By the end of the summer, all Smithsonian museums will be open for the first time since March of 2020.
If you have been aching to pay a visit to the Natural History Museum, you are in luck. The Smithsonian has released a reopening schedule for the rest of its museums, including the Natural History Museum on the National Mall. Five museums and the National Zoo opened in May with health protocols and timed-entry passes. D.C. is scheduled to lift the remainder of COVID capacity restrictions on June 11, 2021, but museum visitors will still be required to practice social distancing and wear masks for now.
The schedule of museum reopenings will be as follows:
Friday, June 18
- National Museum of Natural History
Friday, July 16
- National Museum of African Art
- National Museum of Asian Art Freer Gallery
Friday, July 30
- National Air and Space Museum
- Smithsonian Institution Building (aka the “Castle”)
Friday, August 6
- Anacostia Community Museum
Friday, August 20
- Hirshhorn Museum (Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden open now)
Friday, August 27
- National Postal Museum
National Air and Space Museum building, courtesy Smithsonian
Visitors will need to get free-timed entry passes online ahead of their visit and there will continue to be extra health and safety protocols inside the museums. Guests who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to go mask-free in outdoor areas, but everyone else over the age of two will be required to wear them until further notice.
You can reserve passes online about one week before the openings and each visitor will be able to reserve up to six passes at a time. The passes can be printed at home or presented to staff via your mobile device. No passes will be required for the National Postal Museum and the Anacostia Community Museum. Some of the shops, cafes, theaters, and exhibits in select museums may remain closed.
Which museum are you most excited to see first this summer? Share in the comments.
