Tourists arriving at the National Museum of the American Indian in Lower Manhattan on Sunday found its doors closed — another casualty of the ongoing federal government shutdown.

Among them was Gasper, a visitor from Aruba, who said he and his family were disappointed to find a sign announcing the closure.

What You Need To Know

  • The National Museum of the American Indian and Cooper Hewitt Design Museum in New York are closed due to the federal government shutdown
  • Tourists arriving Sunday found signs announcing the closures, while Smithsonian officials warned all museums could shut down if the stalemate continues past Oct. 11
  • National sites like the Statue of Liberty remain open, though some services may be limited, and private museums such as the Met and the American Museum of Natural History are unaffected

“We just saw it and we were like ‘wow’ because of the heritage of the United States we thought it was important to see this,” said Gasper, who did not give his last name.

“I’m a little bit scared because I am a tourist and we were planning to visit a lot of museums in New York and I hope this is the only one,” he added.

The National Museum of the American Indian is part of the Smithsonian Institution, which receives about 62% of its funding from the federal government. The institution has warned that if the shutdown continues past Oct. 11, it will be forced to close all Smithsonian museums in both New York and Washington, D.C.

“I think it’s too bad for tourists, people who are interested in going to museums. I think museums are a very important arena,” said Terje Joranger, a museum director visiting from Norway.

“I really hope to get another day to see the National Museum of the American Indian,” Joranger said.

The closures are the latest consequence of the shutdown, which began Oct. 1.

Mary Ulloa and her family were also turned away Sunday as they waited for their tour of the Statue of Liberty.

“Very disappointing because we still have an hour and a half before our tour at the Statue of Liberty. We were hoping to enjoy the time, learn,” Ulloa said. “I know the admission is free.”

The National Park Service says national sites such as the Statue of Liberty will remain open during the shutdown, though some services may be unavailable.

The Cooper Hewitt Design Museum on the Upper East Side — also part of the Smithsonian — is closed as well. Private institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History, are not affected and remain open.