As coronavirus cases surge in the D.C. area and throughout the country, the list of area museums electing to temporarily close is getting longer. Two more local attractions announced their upcoming closures following eight Smithsonian facilities and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum who said they were closing earlier in the week. Planet Word, which described itself as “the world’s first voice-activated museum,” is a newly-opened museum in Northwest D.C. dedicated to language. It opened four weeks ago under Phase Two of the District’s pandemic reopening requirements with limited capacity. But in a statement sent Friday, Planet Word said, “in support of the safety of our community,” it will be temporarily closed to the public. “It has been exhilarating to bring Planet Word to life and to have your support of its mission to renew and inspire a love of words, language and reading,” the statement said. The museum will continue to engage with its patrons online and via social media. Another destination that will close starting Monday is the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia. It will remain open for visitors throughout the weekend with “proper COVID-19 protocols.”
The #USMCMuseum will temporarily close beginning Monday, Nov 23. Recent increases in COVID-19 cases, both regionally and nationally, drove the closure decision.
More info here: https://t.co/SwwNpC7eNW pic.twitter.com/y4CNaTr7wm — U.S. Marine Corps Museum🇺🇸 (@USMCMuseum) November 20, 2020
The museum’s grounds, including the Semper Fidelis Memorial Park and the playground, will remain open. Neither museum has set reopening dates.
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