Washington, D.C.’s National Mall, which includes the National Gallery of Art, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Freer Gallery of Art, the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of Art, and the National Museum of African Art, will be closed due to the first government shutdown in 17 years. A number of non-government run museums including the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Phillips Collection plan on staying open during the shutdown. The National Mall attracts millions of visitors from across the globe and generates millions of dollars in tourism business per day.
The government shutdown was spurred by Congress’ inability to reach an agreement on spending. There is no end date for the closure, which began on Tuesday and has forced approximately 800,000 federal workers to stay home from their jobs.
