Four museums on the National Mall are closed Tuesday because of an HVAC problem. The Hirshhorn Museum, the National Museum of Asian Art, the National Museum of African Art, and the National Museum of the American Indian all had to close Sunday, and their doors remained shut Tuesday, following a weekend power outage at a central facility run by the US General Services Administration that provides chilled water and steam to the buildings, the Smithsonian Institution said.
The museums, which are all located on the Independence Avenue side of the Mall, require specific levels of humidity and temperature to preserve their collections, Smithsonian spokesperson Linda St. Thomas tells Washingtonian. The institution’s other facilities remain open.
Excessive heat and humidity have enveloped the DC area for what feels like months but is probably a reminder that we’re only halfway through July, our area’s hottest month. (Sorry, August, you’re still hot to us.)
St. Thomas says it’s looking good for the museums to reopen on Wednesday.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
