Several more Smithsonian museums will reopen this summer with timed-entry passes and some COVID-19 health safety restrictions in place, the Smithsonian Institute announced Wednesday.
The museums set to reopen to the public this summer include:
- National Museum of Natural History — June 18
- National Museum of African Art — July 16
- National Museum of Asian Art Freer Gallery — July 16
- National Air and Space Museum — July 30
- Smithsonian Castle — July 30
- Anacostia Community Museum — Aug. 6
- Hirshhorn Museum — Aug. 20
- National Postal Museum — Aug. 27
Those hoping to visit one of the museums need to get a free timed-entry pass for every member of their group, regardless of age. Passes can be reserved online or by phone at 1-800-514-3849, extension 1. Visitors will be limited to six passes maximum. The passes cannot be sold or transferred.
All visitors under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult chaperone.
Seven Smithsonian institutions have already reopened, including the National Zoo.
Alexandria Fairchild, a spokeswoman for the Smithsonian Institution, said they were excited to make these museums available to the public, though there were some challenges involved in getting them ready to reopen.
“It takes a lot of planning and resources to reopen these museums,” she told WTOP. “All of the ones opening between June and August have been closed since March 2020 due to COVID, so that staggered schedule is just simply to give us the time and to spread the resources we need to reopen these buildings again.”
Timed-entry passes will become available one week before each museum reopens, Fairchild said.
A full list of openings, along with the days and times each museum will operate, can be found on the Smithsonian’s website.
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WTOP’s Dick Uliano contributed to this report.
