International and domestic visitors in Washington, D.C., have shared with Newsweek their disappointment with the city feeling like a “ghost town” after they traveled to the nation’s capital, hoping to explore.
“I just got here last night for a conference, so I’m just arriving and realizing I’m not going to be able to see anything,” Sheila Soule, a visitor from Vermont, told Newsweek. “It’s disappointing.”
Why It Matters
As members of Congress have failed to reach an agreement to keep the federal government open, several notable D.C. attractions have been shuttered due to funding and staffing issues.
The shutdown has now extended for longer than a week, disrupting the lives of millions of federal workers. Health care subsidies have been the primary sticking point as the Trump administration and Democratic leaders in Congress have not been able to come up with a solution.
What To Know
Several popular museums, such as the National Gallery of Art, National Archives Museum, and The National Museum of the United States Army have closed due to a lack of funding.
Other attractions, like the Washington Monument, the United States Capitol Visitors Center and the U.S. National Arboretum, are also currently closed.
A North Carolina mother, who said she was meeting family traveling from the West Coast, explained to Newsweek that her relatives saved money to make the trip to the nation’s capital and now they’re left with a tough pill to swallow.
“Sorry you’re not going to get to see the Declaration of Independence,” she said.
Jen Wagner, a tourist from Pennsylvania, said, “I’m really frustrated, I don’t see there’s any reason for it. I mean the demolition of the core values of our society, it’s devastating, it’s sad.”
Others traveled from outside the country, visiting from thousands of miles away and also expressed disappointment and frustration.
“It’s a bit unfortunate,” a traveler from Bangalore, India, told Newsweek, “I’ll try to explore whatever is possible for me.”
A South Korean tourist shared with Newsweek that she’s upset by the closures, “I’ve been excited to visit a lot of museums in Washington, D.C.”
For now, the Smithsonian museums remain open, but if the shutdown continues through Saturday, they will also close their doors. The National Zoo would also close during an extended shutdown.
The question remains whether travelers will start writing the capital off as a destination given the uncertainty of dealing with shuttered museums and popular attractions.
Destination DC, the official destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital, has a full list of places that are still open for those who might remain interested in visiting a “ghost town.”
What Happens Next
Only time will tell what sort of impact the shutdown will have on the tourism industry for the nation’s capital.
Washington, D.C., set a record in 2024 by welcoming a whopping 27.2 million visitors, according to data provided by Destination DC.
