Government Shutdown 2025 Updates: Smithsonian museums, National Zoo close as funding runs out

Government Shutdown 2025: Smithsonian museums, National Zoo close

The Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo closed their doors Sunday, in the latest sign of the ongoing government shutdown that is now entering its third week.

WASHINGTON - The Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo closed their doors Sunday, in the latest sign of the ongoing government shutdown that is now entering its third week.

The Senate is set to return on Tuesday with another possible vote, but so far, no changes have been made to the funding bill.

The financial impacts are starting to sink in for federal workers missing paychecks and for visitors to the nation’s capital.

Smithsonian's National Zoo

Shutdown latest

The Smithsonian Institution, which includes the museums and the zoo, receives more than half its funding from the federal government. 

It had relied on prior-year funds to stay open after the shutdown began on Oct. 1, but now that money has run out.

On Saturday, crowds flocked to the National Zoo for one last visit before the gates closed.

Zoo officials say the animals will continue to be fed and cared for, and staff safety remains a top priority. 

However, the zoo’s live cameras have gone offline, and if the shutdown drags on, it could jeopardize the popular "Boo at the Zoo" Halloween event.

Meanwhile, the paychecks for federal workers are drying up and some federal workers have begun receiving layoff notices threatened by President Trump.