Music & Film

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Cuba

What to Read, Watch and Download Before Your Trip to Cuba

Know before you go

Leutwyler spent three weeks in the archives of the Elvis Presley Estate photographing objects, such as this gold-plated microphone (c. 1960).

A New Photo Book Reveals the Objects That Tell the Stories of the Rich and Famous

Photographer Henry Leutwyler usually shoots his camera at celebrities. For this book, he looked at their stuff

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The $10 Million Race to Invent Star Trek's Tricorder

Star Trek's fictional tricorder is far from becoming a reality. But a $10 million prize from the XPRIZE Foundation is hoping to motivate inventors

The Brains Behind Star Trek

Sci-fi fan Gene Roddenberry was a freelance writer with a futuristic vision. He had high hopes for his script about a peacekeeping spaceship

Laser Scientists Are Developing Star Trek's Phaser

Some of the technology from Star Trek is already coming to life in the Lockheed Martin lab

Boldly going where no curatorial object has gone before.

The Innovative Spirit fy17

The Mission to Restore the Original Starship Enterprise

The beloved 1960s studio model stars in <em>Building Star Trek</em>, a documentary premiering on Smithsonian Channel this Sunday

Michael Jackson performs in Kansas City, Kansas during the "Victory" tour in 1984.

Breaking Ground

Michael Jackson's Costumes Show Why Nobody Can Beat the King of Pop When it Comes to Style

Outfits from the Jackson's "Victory" tour will be part of an inaugural exhibition at the African American History Museum

Redd Velvet (born Crystal Tucker) started her career as a classically trained singer. In her early 40s she moved to Memphis and switched to the blues.

Keeping the Blues Alive

Is blues music a thing of the past? A festival in Memphis featuring musicians of all ages and nationalities shouts an upbeat answer

Charlie Chaplin eats his shoe in The Gold Rush (1925).

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Alaska

Charlie Chaplin's Gold Rush

Two decades after the Klondike Gold Rush, Chaplin recast the hardships of prospectors as comedy

Ask Smithsonian

What's the Difference Between Invasive and Nonnative Species? Plus, More Questions From Our Readers

You asked, we answered

The dueling heroines take the lead in a fight for the town’s soul.

Why Betty and Veronica Are the Real Stars of Riverdale

In a reboot of the classic Archie comics, the two female leads take charge

Roald Dahl's classic, The BFG

Steven Spielberg on Why He Made The BFG

The director talks about the new adaptation, the cast and having John Williams compose the score of the film

Blake Lively in "The Shallows."

Shark Week

How Realistic Is the Shark Science in "The Shallows"?

We ask shark expert Chris Lowe whether the science in the upcoming shark thriller has any teeth. Beachgoers: You're welcome.

The Rolling Stones performing live at Summerfest, Milwaukee, on 23 June 2015

For Rolling Stones Fans, This Book Is a Dream Come True

Journalist and author Rich Cohen first covered the Stones on tour in the 90s. Now he revisits that trip and the band’s epic history

Johnny Gandelsman (violin), Colin Jacobsen (violin), and Nicholas Cords (viola) performing with fellow Silk Road Ensemble musicians

Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble Celebrates Our Differences Through Song

"Sing Me Home" is a multicultural feast for the ears

Europe

Traveling to the Danube? Here's What You Should Read, Watch and Download

Know before you go

Joe (left) and Anthony (right) Russo at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International.

Meet the “Mad Scientists” Behind ‘Captain America: Civil War’

In their latest film, directors Joe and Anthony Russo explore the morality of the Star-Spangled Avenger

The Original Country Music

Country music star Trace Adkins stops by the Smithsonian to examine some authentic sheet music from the Civil War.

ArcAttack's lightning guitarist wears a protective Faraday suit.

Future Is Here Festival

When Electricity and Music Collide, the Tesla Coils Sing

The band ArcAttack delivers a high-voltage performance with a side of science education

The model arrived at the Smithsonian in 1974 lacking most of its lights, and replacements burned hot and gave off damaging ultraviolet light. Specialists Will Lee (left) and David Wilson work on ways to deploy new LEDs, which give off little heat and no UV light.

The Starship Enterprise Is Coming in for a New Landing at the Smithsonian

This artifact in the Air and Space Museum collections boldly returns to public view

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