in Washington also will be closed for the day: the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery and National Postal Museum. The Anacostia Community Museum in Southeast Washington will be open and will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day (also Jan. 20) with free public programming. The National Zoo also will be open to the public on Inauguration Day.

In recent years, the museums on the National Mall have been open, but fences around buildings and road closures made it very difficult for visitors and staff to get in and out. Reducing the number of people in the area may help with crowd control, security and safety.

This year, Inauguration Day is also a designated federal holiday in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  

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SI-1-2025