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Last day to see Smithsonian’s ruby slippers coming soon

This Nov. 9, 2001, file photo shows the sequin-covered ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” at the offices of Profiles in History in Calabasas, Calif. Smithsonian Museum officials started a Kickstarter fundraising drive Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, to repair the iconic slippers from 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz” and create a new state-of-the-art display case for them at the National Museum of American History. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)
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The famous slippers have been on display since 1979 and are showing their age. (Courtesy Smithsonian National Museum of American History)
(Courtesy Smithsonian National Museum of American History)

WASHINGTON — D.C. museum-goers only have a few weeks left to see the ruby red slippers from “The Wizard of Oz,” before the famous footwear are taken out of public view for an extensive restoration process.

The last day to see the slippers is Sunday, April 23, according to a Smithsonian Institution blog post.

After that, they’ll be out of sight undergoing what the museum calls an “an in-depth conservation assessment and treatment,” that is expected to take several months. The slippers will be “off display through 2018,” the blog post stated.

When the slippers return, they’ll be placed in a state-of-the-art display case that will help better preserve them, the museum said.

In their place, the museum is showcasing some other famous movie accessories: Indiana Jones’ fedora-style hat and a whip used on-set during the filming of “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” the museum said.

Last fall, the museum raised more than $350,000 via Kickstarter to preserve the slippers, which were donated in 1979 and have remained on public display almost continuously since then.

Jack Moore

Jack Moore joined WTOP.com as a digital writer/editor in July 2016. Previous to his current role, he covered federal government management and technology as the news editor at Nextgov.com, part of Government Executive Media Group.

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