It’s a sad day for the history of journalism. The Newseum has been forced to shutter. The Washington D.C. museum closed on New Year’s Eve for good. The building housed the best news memorabilia we’ve ever seen. From iconic newspapers to the most memorable news clips, this was a place where you could see firsthand the impact journalism has had on our nation. In 2019, Time magazine named it one of the “World’s 100 Greatest Places” to visit.
The AP recently spoke with Sonya Gavankar, the outgoing director of public relations, at the Newseum:
She also acknowledged that the Newseum’s status as a for-pay private institution was a harder sell in a city full of free museums. A Newseum ticket costs $25 for adults, and the building is right across the street from the National Gallery of Art and within blocks of multiple Smithsonian museums.
“Competing with free institutions in Washington was difficult,” Gavankar said.
Johns Hopkins University reportedly bought the building for $372.5 million and will use it to house graduate programs.
The staff signed off on Twitter last night saying:
After more than 11 years and nearly 10 million visitors, we want to say thank you to everyone who has visited. You made the Newseum extraordinary. Thank you. Thank you and goodnight.
While there are no plans to re-open the museum in the immediate future, the organization’s website points out “We hope to find a suitable location to serve as the Newseum’s next home but that process will take time.” For now, the museum is expected to do some pop-up exhibits.
