Summary and Key Points: As the partial federal shutdown enters its fourth day, the National Air and Space Museum remains open because Congress funded the Smithsonian and other cultural institutions ahead of the January 31 lapse.
-That early funding insulated the museum from the stoppage affecting agencies that missed appropriations, including the Department of Homeland Security.
-The museum continues normal operations on the National Mall and at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, while many public-facing federal services and museums elsewhere have closed.
-Lawmakers are expected to hold a pivotal vote on February 3 aimed at restoring funding and ending the shutdown.
-BONUS: We have included some of our best photos of these museums from visits in 2022 and 2025.
Why the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Stayed Open During the Partial Shutdown
As a partial U.S. government shutdown stretches into its fourth day, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum remains open to the public while many federal services are paused, officials and funding analysts say.
Unlike previous shutdowns that shuttered museums and cultural institutions, lawmakers in late January passed funding for many appropriations early, allowing Smithsonian museums to operate normally even after a federal funding lapse.
Sources report Congress is expected to hold a pivotal vote on Tuesday, Feb. 3, to end the shutdown.
NASA’s Discovery. Image Credit: 19FortyFive.com taken on October 1, 2022.
NASA Space Shuttle Discovery. Image Credit: 19FortyFive.com taken on October 1, 2022.
Museums throughout the country, however, are feeling the impact in ways the Smithsonian isn’t, with many major facilities presently closed to the public.
Why the National Air and Space Museum Is Open
The National Air and Space Museum, one of the Smithsonian Institution’s flagship museums on the National Mall, remains open during the shutdown because Congress approved funding for the Smithsonian and culturally focused agencies before the midnight deadline.
Reports state that funding divided into separate appropriations bills protected the Smithsonian – including Air and Space – from closure, even as funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other agencies lapsed.
As a result of the partial shutdown, only parts of the federal government that lacked approved funding on January 31 halted operations.
The Smithsonian museums join the National Zoo, the National Gallery of Art, and some other major attractions in maintaining regular operations despite the shutdown. A full list of what’s still open can be found here.
One of the Most Popular Museums in the World
The National Air and Space Museum has been one of the most-visited museums in the world since its founding in 1976, attracting millions annually with free admission and iconic artifacts from aviation and space history.
Among its many highlights are the Wright Flyer, the Apollo 11 command module Columbia, and a comprehensive range of artifacts relating to human flight and space exploration.
As part of the Smithsonian Institution – the world’s largest museum and research complex – the Air and Space Museum combines history, science and technology in exhibits that are popular with students, international tourists, aerospace professionals, and families.
Its Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport displays large aircraft such as the Space Shuttle Enterprise and a Concorde supersonic jet.
F-14 Tomcat. Image by 19FortyFive.com
The museum regularly hosts educational programming, restoration demonstrations, public lectures, and other major events.
Even during renovation phases, its core galleries and exhibits have remained open in recent years.
Museums in the Smithsonian network routinely top the “most visited museum in the world” lists, too.
The Government Shutdown
The current partial government shutdown began on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, after a House-Senate standoff over federal funding priorities, primarily tied to immigration enforcement measures involving the Department of Homeland Security.
Congressional Republicans and Senate Democrats failed to agree on a funding package that satisfied both sides before the funding deadline, triggering the lapse.
Under federal law, when Congress fails to pass appropriations, non-essential government operations must halt until funding is restored.
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on a revised funding package that would formally end the shutdown and restore appropriations for stalled agencies – including DHS – as soon as today, February 3, 2026.
F-14 Tomcat. Image taken at National Air and Space Museum on October 1, 2022. Image by 19FortyFive.
F-14 Tomcat. Image taken at National Air and Space Museum on October 1, 2022. Image by 19FortyFive.
F-14 Tomcat. Image taken at National Air and Space Museum on October 1, 2022. Image by 19FortyFive.
F-14 Tomcat. Image Taken at U.S. Air and Space Museum outside of Washington, D.C. Image Credit: 19FortyFive.com
The proposal cleared the Senate last week but faces continued uncertainty and intensive debate in the House over recent controversies related to ICE conduct and ongoing, aggressive anti-ICE protests.
The Coming Vote
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, February 2, President Donald Trump said that he had spoken to GOP leaders in both the House and the Senate and that he believes “they’re pretty close to a resolution.”
Ahead of the expected vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson outlined the nature of the fight over funding, insisting that a deal should not restrict funding to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“You can’t in any way lighten the enforcement requirement of federal immigration law,” Johnson said. “We have to enforce our immigration law. The American people made that their number one issue in the last election.”
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specialising in defence and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, producing and editing analysis for policy and defence audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at 19FortyFive and National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalisation.
