Presidents' Day — Here's What's Open and What Isn't
What is open on Presidents' Day? As a national federal holiday, Presidents' Day means some closures, but not everywhere you might expect.
Feb. 20 2023, Published 10:59 a.m. ET
Presidents' Day
Nationwide, Presidents' Day doesn't just mean a potential day off for schoolchildren. It's a national federal holiday, which comes with a few expected changes in routine. A number of businesses across the country will be closed in observance of the holiday. So, what's open on Presidents' Day?
Presidents' Day is a holiday that initially started as an observance of George Washington's birthday, which falls on Feb. 22. In the 1960s, Congress passed legislation to create more three-day weekends, and Washington's birthday observance was moved to the third Monday in February (and that holiday is also often lumped with Lincoln's birthday on Feb. 12).
Not all schools observe the federal holiday with closures. Some are open to make up for snow days, and others are in session regardless.
What is open on Presidents' Day?
If you're in the mood to snag some deals, you're in luck on Presidents' Day. It's a popular sale day for most major retailers, which remain open on the holiday. (That's extra fun if you're one of the workers or students who get that Monday off work and you want to spend some time shopping!)
In short, just about every retailer is open on Presidents' Day. But as a reminder, here's a listing of a few of the stores that should be open across the nation and might offer some great discounts! Great furniture sales take place on Presidents Day, as well as mattress sales.
Aldi and most other grocers and retailers are open on this federal holiday.
- Kohl's
- Walmart
- Target
- Lowe's
- Slumberland
- Costco
- Grocery stores
- CVS
- Walgreens
- Meijer
- Kroger
- Dollar General
- T.J. Maxx
- Acme
- Aldi
- Trader Joe's
- Wegman's
- Whole Foods
- BJ's Wholesale Club
If you're looking to do any banking on Presidents' Day, TD Bank is one major chain bank that's scheduled to remain open on Feb. 20.
Many fast-food establishments are also open on Presidents Day.
Most dining establishments, at least national chain restaurants, are also open on Presidents Day (unless they typically are closed on Mondays). For locally owned eateries and cafes, however, you should check with the particular restaurant to find out whether they have altered hours or are closed for the holiday.
Starbucks and other fast food and drink places are typically open on Presidents Day.
What places are closed on Presidents' Day?
Many people assume that because Feb. 20 is a federal holiday, nearly everything will be closed. This is not the case, however. But a number of federal buildings and organizations are closed in observance of Presidents' Day.
As CNN reported, there are a few types of places that are closed for Presidents' Day. Banks, post offices, and "nonessential" government agencies are closed for this holiday. In addition, the major U.S. stock exchanges — the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ — are closed all day.
Watching the markets won't do much good on Presidents' Day, as the NYSE and NASDAQ are closed for trading.
The following places will be closed on Presidents' Day, so be sure to save all related business for the remainder of the week.
- Most banks
- The U.S. Postal Service and all post office locations
- Public libraries
- Courthouses
- City Hall
- DMV
- Nonessential government agencies at the federal, state, county, and city levels
Most public libraries including Milwaukee Public Library are closed in observance of Presidents Day.
Are U.S. schools open or closed on Presidents' Day?
Although Presidents' Day is a federal holiday, that doesn't mean all public schools and universities will be closed for the day. Some states are more stringent on observing the holiday at the public school level, while others allow schools to make that decision for themselves.
If you're a student, be sure to verify whether or not your school or university will be in session as usual on Feb. 20. Even if your school observed the holiday with a day off in prior years, it might continue holding classes this year. For example, in districts that have used a lot of emergency days due to weather, they might use Presidents' Day as a make-up date.
Private schools are also in question — they might close for all federal holidays, but they might choose to stay open on Presidents' Day for whatever reason. Again, with all schools, check to be sure if it's closed or open.
