Monday is Labor Day, and many places you might want to visit will be closed due to the holiday. Nearly every nonessential state and federal government office will be closed on Monday in celebration of Labor Day.
Labor Day began as a state holiday in the late 1800s, with 23 states adopting it as a holiday by 1894. That year, Congress made Labor Day a national holiday.
According to the Department of Labor, "Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being."
With the holiday being at the end of summer, it is among the busiest travel holidays of the year. Not only will most places that cater to visitors, like hotels, gas stations and airports, be open, but expect them to be busy.
Although many government buildings will be closed, plenty of things will remain open.
Gas prices could hit record highs on Labor Day weekend
AAA says the national average for a gallon of gas sits at $3.82. It's tied for record prices for this time of year.
What is open
- Best Buy
- Chick-fil-A (many locations will close early)
- Chipotle
- CVS
- Gap (openings will depend on mall hours)
- Home Depot
- Kroger
- Lowe's
- National parks
- Old Navy (openings will depend on mall hours)
- Starbucks
- Target
- Walgreens
Labor Day sales: What you should and shouldn't buy
Labor Day brings some of the biggest sales between Memorial Day and Black Friday. But there are some things not to buy this weekend.
What is closed
- Costco
- Nonessential federal offices, courthouses
- U.S. post offices
- Most banks
- Stock markets
Most retailers recommend checking store hours on their website for hours as there may be some exceptions.
Essential government offices, like the National Weather Service, will remain open. Examples of nonessential offices closed on Monday include the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service.
