The Smithsonian’s institutions and the National Gallery of Art have closed their doors due to the government shutdown, reports Andrew Russeth of the New York Observer. The Smithsonian announced yesterday that “in the event congress did not reach a deal to continue to fund the government, it would close to the public, as nonessential staff would be furloughed.” Affected museums also include the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Freer Gallery of Art, as well as New York-based institutions: the National Museum of the American Indian and the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. In addition to shuttering its doors, the Hirshhorn has taken its website offline and the National Gallery announced that employees will “not have access to their email or voicemail accounts.”