Alissa Powell, a schoolteacher from Santa Cruz, Calif., had been looking forward to visiting the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum during her visit to Atlanta.
Ms. Powell, 57, grew up in Atlanta, and has fond recollections of Jimmy Carter’s time as governor of Georgia and later president. She said she was drawn to visiting the library “and just being in his spirit.” Instead, she was greeted on Thursday by a sign on the library’s door saying that the museum was closed.
“Really bummed, just really bummed,” she said.
Like all 16 presidential libraries, the Carter library is a part of the National Archives and Records Administration, a branch of the federal government that has stopped operating since the shutdown took effect on Wednesday.
A few libraries across the country remain open, including the L.B.J. Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, Calif., which has an agreement with an independent nonprofit founded by Mr. Reagan that takes over the library’s operations during government shutdowns.
On Thursday, Leroy and Maurcey Davis were among the steady stream of would-be visitors to the Carter library who were crestfallen and frustrated to find it shuttered.
“We’re missing out on things that we normally would be able to go to and see and experience and enjoy because they can’t get together and talk about it,” said Ms. Davis, 51, a nurse visiting from Omaha. “It doesn’t make sense.”
The couple wondered why shutdowns kept happening and why lawmakers could not find a bipartisan solution to keep the government operational.
“Why can’t they figure it out?” she said.
Shirley Bellew, a retired resident of North Atlanta, said she could hardly believe the library was closed on the very day she had decided to visit for the first time. Instead, she tried to make the most of just viewing the grounds around the library.
“Well, at least we can enjoy the gardens,” she said.
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