WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – As 2019 comes to an end, so does the tenure of a Washington-based museum dedicated to journalism and the role the profession has played in major events throughout history.
The Newseum closed its doors Tuesday due to ongoing financial issues.
For more than a decade, it gave visitors a close-up look at the Berlin Wall, 9/11 coverage, the FBI, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs and more. Many people from around the country stood in line to get a last glimpse of the exhibits before the location closes.
“I love walking through the whole line and seeing the whole thing,” said Cindy Slattery, a visitor from Maryland.
The Newseum in Washington, D.C. has welcomed visitors each day for more than 10 years with a display of newspaper front pages from all 50 U.S. states and countries around the world.
“You find out what matters to people all over,” said Slattery.
Slattery brought her friends to see the Newseum for the first time on its last day on Pennsylvania Avenue to celebrate the country’s First Amendment and free press.
“It’s like being able to reach out and touch history when you go to this museum,” said Todd Morgan.
It gives visitors a chilling look at Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs, an opportunity to touch a piece of the Berlin Wall, and a reminder of the journalists killed for doing their job.
“Just get different perspectives,” said Laschelle McKay.
The Newseum and its $25 admission fee has had to compete with free museums, all within walking distance of the Capitol.
Its closure brought up a bigger discussion for some visitors about the future of journalism.
“The challenges it’s facing to stay alive and stay relevant.”
Thomas McKay knows this firsthand. He owns two newspapers.
“I wonder where communities are really going to get their news in the future,” said McKay.
However, McKay is confident journalism will live on just like many of the exhibits in the Newseum.
Their future permanent home remains uncertain, but the public seems eager to revisit their stories.
Some of the museum’s work will appear in online, public or traveling exhibits while the search continues to find a new location.