WASHINGTON, D.C. – The federal government reopened its agencies, and many national museums began welcoming visitors again on Saturday after the record-breaking 43-day government shutdown. Jen Sullivan reported on the lingering effects of the shutdown.
The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., was among the first to open its doors on Friday. The Smithsonian Institution, which includes 19 museums and the National Zoo, had been closed since October 1. The closures frustrated many tourists.
“We’ve greeted over a thousand people already,” said a spokesperson.
Smithsonian officials announced on social media that they will reopen all facilities on a rolling basis, with everything expected to be open by Monday.
The shutdown left the city quieter than usual. One visitor expressed disappointment, saying, “It was a little disheartening to kind of just see the city be a little bit more of a ghost town.”
While museums and federal agencies are getting back to normal, some challenges remain. On Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved more air traffic, but airlines were instructed to cancel 3 percent of their flights at 40 major airports due to a shortage of air traffic controllers during the shutdown. Flight restrictions had been reduced to six during the shutdown, affecting thousands of flights daily.
One traveler shared their relief, saying, “I am happy that it’ll get back to some kind of normalcy or just a little bit better before the holidays.”
For the 42 million people relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), benefits will resume fully by Monday.
