What's Open, Reopening, Closed and Canceled in Washington, DC

Find the latest coronavirus-related updates on attractions, museums, venues, festivals, events and more

The coronavirus pandemic has affected events, attractions and other businesses throughout the Washington, DC area. The city is currently in Phase Two of recovery, which allows many businesses to reopen. Make sure to check out our list of reopened businesses and read below for more details on restaurants, attractions and museums, including helpful safety information.

During Phase Two, the DC government discourages non-essential travel, while recommending individuals continue to socially distance and wear face coverings. Read more up-to-date information about traveling to the city to ensure the health and safety of visitors. Looking for upcoming events? While many in-person gatherings have been impacted, local businesses, museums and festivals are hosting virtual events, which we're tracking on weekdays and weekends.

Updated Oct. 26, 2020

What's Open/Reopening During Phase Two

Museums/Attractions

Museums, galleries and the National Zoo may open, but with limited capacity of up to 50 people in enclosed rooms or exhibit spaces. Outdoor spaces for museums may allow greater access. Events are permitted but with a max capacity of 50 people. Employees and patrons should socially distance and wear face coverings at all times. Food service cafes and retail are allowed to open in line with industry standards. Guided tours and large group tours are not allowed. Read more. 

• The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum reopened on Oct. 26. Timed passes will be required for entry and the museum will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day of the week except Wednesday. Face coverings are required and the museum will enforce social distancing guidelines. Visit the museum's website for more information.
• Ford's Theatre reopened on Oct. 14. During the first level of reopening, the museum will be open from Wednesday through Sunday and closed on Monday and Tuesday. Only the museum and theatre will be open; the Petersen House and Aftermath Exhibits will remain closed. Ticket releases will be on Fridays at 10 a.m. for the following Wednesday-Sunday. For example, tickets for Oct. 21-25 will be available Friday, Oct. 16. For more information and tickets, visit the Ford's Theatre website.
• The Phillips Collection reopened its doors on Oct. 15 with new health and safety guidelines in place. General admission will be free through Nov. 1. Every visitor must have a timed ticket in advance. Please make sure to review the museum's safety guidelines as you plan your visit. The museum's hours will be Thursday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with six tickets offered every 15 minutes. For more information and tickets, visit the museum's website.
• The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Renwick Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History have all reopened with new safety protocols and reduced hours. Free, timed-entry passes are required at each museum except for the Renwick Gallery. Visit Smithsonian's website for more information.
• The Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum is open by reservation only on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Visit the museum's website for more information.
• The Kreeger Museum is open for 50-minute, timed-entry sessions for you or your group of up to 10 starting at the top of each hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Advanced reservations are required. 
• The Hirshhorn has reopened its sculpture garden from 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. daily with two new sculptures. Make sure to review all safety protocols for visiting the garden.
• Dumbarton House is open Thursdays-Sundays at limited capacity for self-guided tours. Guests must reserve timed tickets in advance and follow the museum’s updated safety procedures.
• International Spy Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. You must get advance tickets and abide by social distancing guidelines and mask requirements.
• Smithsonian's National Zoo is open to 5,000 people per day, face coverings required for guests 6 and up and guest passes required for entry (free timed entry pass or paid parking pass). The last entry time to the zoo is 3 p.m. Some exhibits are closed to visitors.
• The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, part of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, is open with advance tickets and masks required. Some artifacts will not be on view due to some planned construction. Food trucks will be available.
• George Washington's Mount Vernon is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., non-members should buy tickets online, guests and staff are required to wear face coverings and must social distance. 
• National Museum of Women in the Arts has reopened. Advance tickets, masks and social distancing are required.
• The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has canceled all performances. Visitors may visit the JFK Memorial bust in the grand foyer if they follow safety procedures. The outdoor campus at THE REACH is accessible, including pop-up wine garden and cafe Victura Park.
• Big Bus Tours' hop-on, hop-off National Mall tours are back in operation. Safety measures include socially distanced seating, sanitizing stations, contact-less payment and open-top seating. Get advance tickets and download the Big Bus app for real-time bus data.
• Glenstone Museum is open Thursday to Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Advance reservations required, tickets released two weeks in advance on Mondays at 10 a.m. Visits are limited to groups to 5 people. Additionally, The Pavilions have reopened in a limited capacity.
• Museum of the Bible is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets, face masks and social distancing required. Use complimentary styluses on touchscreens. Read more "Thou Shalts".
• ARTECHOUSE reopened July 9. Make sure to read the museum's safety protocols before planning a trip.
• Heurich House Museum's Castle Garden is open by reservation only, Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
• O Museum in The Mansion is open for socially distanced, masked visits with online reservations required. The garden is open for reservations as well.
• National Gallery of Art's West Building reopened on July 20; timed passes required for entry. Read more.
• Tudor Place has its garden and grounds open from Thursday-Sunday, 12-4 p.m. Garden admission is free, but make sure to reserve a ticket.
• Lincoln's Cottage has reopened for exterior-only tours on Fridays through Mondays. Advance tickets are required.

Restaurants

Service is open for outdoor dining, and indoor dining at 50-percent capacity. Bar areas are only open for seating without a bartender present. Tables are limited to 6 people max. Read more about the requirements for restaurants and peruse our list of open businesses, which includes restaurants. You can also check the status on outdoor dining options including beer gardens, patios and rooftop restaurants. Takeout and delivery service also remains a safe dining option.

Parks/Gardens/Recreation

Dog parks, golf courses, parks, tennis courts, tracks and fields opened in Phase One. Capacity for public gatherings is now at 50 people. Visitors should socially distance and remain 6 feet from one another. Recreation centers, bowling alleys, climbing gyms, squash or racquetball clubs, skating rinks and skateboard parks may open with a 50-person capacity or at 50 percent capacity in Phase Two. Playgrounds remain closed. Read more about the city's requirements and note that outdoor attractions like the National Park Service Sites, Monuments and Memorials at the National Mall and around the city remain open. You can also learn more about DC's parks and gardens and read details of currently reopened sites below.

• The Smithsonian's Enid A. Haupt Garden is now open from 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. daily with safety protocols in place. Learn more.
• The Thompson Boat Center and The Wharf Boathouse have reopened by reservation only. Guests must wear masks at all times on dock and during launch and maintain social distancing. Learn more.
• Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is open and requires advance reservations and social distancing. Learn more.
• Glenstone Museum requires advance reservations, limits groups to 5 people. Learn more.
• Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with limited number of visitors, required social distancing and face coverings suggested. Onsite buildings and bathroom are closed. Learn more.
• U.S. National Arboretum has reopened on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1-5 p.m. and will limit the number of guests. Learn more. 
• National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden will reopen on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with limited capacity requiring social distancing and masks for kids ages 2 and up. Learn more. 
• George Washington's Mount Vernon is open from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Read about the estate's safety protocols.
• The Fields at RFK Campus are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., daily, including the playground, fitness area and tables. Occupancy is limited, visitors are asked to sanitize hands upon entry of the playground. 

Theaters/Cinemas/Entertainment Centers

These venues can open if granted a waiver to ensure social distance measures, contact tracing and other safety protocols by Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) to hold an arts, entertainment or cultural event. Read more about these requirements. Note that many area theaters are offering virtual programming - make sure to check our things to do for the week and weekend to review options.

Retail

Nonessential retail businesses may open to customers for indoor shopping if the number of persons in the establishment is at 50 percent occupancy and common areas are clearly marked for social distancing. Many shops offer online shopping with the option for curbside pickup. Barbershops and hair salons opened in Phase One with select services, Phase Two allows the reopening of tanning, tattoo, waxing, threading, electrolysis, cryotherapy, facial and other skin services and nail salons, requiring one client per employee, face coverings at all times and social distancing. Read more about the city's requirements for retailers and check out ways that you can support some of these local businesses in the District.

Hotels

If you find yourself in Washington, DC during this time and in need of a hotel, many DC-area hotels are open and ready to welcome guests. 

Transportation

WMATA's enhanced cleaning measures include daily disinfecting of trains, buses and stations with mopping, wiping down high-touch surfaces or using electrostatic foggers. Metro has upped its deep cleaning of stations to four times that of the pre-Covid era. In addition, Metro launched new touch-free SmarTrip service for iPhone and Apple Watch devices, becoming the first rail system in the U.S. to offer a full service, touch-free payment option at every single stop.

Metro has restored most rail and bus service to pre-Covid levels across the region in the largest – and likely most complex – service change in the system's 44-year history. To support the effort, thousands of frontline Metro employees transitioned to new work schedules as the region continued its gradual recovery and attracted more customers.

Metrorail service changes took effect Sunday, August 16, including the restoration of Silver Line service for the first time since Memorial Day. Six Fairfax County stations reopened following planned summer work, resulting in 87 of 91 Metrorail stations open for customers. Wait times are reduced dramatically, with trains running every 8 minutes on each line during rush hours, and every 12 minutes on the Red Line and 15 minutes the Orange, Blue, Silver, Green, and Yellow Lines during off-peak times. Trains are arriving more frequently at stations served by more than one line.

On Sunday, August 23, new Metrobus schedules took effect across the region, including the restoration of bus service on routes that have not had service in months, adding significantly more frequent service on almost every line.

For more information, visit wmata.com. 

What's Closed

• The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts - All performances are canceled. Limited access to JFK Memorial inside is permitted.

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - Closed to the public until further notice.

• U.S. National Archives - Closed to the public until further notice.

• Washington National Cathedral - Closed to the public until further notice.

• Arena Stage - Closed to the public until further notice.

• National Geographic Museum - Closed to the public until further notice.

• National Building Museum - Closed to the public until further notice.

• Library of Congress - Closed to the public until further notice.

• Walter E. Washington Convention Center - Closed to the public until further notice.

• Entertainment and Sports Arena -Closed to the public until further notice.

• RFK Stadium - Closed to the public until further notice.

• DC Armory - Closed to the public until further notice.

• Skate Park at RFK Campus - Closed to the public until further notice.

• Festival Grounds at RFK Campus - Closed to the public until further notice.

• Gateway DC - Closed to the public until further notice.

• R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center - Closed to the public until further notice.

• Lincoln Theatre - Closed to the public until further notice.

• 9:30 Club - Closed to the public until further notice.

• Black Cat - Closed to the public until further notice.

• The Anthem - Closed to the public until further notice.

• 9:30 Club Presents at U Street Music Hall - Closed to the public until further notice.

• U.S. Capitol Building, House and Senate office buildings - Closed to the public until further notice.

• Pentagon Tours - Closed to the public until further notice.

• National Children's Museum - Closed to the public until further notice.

• Capital One Arena - Closed to the public until further notice.

• Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument - Closed to the public until further notice.

• Old Post Office Tower - Closed to the public until further notice.

• Anderson House - Closed to the public until further notice.

• DAR Museum - Closed to the public until further notice.

• Atlas Performing Arts Center - Closed until further notice, but check its marquee for inspiring social justice messages. 

• National Law Enforcement Museum - Closed to the public until further notice.

• Madame Tussauds - Closed to the public until further notice.

• Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company - Closed to the public until further notice.

Canceled/Postponed Events & Festivals

• The Washington Ballet's Swan Lake - Postponed until May 2021

• Rock 'n' Roll Marathon - Canceled, returning in 2021

• Broccoli City Festival - Canceled, returning in 2021

• Funk Parade - Canceled this year

• Awesome Con - Canceled, returning in 2021

• Capital Pride - All events postponed, launched virtual #StillWe Pride

• By the People Festival - 2020 edition canceled

• Marine Corps Marathon - Will go virtual this year

• Enchant Christmas - Canceled for 2020