Kennedy Center suspends public tours amid legal dispute over Trump ownership
The Kennedy Center announced a temporary pause on its public tours as a court case over President Donald Trump's attempted acquisition of the venue proceeds, affecting volunteers who have led tours for decades.
The Kennedy Center said it is placing a "temporary pause" on public tours while a lawsuit concerning President Donald Trump's effort to take control of the institution is pending. The decision was communicated to the center's volunteer tour guides, who have been conducting tours in multiple languages for up to 400,000 visitors each year since 1971, with only a brief interruption during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The suspension comes as a federal judge continues to oversee the dispute over the removal of Trump's name from the building. The court has ordered the Department of Justice to explain why a tarp covering the former signage remains in place, extending the deadline for a response to late August.
One longtime volunteer, 87-year-old former teacher Sandy Weiswasser, told The New York Times that she has led tours for 18 years and hopes the program can resume once the legal matters are resolved.
"We are conducting a review of campus-wide tour routes to ensure they provide the best possible experience for our visitors," a Kennedy Center spokesperson said in a memo to volunteers.
The center's administration has not provided a specific timeline for when tours will restart, citing the need to assess visitor experience and address ongoing construction concerns.