The Smithsonian museums around the National Mall have all been ordered to stay open on January 20 in order to provide potential shelter and bathrooms for the Inauguration Day throngs. Now comes this story about how museum employees plan to manage to be there to open up at 8 a.m. that morning: camp overnight at work. Yes, a number of workers at the National Museum of American History are planning a large slumber party the night before the inauguration, which is pretty cute (and considering the transportation nightmare of the next morning, also pretty smart). Too bad none of them will be returning home by Rolls Royce after a grand adventure investigating the origin of a beautiful statue.

Photo by Meaghan Gay