ACCOMACK COUNTY, VA - The visitor center at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility reopened Thursday morning after the government shutdown forced its temporary closure.
The shutdown came amid confusion about the facility's future at Wallops. In August, WBOC obtained an email notifying employees of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Wallops Flight Facility [GSFC/WFF] of closures slated for October 1, including the Wallops Visitor Center.
Wallops Flight Facility Director David Pierce told WBOC on Monday that he is proud to welcome guests back to the visitor center.
"The NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center, like other visitor centers around NASA, tells this incredibly important story and role of what NASA does in space and why we go in space is to improve our life here on Earth," Pierce said.
Approximately 85,000 people pass through the visitor center annually, serving as an educational resource for locals and travelers to Virginia's Eastern Shore.
"I was excited for it opening up and I've been interested in visiting a NASA center for a while," Brandon Anderson, a visitor from North Carolina, said.
The visitor center officially reopened at 10 AM. Anderson claimed the title of first post-shutdown guest around 5 minutes later.
Sean Thierfeldt and his son Zaybe, locals and frequent visitors, followed soon after.
"His grandfather works at Virginia Space, so he loves coming and looking at the Virginia Space exhibit," Sean said of his 3-year-old boy. "Getting to see all the ships, he's all about it."
Sean himself grew up visiting Wallops as a student. He now works in Aviation at the Salisbury Regional Airport.
Director Pierce said outreach to the next generation is another important function of the visitor center.
"We bring students here. They become inspired by NASA's mission," Pierce said. "It helps inspire them to take up STEM-related fields and careers."
As of right now, Pierce told WBOC there are no plans to close the visitor center again.
A NASA Wallops spokesperson issued the following additional statement to WBOC on Monday regarding the future of the visitor center.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Wallops Flight Facility are reviewing functions and capabilities as the center begins Fiscal Year 2026 and looks ahead. While we are exploring a number of actions, including some that may involve closure of facilities, no decisions have been made. At present, there are no plans to close either the Greenbelt or Wallops visitor centers. Any changes as a result of ongoing discussions will be communicated as appropriate to the workforce, contractors, and the public, and in accordance with the law.