The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston was unexpectedly shut down on Tuesday “until further notice,” referencing a new directive from President Donald Trump. The closure took effect at 2 p.m.
An announcement regarding the closure was made on the library’s website and shared on social media by the JFK Library Foundation.
“Due to executive order, the JFK Library is closed until further notice,” a representative from the foundation stated in comments to NewsCenter 5.
A similar notice, referring to the executive order, was also affixed to the glass door of the library.
An employee recounted an emotional meeting that took place just before the library’s closure, mentioning that several attendees left in tears and that as many as nine staff members were laid off.
Trump was expected to sign orders on Tuesday while at his private club and residence in Palm Beach, but at the time of publication, none had appeared on the White House’s list of presidential actions. The reason behind the library’s closure—whether it stemmed from a new order or a prior one—remains uncertain.
The library and museum dedicated to the 35th president is located in a notable building designed by I.M. Pei on Columbia Point in Dorchester. The facility opened on October 20, 1979, with then-President Jimmy Carter among the distinguished speakers.
This institution is one of 16 presidential libraries overseen by the National Archives and Records Administration.
