WASHINGTON — The Smithsonian’s African-American history museum will bring back timed passes in 2019. Here are the times when you would need one and times when you won’t.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture announced that starting January 2019, the museum will require timed-entry passes for certain peak times and seasons. Here are the changes.
Peak season from March to August
- Advanced timed-entry passes are needed on weekends.
- Timed-entry passes are needed Monday to Friday before 1 p.m.
- Walk-up entry is available Monday to Friday from 1 p.m. until closing time.
- Same-day online passes are available on weekdays and weekends.
Off-peak season from September to February
- Advanced timed-entry passes are required on weekends.
- Walk-up entry is available Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Same-day online passes are available on weekends.
Groups with 10 or more people will need a group pass every day of the year during both peak and off-peak seasons.
The museum said that visitors should consult its website to find out if they need to get timed passes.
The change to its entry policy came after a year of collecting data and implementing a number of pilot programs to determine how to make the museum more accessible, a news release said.
In September, the museum held a program — Walk-Up Weekdays — allowing visitors to enter without passes on weekdays, before going back to timed passes in October.
The museum’s regular hours are from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day. It is closed on Christmas Day, Dec. 25.
It will have extended hours of 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. from Dec. 26 to Dec. 29 in 2018.
