As of March 11, 2022, Smithsonian Museums in Washington, DC are no longer requiring visitors to wear masks during their visit when Smithsonian regional levels for COVID-19 are in the low or medium level. Masks will be required if Levels go into high. If the level does rise to high you will be notified via email before your program takes place.
Effective September 1, 2022, and based on recent CDC recommendations, Smithsonian Institution is no longer requiring program participants attending Smithsonian-sponsored activities to show proof of vaccination or negative test results. This applies for all Smithsonian Regional Levels for COVID-19 (Low, Medium, High). However, we encourage everyone to stay up to date on their COVID vaccinations and boosters.
If you have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 5 days leading up to your program, or experience any symptoms of COVID-19 prior to the program, please let us know and we will transfer your payment to a future program. Alternatively, we can switch your in-person ticket to an online ticket should that option be available for your program. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about our health policies.
If you register multiple individuals, you may be asked to supply the names of your guests at checkout, or you may be contacted by our Customer Service Staff for your guest’s names after your purchase. If there is a change in program schedule or a cancellation, we will notify you via email, and it will be your responsibility to notify other registrants in your group. Once registered, you should receive an automatic email confirmation from CustomerService@SmithsonianAssociates.org.
Physical tickets will not be sent via postal mail to registrants for in-person programs. Check-in occurs at the door with a patron roster. Please keep your email confirmation handy to reference program details. If you cannot locate your email confirmation, you can resend your order confirmation or print-at-home tickets to yourself from your account page.
When you visit any Smithsonian building, you will discover that we have security measures in place to ensure your safety and the safety of the objects contained within. At many of our facilities, you'll be greeted upon entry by one of our security personnel who will conduct a thorough hand-check of all bags, briefcases, purses, and containers. At some museums, visitors are required to walk through a metal detector.
We encourage you to limit the number of personal belongings and bags you bring into our facilities as they will be subject to a thorough search. Limiting the number of items you bring will increase your speed through security checkpoints and help us all maintain a safe social distance.
Visitation policies at the Smithsonian Institution are designed to protect visitors and staff as well as secure and preserve the collections, facilities, and historic buildings entrusted to the Smithsonian's care.
