The Smithsonian Secretary, G Wayne Clough, claimed the number of visitors to the Smithsonian had declined by 2 percent, dropping to 29 million, according to The Washington Post.

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On the flip-side, donations from the private sector had increased bringing in $182 million.

"We are pleased with this trend and how the gifts fit into our strategic plan," Clough tells the Post.

The main decline lies with the National Air and Space Museum. But that's most likely only a response to the previous hype from the film "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian."

Alongside of the museums, the zoo is also facing a decline. But explanations could be just as simple and temporary as bad summer weather and the summer earthquake, the Post reports.

Even though fewer attended the museum, more visitors ended up spending making the most successful unit of the division retail. So even though attendance dropped, those who came spent.