Washington, DC is open for business
The nation's capital is ready to welcome you even during a government shutdown (check out our guide to DC during a shutdown). While some federally funded attractions and sites may offer limited access, daily life in DC remains active, full of museums, restaurants and can't-miss things to do, from Theatre Week (through Oct. 5) to fall-flavored events throughout October.
Learn more about the shutdown and find things to do this week, weekend and month.
Updated as of Oct. 1, 2025.
What's Open
Museums, Attractions & Tours
Planet Word
The shutdown’s impact extends primarily to attractions that receive federal funds. However, there are many DC museums that are privately funded, and some Smithsonian museums stay open during a shutdown with access to previous fiscal year funds.
Museums & Attractions
- National Gallery of Art - Open to the public through at least Oct. 4, 2025
- National Air and Space Museum - Open to the public through at least Oct. 6, 2025
- National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center - Open to the public through at least Oct. 6, 2025
- Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden - Open to the public through at least Oct. 6, 2025
- National Museum of African American History and Culture - Open to the public through at least Oct. 6, 2025
- National Museum of African Art - Open to the public through at least Oct. 6, 2025
- National Museum of American History - Open to the public through at least Oct. 6, 2025
- National Museum of Asian Art - Open to the public through at least Oct. 6, 2025
- National Museum of Natural History - Open to the public through at least Oct. 6, 2025
- National Museum of the American Indian - Open to the public through at least Oct. 6, 2025
- National Portrait Gallery - Open to the public through at least Oct. 6, 2025
- National Postal Museum - Open to the public through at least Oct. 6, 2025
- Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum - Open to the public through at least Oct. 6, 2025
- Smithsonian American Art Museum - Open to the public through at least Oct. 6, 2025
- Smithsonian's National Zoo - Open to the public through at least Oct. 6, 2025
- Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum - Open to the public through at least Oct. 6, 2025
- U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum - Open to the public through at least Oct. 6, 2025
- African American Civil War Memorial
- Art Museum of the Americas
- Anderson House – The American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati
- Arlington National Cemetery
- Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
- Decatur House on Lafayette Square
- Folger Shakespeare Library
- Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America
- George Washington's Mount Vernon
- German-American Heritage Museum
- Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital
- Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens
- International Spy Museum
- LEGO Discovery Center Washington, D.C.
- Library of Congress
- Military Women's Memorial
- Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream
- Museum of Illusions DC
- Museum of the Bible
- National Aquarium
- National Building Museum
- National Children's Museum
- National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum
- National Law Enforcement Museum & Officers Memorial
- National Museum of American Diplomacy
- National Museum of the Marine Corps
- National Museum of the United States Army
- National Museum of Women in the Arts
- National World War II Memorial
- Old Korean Legation Museum in Washington D.C.
- Old Stone House
- Pentagon Memorial
- Planet Word Museum
- President Lincoln's Cottage
- Saint John Paul II National Shrine
- Supreme Court of the United States
- The Capital Wheel
- The Mansion on O & O Street Museum
- The National WWI Memorial
- The Octagon
- The People's House
- The Phillips Collection
- United States Botanic Garden
- Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience
- Washington National Cathedral
- Woodrow Wilson House
- Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library
- Medieval Times
- National Guard Memorial Museum
- Sip & Develop
- District Architecture Center
- Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
- Six Flags America
- Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle
- Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
- Capital Jewish Museum
- Chinese American Museum
- Mexican Cultural Institute
Tours
Theater, Performances, Sports & Games
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
The show must go on: Washington, DC's theater scene is alive and well during a shutdown. Most venues do not receive federal funds, and even though the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts does receive federal funds, the living memorial to the 35th president will continue all of its scheduled productions.
Theaters & Playhouses
Music & Concert Venues
Sports & Games
Parks, Gardens & Recreation
Due to the shutdown, federally operated National Park Service (NPS) sites may be affected. Open-air national parks like the National Mall and Rock Creek Park will remain accessible during the shutdown. Some of the monuments and memorial sites may offer limited access, and services like ranger-led tours and memorial shops are closed. Learn more about DC's parks and gardens and find a list below of what is currently open.
Restaurants
Dauphine's
Places to eat and drink remain open to the public and unaffected due to the shutdown. Due to the popularity of DC's dining scene, it's always recommended to reserve your table in advance online. For diners who prefer to eat outdoors, check out these fall-friendly, al fresco options: beer gardens, patios and rooftop restaurants.
Shopping
Shopping and retail attractions affected by the shutdown are limited to museum gift shops that are closed. Shop around the District at Black-owned businesses, made-in-DC shops and LGBTQ-owned enterprises and others.
Hotels
DC-area hotels are open and ready to welcome guests. You can also take advantage of special deals and peruse properties that are ideal for sports fans, history buffs, families with kids and guests looking for cool places to stay.
Transportation
Metrorail and Metrobus will operate as usual during a federal government shutdown. Travel Metro easily with 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.
What's Closed