Anonymous wrote: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 wrote: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.

Anonymous wrote: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 wrote: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.