Hello again all,

Well, I appreciate all your tips even more with the high possibility of a shutdown starting Friday. We arrive in DC Christmas eve night, so the weekend grace period for museums will not help.:unamused: We will definitely go to Mt Vernon, the Newsmuseum, Abraham Lincoln's cabin and have tickets for Miss Saigon and Christmas Carol. Hoping for luck...the government was shut down before I went with a friend in February, but reopened before we arrived. I'll definitely write a trip report. Crossing my fingers and wishing all you Fodorites wonderful holidays!

Funding of the Smithsonian is a tricky thing! I don't think it's received it's FY 2019 appropriation (even if there is a shut-down, it will be partial, as some departments have already received their FY 2019 appropriations), but some of the SI's funding is from a private trust, so what will and won't be affected isn't entirely clear, at least to me.

All the private museums / estates should be open -- the Phillips, Dumbarton Oaks, Hillwood....

It can, I think, be interesting to walk by various embassies, and some of them have occasional open hours -- you'd need to check their websites to see if they are sponsoring any events.

I hope your trip proves a success, partial shut-down or no!

The Capitol, Library of Congress, and the U.S. Botanical Garden are funded and so will be open on their regular hours.

Despite many visits to DC over 40 years, I had never visited the Library of Congress until this summer. It is definitely well worth seeing. There is currently a good exhibit on WWI.

For others reading this thread for future visits, note that starting in January the National Museum of African American History and Culture will have walk-up passes available on week days. Timed passes will still be required for the weekends.

I don't think anyone has mentioned the Millennium stage Concert series at the Kennedy Center but these are great free events held every day of the year
https://www.kennedy-center.org/video/upcoming

I hope you have a great trip without (for all our sakes!) a government shut down!

Double check with President Lincoln's Cottage before you go. It's a National Park Service property. Their properties vary during a shutdown -- sometime the grounds are open but not the buildings.

Add to your list of possible things to see:

National Building Museum
Folger Shakespearean Library
National Geographic Museum
Woodrow Wilson House
National Textle Museum

Hope it doesn't spoil your visit, and as a family who will be directly impacted by the shutdown, I hope it is avoided entirely. I am not optimistic, however.

obxgirl, DH and I were subject to shutdown showdowns for 20 years in DC; both of us were "essential" and had to work, regardless. I can sympathize.

+1 to obxgirl's recommendation of Folger Shakespearean Library, I didn't look what special exhibits they might have now, but it was an excellent visit in any case.

You can (or at least we did!) spend a long time in the Library of Congress. I see two exhibits that were there in 2010 are still running, ongoing semi-permanent I guess:
1) Exploring the Early Americas
https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/explori...arly-americas/

Read Toby Lester's "The Fourth Part of the World" to learn about the Waldseemüller map, fascinating book.

2) Thomas Jefferson's Library
https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/thomas-jeffersons-library/

Good luck and have a great trip regardless, perhaps you'll dodge a shutdown.

Another vote for President Lincoln's Cottage if the opening times work with our schedule. We visited in June and really enjoyed it.

You mentioned the Kreeger Museum and that is fabulous. I would try to see it if you can get to it. Sorry you’re going to get caught in a shutdown. But as others have posted there is still plenty to see that is private. Have a good week in DC.

Me, too, obxgirl. It must be so hard on people who don't know whether they are going to be paid or not. I have a close friend who works for NASA who is in the same position. I'll cross my fingers for all of you as well as for us. I have no prediction for the outcome, but do predict that it will be unclear until

Some good news for tourists, but not for workers.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smith...own-180971105/

I'm glad you'll have the chance to spend some time in the Smithsonian museums, cmstraf, whatever comes of the negotiations.

Best to one and all!

That is great news for you and others who're visiting DC between the holidays!

It was open during the shutdown earlier this year, but I'd still check on Lincoln's Cottage before heading over there. They tweet @LincolnsCottage.