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Latest Features

A moose moves through the forest.

SCIENCE

How Should Colorado Handle Its Booming Moose Population?

Josefina "Joey" Guerrero (third from right) received the Medal of Honor With Silver Palm for her actions during World War II, which were “instrumental in saving the lives of many Americans and Filipinos,” according to the award citation.

HISTORY

This Filipina Spy Used Her Leprosy as a Cover to Thwart the Japanese During World War II

Ada "Bricktop" Smith's clubs attracted high-profile visitors, including Cole Porter, the future Edward VIII and Elizabeth Taylor.

HISTORY

At Her Globe-Spanning Nightclubs, This Black Entertainer Hosted a 'Who’s Who' of the 20th Century

Do Ho Suh's Public Figures is the first new sculpture to be displayed in front of the National Museum of Asian Art in over three decades.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Take a Closer Look at a Surprising New Sculpture That Rethinks Who We Put on a Pedestal

A variety of plants and animals go through periods where they are dormant or in the dark.

SCIENCE

Move Over, Cicadas: These Living Things ‘Go Dark’ For a Long Time, Too

The law eventually caught up to the man of many names: Daniel Jackson Oliver Wendell Holmes Morgan.

HISTORY

The Fabulous Fabulist Lawyer Who Wasn’t, but Still Managed to Get a Man Off Death Row

The Ghost of a Fisherman, Tsukioka Kogyo, woodblock print, 1899

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Why Images of Ghosts Have Endured in Japan for Centuries

Built in 1917-1919, the St. Charles Air Line Bridge is one of the oldest in Chicago and has been designated a city landmark. It’s still in use for freight and cargo trains, and it lifts for boats and ships passing underneath.

TRAVEL

Marvel at These Bold, Beautiful Bridges

Current Issue

Smithsonian magazine April/May 2024 issue cover

Most Popular

1.

At the Smithsonian

Take a Closer Look at a Surprising New Sculpture That Rethinks Who We Put on a Pedestal

Korean artist Do Ho Suh’s “Public Figures” makes a grand arrival outside the National Museum of Asian Art

2.

History

What Really Happened to Michael Rockefeller

A journey to the heart of New Guinea’s Asmat tribal homeland sheds new light on the mystery of the heir’s disappearance there in 1961

3.

Smart News

Moulin Rouge Windmill Blades Fall Off in the Middle of the Night

The iconic Paris landmark has never experienced such a mishap in its 135-year history

4.

Science

Move Over, Cicadas: These Living Things ‘Go Dark’ For a Long Time, Too

From frogs to orchids, many organisms go dormant or move underground for lengthy stints

5.

Smart News

Extremely Rare Blue Rock Thrush Spotted in Oregon Might Be the First Ever in the United States

Amateur photographer Michael Sanchez captured photos of the blue-and-chestnut bird on a beach—but he didn’t realize just how special the “mind-bending” encounter was, until later

Smithsonian Voices
National Air and Space Museum

The Trophy That Honors U.S. Air Force Flights

National Portrait Gallery

National Portrait Gallery Announces Michael S. Hollander as New Board Chair

Smithsonian Associates

An Evening With Author Erik Larson and More Programs in May

Smithsonian Books

Where Is Everybody in Our Universe?

National Museum of Natural History

A Glowing Review: Meet the Museum Scientist Who Studies the Evolution of Bioluminescence in Corals

National Air and Space Museum

Reflections from a Vietnam War POW

See All

Special Report
Lofoten Islands, Norway

Northern Europe and the British Isles

Explore the region's history, culture and natural wonders

View Full Report

Featured Stories

The English Farmers Who Harvest Rhubarb by Candlelight

Hoyma Is Bringing Music Home in the Faroe Islands

Get an Eyeful of Iceland in These 15 Photos That Capture Its Natural Beauty

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Photo of the day

A man works in the pottery industry in the Governorate of Menoufia. Pottery Worker

History

Josefina "Joey" Guerrero (third from right) received the Medal of Honor With Silver Palm for her actions during World War II, which were “instrumental in saving the lives of many Americans and Filipinos,” according to the award citation.

This Filipina Spy Used Her Leprosy as a Cover to Thwart the Japanese During World War II

Enemy soldiers overlooked Josefina "Joey" Guerrero due to her condition. Later, her heroic actions on behalf of the Allies were largely forgotten

The Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney is home to Australia's largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts.

Australian Museum Removes Mummified Body Parts From Display

Ada "Bricktop" Smith's clubs attracted high-profile visitors, including Cole Porter, the future Edward VIII and Elizabeth Taylor.

At Her Globe-Spanning Nightclubs, This Black Entertainer Hosted a 'Who’s Who' of the 20th Century

Science

A multi-vortex tornado touches down on the town of Patricia, Texas.

Ten Amazing Facts About Tornadoes, Explained

To prepare you for the movie “Twisters,” we’ve compiled some jaw-dropping details about the powerful phenomenon

The earthquake on March 27, 1964, dropped Anchorage’s Fourth Avenue and some cars on it roughly 20 feet below normal.

How the Great Alaska Earthquake Shook Up Science

Visitors left notes, photos and mementos at the base of an oak tree Flaco the Eurasian eagle-owl had favored after escaping from the Central Park Zoo. A memorial for Flaco was held there on March 3.

What Flaco the Owl’s Death Teaches Us About Making Cities Safer for Birds

Innovation

Researchers are recruiting some 1,100 people globally to participate in the trial's third phase.

Personalized Melanoma Vaccine Could Be a 'Game Changer' by Teaching the Body to Fight Cancer Cells

The mRNA therapy, designed to prevent treated skin cancer from returning, is entering its third phase of trials

This rendering shows what the wildlife crossing will look like when completed.

The 'World's Largest Wildlife Crossing' Will Help Animals Walk Safely Over Eight Lanes of California Traffic

"Change Your Game / Cambia tu juego" looks at scores of innovations that improve performance, ensure safety and more accurately score games.

From the JogBra to Gatorade to Breakaway Basketball Rims, Sports Are a Field for Invention

Arts & Culture

American video artist Brian Fridge created a five-billboard series in Dallas called View Finder that portrayed a solar eclipse.

The Long History of Art Inspired by Solar Eclipses

For centuries, curious artists have been trying to make sense of the celestial event

An oak peacock moth lands on a window behind dancing wedding guests, illuminated in red light. This photograph won the category for butterflies and dragonflies.

See 11 Winning Images From the Close-Up Photographer of the Year Awards

The latest winner of a Japanese literary prize said she used ChatGPT to write parts of her novel.

ChatGPT Helped Write This Award-Winning Japanese Novel

Travel

None

Tweak the Recipe of This Australian Biscuit, and You Can Get a Hefty Fine or Even Jail Time

On April 25, a national holiday called Anzac Day, Aussies enjoy an Anzac biscuit in honor of military veterans

Built in 1917-1919, the St. Charles Air Line Bridge is one of the oldest in Chicago and has been designated a city landmark. It’s still in use for freight and cargo trains, and it lifts for boats and ships passing underneath.

Marvel at These Bold, Beautiful Bridges

Farmer Robert Tomlinson harvests forced rhubarb by candlelight on his farm in Pudsey, near Leeds in northern England, in January 2022. 

The English Farmers Who Harvest Rhubarb by Candlelight

At the Smithsonian

The Ghost of a Fisherman, Tsukioka Kogyo, woodblock print, 1899

Why Images of Ghosts Have Endured in Japan for Centuries

A new exhibition at the National Museum of Asian Art displays haunting, colorful woodblock prints

The bamboo octocoral Isidella sp. displaying bioluminescence in the Bahamas in 2009.

Glowing Sea Creatures Have Been Lighting Up the Oceans for More Than Half a Billion Years

Piles of coal sit in front of a power plant in Utah. Such coal-fired power plants emit greenhouse gases that drive climate change.

What Myths About the Anthropocene Get Wrong