EPA Shuttering Museum That Cost $315 per Visitor to Stay Open — With Barely Anyone Showing Up

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin is canceling a year-old museum dedicated to the EPA’s history — citing its $315-per-visitor cost to operate.

The museum is located on the ground floor of the environmental agency, but recorded very little foot traffic, despite its prime location just a block north of the Smithsonian’s Natural History and American History museums on the National Mall.

“The scarcely visited museum cost a whopping $4 million taxpayer dollars to build in accordance with Smithsonian standards and more than $600,000 annually to operate,” an EPA official said.

“It had less than 2,000 external visitors between May 2024-February 2025 and while the museum was free, the cost to taxpayers per external visitor amounted to nearly $315 per person.”

The museum logged just 1,909 external visitors during the 10-month period. Counting EPA staff visits lowers the per-person operating cost slightly to $190.37. (Read more from “EPA Shuttering Museum That Cost $315 per Visitor to Stay Open — With Barely Anyone Showing Up” HERE)