Smithsonian Shuts Seven National Mall Museums Over Water Outage

The Smithsonian Institution temporarily closed seven museums and facilities on Washington, D.C.'s National Mall after a chilled‑water supply failure disrupted the cooling and humidity controls needed for the buildings. The affected sites include the Smithsonian Castle, the Arts and Industries Building, the National Museum of the American Indian, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the National Museum of Asian Art, the National Museum of African Art, and the S. Dillon Ripley Center. The outage stemmed from an operational interruption at the General Services Administration’s 90‑year‑old heating plant, which halted the chilled water flow to the south‑side museums. Smithsonian officials said the remaining museums remain open and visitors are advised to check the institution’s website for updates while crews work to restore service.