What Myths About the Anthropocene Get Wrong
These ten misconceptions underplay how much we have altered the global environment and undermine the new...
How Museums Are Preserving and Celebrating Selena's Legacy
The singer’s presence can still be felt at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History
This ‘Zen’ Motorcycle Still Inspires Philosophical Road-Trippers 50 Years Later
Robert M. Pirsig’s odyssey vehicle takes its final ride as it vrooms into public view for...
From the JogBra to Gatorade to Breakaway Basketball Rims, Sports Are a Field for Invention
A new exhibition at the National Museum of American History aims to inspire the next generation...
In His Garage, an Untrained Artist Created a Work of Sublime Divinity
How deep faith created one of the loveliest—and most curious—sacred objects in the Smithsonian collections
Explore a Century of Masterpieces, From Rodin to Picasso, Brought Together by One Passionate Collector
A self-described "little man in a hurry," Joseph Hirshhorn built a premier modern art collection
Why Aren't Dolphins in the Great Lakes? And More Questions From Our Readers
You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts
How 'The Magic Man of Hollywood' Captured the Golden Age's Biggest Stars
George Hurrell’s photographs of actors from the 1930s and 1940s dazzle in a new exhibition at...
How Painting Portraits of Freedom Fighters Became William H. Johnson’s Life’s Work
A new exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum brings together the Black Modernist painter’s most...
From the Inventor of Mass-Market Paper Bags to a Scientist Who Unraveled the Mysteries of Polio, Meet Five American Women Whose Remarkable Achievements Have Long Been Overlooked
The inaugural exhibition at the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum seeks to shine light on lesser-known...
How a 1924 Immigration Act Laid the Groundwork for Japanese American Incarceration
A Smithsonian curator and a historian discuss the links between the Johnson-Reed Act and Executive Order...
Could Volcanoes Power Our Planet? And More Questions From Our Readers
You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts
Fantastical Art Joins Hundreds of Blooming Orchids to Shed Light on Conservation Efforts
Smithsonian Gardens’ 28th annual orchid exhibition is underway at the Kogod Courtyard
These Women Were the Real Geniuses Behind the Iconic Tiffany Lamps
A chic light fixture reveals how female designers remade the Tiffany brand—and went largely uncredited for...
How the Smithsonian Is Helping Black Americans Trace Their Roots
Free sessions hosted by the National Museum of African American History and Culture offer visitors advice...
Prototype for Mars Helicopter Will Soon Be on Display at National Air and Space Museum
The surprisingly long-serving Ingenuity ended its historic service after breaking a rotor
What Happened to the Extinct Woolly Dog?
Researchers studying the 160-year-old fur of a dog named Mutton in the Smithsonian collections found that...
Twenty-Four Smithsonian Shows to See in 2024
Election-year items, truth serum, Nigerian art and a pioneering self-driving car are on display this year
How an Eye-Popping Museum Specimen Boosted the Beleaguered Blue Whale
For decades, visitors to the Smithsonian could behold the immense size of the sea mammal with...
Does Climate Change Affect Leaves' Fall Colors? And More Questions From Our Readers
You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts
Thirteen Discoveries Made About Human Evolution in 2023
Smithsonian paleoanthropologists reveal some of the year’s most fascinating findings about human origins
Seven Trailblazing Latina Journalists Anchor a New Museum Exhibition
Covering war, hosting presidential debates and conducting uncomfortable interviews, these women speak truths to their community
Unearth the Roots of Alice Walker’s ‘The Color Purple’
Gardeners discuss the oft-overlooked symbolism of nature that underlies the Pulitzer-prize winning novel
