Parks, Museums and Budget Cuts The across-the-board spending cuts known as the sequester may have vanished from public consciousness a couple of news cycles ago, but travelers visiting national parks and monuments and museums in Washington this summer will find sporadic reminders of them, testimony at a recent Congressional hearing suggests. The Smithsonian Institution will occasionally close some galleries in its art museums beginning May 1. "We're trying to juggle things to have less impact on the public," said Linda St. Thomas, a spokeswoman. "But every museum will be open every day for normal hours," she said of the museums and the National Zoo. There will also be shorter hours, fewer services and reduced maintenance at many national sites, said Mike Litterst, a spokesman for the National Park Service. "Grass may be a little longer and trash cans may not get emptied as often as they normally would, but that's probably the only major thing that visitors will notice this summer" on and around the National Mall. The Washington Monument is closed because of damage, not sequestration. The parks and the Smithsonian are contending with a 5 percent cut. Like many political standoffs, this one shows no signs of ebbing, so plan your vacation accordingly.