Did you know that many of the museums in Washington, DC will be open on December 31 and on New Year’s Day? Why not take the chance to explore some of the cultural resources of the Capital? The AHA’s low hotel rates are available starting on December 30 for annual meeting attendees, so come to DC early and save!

All Smithsonian museums will be open, including the National Museum of American History, the African Art Museum, the Air and Space Museum, the American Indian Museum, the Freer and Sackler Galleries, the Postal Museum, and the National Zoo. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum will also be open. (The National Gallery of Art is open on December 31 but closed on January 1.)

While the National Archives and Records Administration will be closed to researchers on January 1, the exhibits, including the brand new Records of Rights exhibit, are open on both days.

Other museums in the area, including the National Building Museum and the Folger Shakespeare Library, will be open. Check websites for hours.

President Lincoln’s Cottage, operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is closed on New Year’s Day, but there is still time to purchase tickets for their New Year’s Eve party, Freedom’s Eve.

This post first appeared on AHA Today.