Why is the Smithsonian still closed?

[Anonymous]

Honest question. NY City musems are open, Philadelphia Art is open, even Baltimore Aquarium, ffs, is open and the Smithsonians are still shut down. Meanwhile, the population of this town is 10 times smaller than NY and the museums could have come up with the protocols to be open under covid guidelines.

Is it because the Smithsonians are on the goverment dole and there's no pesky Board insisting on people going back to work?

[Anonymous]

Do you want tourists flocking back to DC? Opening up the free museums will prompt tourists.

[Anonymous]

Great point.

Like mid-tier private colleges, yes, some museums probably are prioritizing money over public health. That is not a good thing...even if it cramps your fun.

Be patient, the spring is coming. And vaccines are being administered. But more than 1,000 people are still dying each day, so there is that.

[Anonymous]

I mean, they were open for a long time in the fall. I think they will all be open again by March/April.

[Anonymous]

Frankly I think it is crazy that public things like the museums and libraries have closed rather than tightly limited admission numbers. There is not good reason for those huge types of places to be shut.

[Anonymous]

Covid.

[Anonymous]

All I know is that my homeschooled kid begs me weekly to see dinosaurs. Wish I could take her to the natural history museum. I think it would blow her mind. I actually think it's sweet that it's the #1 thing she wants.

[Anonymous]

Are the employees of the museums still being paid? Do they have to work even when it’s closed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Frankly I think it is crazy that public things like the museums and libraries have closed rather than tightly limited admission numbers. There is not good reason for those huge types of places to be shut.

The libraries in DC are open. You can’t go into the building but you can still take books out. I actually prefer it in some ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean, they were open for a long time in the fall. I think they will all be open again by March/April.

I agree.

[Anonymous]

Possibly because they tend to pull for tourists more than most of the other museums that you mentioned— and with the pandemic, don’t want to send the message that tourism is in full swing. Also, in order to limit entry numbers they would either have to stop people at the door, or switch to a ticketing system — which would be new for most of the museums and possibly penalize people without easy access to the internet. I’m guessing that financial interest may be driving some of the other openings.

Personally, I view a government institution’s indifference to public health in a different way compared to private institutions. I expect a higher standard from the Smithsonian.

I also applaud the efforts of the Smithsonian Museums and others to develop creative online and other offerings. During the pandemic, I’ve actually interacted more with museums and their collections than I did previously— which was already at a pretty frequent level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Frankly I think it is crazy that public things like the museums and libraries have closed rather than tightly limited admission numbers. There is not good reason for those huge types of places to be shut.

The libraries in DC are open. You can’t go into the building but you can still take books out. I actually prefer it in some ways.

Libraries are different. You can take a book home without setting foot in the building; museum going implies actually being there near the artefacts and spending time looking at them.

[Anonymous]

If the Smithsonian complex was open, there would be tourists in DC from all over the country putting the health of DC residents at risk. Some of us actually live here and don't relish the idea of our health being put at risk because hordes of tourists are bored and want to travel here and not wear masks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Frankly I think it is crazy that public things like the museums and libraries have closed rather than tightly limited admission numbers. There is not good reason for those huge types of places to be shut.

So, you’re fine with the inevitable law suits that will roll in when somebody gets sick or dies — and their defense is that they assumed it was safe “because it’s the government?” I think one reason for these types of places to be shut is concern for the well-being of the staff in public-facing positions. Other staff are continuing their work during the pandemic, although quite a few are now working from home.

[Anonymous]

I'm fine with museums being close for now. But really, the zoo should be open. Huge outdoor space, just limit the people more than it was over the summer.