AFTER BEING CLOSED FOR MORE THAN A MONTH DURING THE LONGEST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN –

ALL SMITHSONIAN MUSEUMS, RESEARCH CENTERS, AND THE NATIONAL ZOO HAVE REOPENED.

SOUNDBITE (English) Jeff Egkan, California Resident:

"Fortunately, when we came, we happened to come after the government reopened. And I'm really, really thankful for that because this is really such a big part of your trip to D.C., the Smithsonian (museums). I mean and my wife and I've just been planning our next trip here. We're going to bring our grandkids here."

THE FINANCIAL IMPACT IS STILL BEING CALCULATED, BUT PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS HAVE BEEN COSTLY FOR MUSEUMS AND OTHER CULTURAL SITES THAT WERE FORCED TO CLOSE.

SOUNDBITE (English) John Streicher, Missouri Resident:

"So like on a peak day in the past... you have to get online tickets. And so a lot of times you have to get -- reserve them a day or so more in advance to get in. You're in a really long line. Today there's, there are no lines. So you can just like we were doing, wander by, go on your phone, pull up the time, and just walk in...The volunteers that work at the information desk were saying that it's basically been a ghost town."

DURING THE 35-DAY SHUTDOWN IN 2018-2019, THE SMITHSONIAN’S MUSEUMS LOST MORE THAN 1 MILLION VISITORS AND APPROXIMATELY 3.4 MILLION DOLLARS IN GROSS REVENUE, ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS.

SOUNDBITE (English) Jeff Egkan, California Resident:

"Let's hope that this is the record and let's hope that we don't face this every time we have a budget, that we're facing a shutdown. Really, I think if both sides really sat down to work together in the process, that would mitigate some of those problems."