Even though the federal government shutdown is over, the George W Bush Presidential Library and Museum will remain closed until Friday morning, the museum said.
About 40 employees of the Bush Library and Museum were furloughed for the last two weeks because of the shutdown. They had a meeting early Thursday to decide if they would reopen to the public, but decided to wait for Friday.
Museum spokesperson John Orrell said the facilities have not been cleaned for 16 days, and they are dirty, dusty, and need to be cleaned for the general public.
Also, the security company contracted with the Museum has been running a “skeleton crew” since the beginning of the month because of the shutdown. Security officers needed more time to resume normal operations, Orrell said.
The front desk and offices are manned by volunteers and student workers, and they similarly needed an extra day to get prepared.
In the meantime, the employees will catch up on e-mails and paperwork and make sure they’re ready for opening on Friday.
Many visitors to Dallas stopped by the Museum hoping it would be open, but were disappointed to see the closed signs hanging on every door.
