It’s quiet in the Capitol Visitor Center at 9:50 a.m. It’s hard to pinpoint why exactly. It’s still morning and the building has only been open for a little over an hour. It’s early January, traditionally a slow time of year for D.C. tourism. It’s the first day of the 116th Congress, with new members about to be sworn-in upstairs. It’s also, of course, the middle of the partial federal government shutdown, which has locked the doors to many of D.C.’s landmarks. But, despite the optics of the situation, not the Capitol Visitor Center.

“Everybody thinks we are shut down because we were last time,” says a red-jacketed Capitol Visitor Center employee. “Well, we’re not.”

U.S. Capitol tours and operations are continuing to run normally thanks to the Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill, which will provide funding through September 2019.

“It’s a good time for folks to come on over and get a tour of the United States Capitol,” Tom Casey, director of marketing and communications at the Capitol Visitor Center, says cheerily.

More than 21 million people visit the CVC a year, with 60 percent coming between March and July. In the winter months, numbers dip. During peak season, Casey says , more than 10,000 people a day can go on a U.S. Capitol tour. In January, it can be a third of that number, often just slightly over three thousand people.

It’s not clear how the shutdown is affecting visitorship at this point.

But Casey speculates that there might even be a slight uptick in numbers, particularly from local residents, since it’s one of just a few major attractions open around the National Mall. “We can’t do anything about the status of the zoo or the Smithsonians, but we are certainly open,” Casey says.

When most Americans don’t really understand what this partial government shutdown means, it’s understandable that international visitors are even more befuddled.

“People from other countries really don’t understand [the shutdown] or why we were open and other places are not. Granted, it is confusing to Americans, too,” says another also red-jacketed Capitol tour guide, who requested anonymity to speak openly.

Ashot and Maria, a young couple visiting from Moscow, made their plans to visit America’s capital several months ago. They said they’re disappointed that many of the museums they planned to visit are closed, including the Spy Museum (though that actually has nothing to do with the shutdown) Undeterred, they are thinking about taking a second tour of the Capitol, get something to eat, and, then, maybe take a walk. In Moscow, it’s 25 degrees and snowing, so this is nice weather for them.

Granted, the U.S. Capitol isn’t the only place still open to visitors during the shutdown. The Library of Congress and U.S. Botanic Garden are also funded through September 2019 thanks to the same appropriations bill. Despite a lack of bathrooms, the monuments are still accessible and volunteers and the D.C. government is doing its best to keep the Mall in passable condition.

Beyond that, there are plenty of privately run places to find history, art, and culture in the city. “D.C. is more than just the Smithsonian,” says the Capitol tour guide.

And there’s also the option to decamp.

“I also tell them to consider taking the train to Baltimore,” the tour guide continues. “It’s a cheap and interesting city with plenty of things that are open.”