Anyone planning a visit to Washington, DC and contemplating going to Smithsonian museums should spend some time on the web page, especially the section taylored for visitors: http://www.si.edu/visit/ It includes information on hours, security procedures, a visitor guide, you can find out about current temporary exhibits, etc.. The American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery are indeed closed for renovations. The Renwick Gallery, which falls under American Art, is open. The National Zoo is part of the Smithsonian and information about it is included on the web page. I would strongly urge you to take Metro or other public transportation, especially to the downtown attractions. Parking is very hard to get. The Holocaust Museum webpage has good information on getting tickets, etc.: http://www.ushmm.org/ ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).