Museums and monuments in the District are prepping for a resurgence of school field trips this spring following the lifting of mask mandates and vaccine card requirements.
However, some COVID-19 restrictions remain in place at national tourist spots like the Smithsonian Institution and the Washington Monument, which follow stricter mask and crowd guidelines than the city.
Destination DC, the official tourism marketing organization for the nation’s capital, said the reopening of in-person annual events has created a buzz of optimism that monuments and museums will host big crowds again this year.
“We’re hopeful that the combination of major spring events, like the National Cherry Blossom Festival, citywide conventions and sports will boost the local economy,” said Elliott L. Ferguson, Destination DC’s president and CEO. “Student groups returning to D.C. during this time are the icing on the cake as visitors spend money at our hotels, restaurants and local businesses.”
Based on audited surveys, Destination DC estimates that “over 1 million students” visited the city annually before the pandemic, a number that has plunged to near-zero with events like the cherry blossom festival going virtual during the past years.
The primary tourist attractions for student groups are the U.S. Capitol, the National Archives, Ford’s Theatre, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Kennedy Center, Arlington National Cemetery and the Washington National Cathedral. Other primary attractions include the Smithsonian’s Air and Space, Natural History and American History museums
“We have seen interest pick up within this segment of business as the omicron wave has receded and D.C. joins major cities across the world in easing COVID-19 restrictions,” Mr. Ferguson said. “We look forward to welcoming members of the Student & Youth Travel Association in-person to D.C. in August to host their annual meeting and it’s great to see Washington, D.C., continue to be well received by students and tour operators.”
However, since most of these destinations are federal properties, they will continue to have stricter limitations than the rest of the city.
Linda St. Thomas, chief spokesperson for the Smithsonian, said masks continue to be required indoors at the museums even though the city has lifted its requirement for businesses.
Even though the Smithsonian is now open five days a week, closer to the seven-day hours of operation it had before the pandemic, the jury is still out on whether big student groups will return, she said.
“Because of the pandemic, the schools weren’t putting kids on buses and sending them to Washington,” Ms. St. Thomas said. “I don’t know about this year; I suppose it depends on what the schools can manage.”
Typically, the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo see their largest student crowds starting in May, she said. January and February are the slowest months of the year.
A spokesman for the National Park Service, which oversees the National Mall and Memorial Parks, said the agency is preparing for more visitors and school groups this spring than last year.
All of the monuments and memorials on the National Mall are now open, the spokesman said, with COVID mitigation measures still in place at the Washington Monument. That includes a mask requirement and reduced capacity inside the monument due to the small size of the elevator.
According to Destination DC, most student groups visiting the District come on buses from within a 300-mile radius. During ordinary years, many students also come from Florida, Texas, California, Canada, the United Kingdom and continental Europe.
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
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