Best Gifts of 2015 for Museum Lovers

A host of gifts inspired by the Smithsonian collections, its scientists, curators, historians, photographers and gardeners

Shindig by Patrick Dougherty is on view at the newly renovated Renwick Gallery.

This Tilting, Twirling Artwork, Sculpted Entirely of Sticks, Is Having a Shindig

Stick man Patrick Dougherty’s sculptures evoke a playful urge to crawl inside

Last week, Twitter and Facebook fans of Smithsonian.com were invited to send in their questions for the new Smithsonian Secretary.

The Smithsonian’s New Secretary David Skorton Takes Questions From the Crowd

The secretary is creating a new teen advisory board, networking with D.C. arts and science leaders and getting to know the collections

Zoo reports the little cub is doing just great.

New Video: The Panda Cub Sneezes (Hilarious!)

The newly named Bei Bei weighs in now at a hefty 4 pounds

His eyes are still closed, which is normal. Cubs’ eyes generally open when they are 6 to 8 weeks old.

Panda Cub Is Growing Cuter and a Little More Black and White (Video)

The National Zoo releases another video of the ten-day-old cub

The smaller of the two twin panda cubs has died.

Updated: One of the National Zoo's Panda Cubs Has Died

The Zoo announced on August 26 that the smaller of its newborn twin panda cubs has died

The smallest cub, which weighed just 86 grams at birth, is seen here being hand-reared with bottle formula feedings.

Panda Update: Giant Panda Mom Mei Xiang Won't Exchange Care of Cubs

Smaller cub is receiving infant formula and fluids from Zoo veterinarians

Mei Xiang delivers twins, a historic record—only the third time in the United States.

A Second Panda Cub is Born at the Zoo (New Pictures)

After giving birth to one cub, the Zoo's 17-year-old female panda, hours later, delivers a second cub

Cocoa roasters at the Hershey Chocolate Company in Pennsylvania

The Short Rise and Fall of the Crazy-for-Cocoa-Trade Cards Craze

In the late 19th-century, when you bought chocolate, the grocer dropped a delightful prize into your bag, a trade card to save and share

Art Molella delivers his speech on innovation.

The Recipe for Innovation Calls for a Little Chaos and Some Wall Bashing

Scholar Art Molella chronicles the habits, habitats and behaviors of the men and women who invent

A Christmas tree decorated with iconic spacecraft is on view on the first floor of the Air and Space Museum

Christmas Day is the Only Day of the Year You Can't Go to the Smithsonian

For those missing your Smithsonian fix, here's some holiday cheer until the doors open on December 26

Best Gifts of 2014 for Nature Lovers

Smithsonian editors, gardeners and scientists offer ideas to give the gifts that keep wildlife thriving

Vice President Al Gore, with President George Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney

How the Office of the Vice Presidency Evolved from Nothing to Something

Vice President John Adams once said "In this I am nothing, But I may be everything." A new book tells how the office has moved from irrelevance to power

Salvador Dalí

<em>Paris Match</em> Opens its Archives and Shares a Trove of Images of Artists in Their Studios

A traveling exhibition, curated by Picasso's grandson, reveals an intimate look at the places where artists craft their works

In The Neighborhood Tour, Michael Vasquez says he is telling the story of a boy who grew up without a father.

Six Artists In Search of Themselves

With drama, theater, magical realism and a twist of the absurd, these artists give the self-portrait a makeover

Lee surrendering to Grant at Appomattox

Which General Was Better? Ulysses S. Grant or Robert E. Lee?

The historic rivalry between the South's polished general and the North's rough and rugged soldier is the subject of a new show at the Portrait Gallery

Lion cubs at the National Zoo.

Zoo's Four Lion Cubs Meet Their Adoring Fans

The 14-week-old cubs are set to tumble-bumble out in their yard to greet their adoring fans

Window washer Jan Demczur used his squeegee to pry open the elevator doors where he and five others were trapped. Taking turns, they used the squeegee and its metal handle to hack through drywall so that they could squeeze through and escape down the stairs.

How a Squeegee Handle Became a Life-Saving Tool on September 11, 2001

Artifacts now on loan to New York City's National September 11 Memorial and Museum tell the story in ways that words cannot

Portraiture in the Time of Mad Men

The Portrait Gallery takes a look at portraiture as it faces Abstract Expressionism in the era of Don Draper's mid-century modernism

Dr. David J. Skorton, president of Cornell University, is named as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution

David J. Skorton is Named the Smithsonian's 13th Secretary

The president of Cornell University is chosen to head up the Smithsonian's 19 museums, 9 research organizations and the Zoo

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