Arts & Culture
Ben Franklin: Patriot, Foodie
American patriot Benjamin Franklin was a fan of food and helped France change their opinion on potatoes
By Smithsonian.com
The Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa
Now in its 37th year, RAGBRAI is the longest, largest and oldest touring bike ride in the world
By Megan Gambino
Frank Baum, the Man Behind the Curtain
The author of The Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum, traveled many paths before he found his Yellow Brick Road and captured our collective imagination
By Chloë Schama
Across Africa, Finding Common Ground in Their Art
António Ole and Aimé Mpane came together to converse through artwork in a new insallation at the National Museum of African Art
By Joseph Caputo
The Ultimate Spy Plane
The SR-71 Blackbird, now featured in the Transformers movie sequel, was faster than a rifle bullet and flew 16 miles above the earth
By Owen Edwards
Q and A: Sculpture Artist Jean Shin
The artists creates sculptures from castaway objects such as old lottery tickets and broken umbrellas
By Megan Gambino
There Oughta Be a Law
Centuries hence, historians may wonder: Where exactly did Congress store all those pork barrels?
By William Ecenbarger
From the Castle: 'Forever' Institutions
Libraries, universities and museums are especially important in uncertain times
By G. Wayne Clough
Forget Edgar Allan Poe? Nevermore!
Cities up and down the East Coast claim author Edgar Allan Poe as their own and celebrate his 200th birthday
By Abigail Tucker
Harlem Transformed: the Photos of Camilo José Vergara
For decades, the photographer has documented the physical and cultural changes in Harlem and other American urban communities
By Jamie Katz
Dispatch From Cannes
A Smithsonian story on a baby orca leads writer and filmmaker Michael Parfit on a journey to the Cannes Film Festival
Finding One’s Way Through War-Torn Waters
A small compass that guided a lifeboat full of World War II seamen to safety goes on display at the Museum of American History
By Owen Edwards
Flowers Writ Large
With his Botanica Magnifica, podiatrist-turned-photographer Jonathan Singer captures flowers on the grandest of scales
By Megan Gambino
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Smithsonian magazine presents
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6th Annual Smithsonian Photo Contest WinnersOut of more than 17,000 entries contributed from around the world, Smithsonian and its readers select the year's best |
Photo Essay
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Harlem Transformed: the Photos of Camilo José VergaraView more images from Camilo José Vergara |
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Smithsonian Videos
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Counting Down for the Liftoff to the MoonPhotographer David Burnett focused his camera on the many tourists who flocked to Florida in 1969 to watch the launch of Apollo 11 |
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A Navy Plebe Re-Meets His MatchPhotojournalist Lucian Perkins reunites Naval Academy graduates Sandee Irwin and Don Holcomb, 30 years after his photo captured the new gender dynamics at the school |
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Deploying the Wave Energy BuoySee a prototype of a wave energy buoy bob up and down on the water’s surface as researchers from Oregon State University study its efficacy |
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Nikita Khrushchev's Great American TourAs part of a diplomatic mission, Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev traveled across the United States, meeting Americans from New York to Iowa to California |
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Uncovering the Terra Cotta SoldiersA curator from the Houston Museum of Natural Science explains how the terra cotta warriors were discovered and what they reveal about China’s Qin dynasty |
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Celebrate Smithsonian! Go behind the scenes of the Smithsonian on this special insider's journey |
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