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Science
Passage to the Pleistocene
At a site known as Natural Trap Cave, a team of scientists are rappelling down to uncover the secrets of what the Earth was like during the Pleistocene
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A Confederate Raider Fired the Final Shots of the Civil War in the Arctic, Two and a Half Months After Robert E. Lee Surrendered
The CSS "Shenandoah" only learned of the Confederacy's defeat in the summer of 1865. That June, the cruiser's crew sank 24 American merchant vessels, unaware that the conflict had already ended
Smart News
Archaeologists Unearth Artifacts From One of the Nation’s Oldest Schools for Black Children
Stunning New Image of the Sculptor Galaxy Captures the Cosmic Landscape in Thousands of Colors
Australian Moths Are the First Known Insects to Navigate by the Stars, Revealing a Migratory Superpower
This Medieval Sword Pulled From a Dutch Riverbed Is Marked With Intricate Copper Symbols
This Rare, 6,000-Year-Old Limestone Fertility Figurine Could Be Poland’s Archaeological ‘Find of the Century’
Latest Features
Science
Balancing the Scales
The mammals’ return to the region represented a conservation success story, but their appetite for endangered fish is upsetting the balance of a delicate ecosystem
Travel
The Bittersweet Beginnings of Vanilla
A journey to the remote Indian Ocean island reveals the story behind the fragrant, delicious, ubiquitous spice—and the enslaved youth who made it a commercial success
Most Popular
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Special Report
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America’s 250th Anniversary
To mark the 250th anniversary of America’s founding on July 4, 1776, Smithsonian magazine is highlighting the people, places and events that shaped the United States’ fight for independence from Great Britain
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Photo of the Day
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Podcast
Smithsonian Podcast: There’s More to That
Smithsonian magazine covers history, science and culture in the way only it can — through a lens on the world that is insightful and grounded in richly reported stories. In There’s More to That, meet the magazine’s journalists and hear how they discover the forces behind the biggest issues of our time.
Latest Episodes
The Joys of Discovering the Roman Underground, From the Colosseum to What’s Beneath the Trevi Foundation
May 15, 2025 | 21 minutes
History
A Confederate Raider Fired the Final Shots of the Civil War in the Arctic, Two and a Half Months After Robert E. Lee Surrendered
The CSS “Shenandoah” only learned of the Confederacy’s defeat in the summer of 1865. That June, the cruiser’s crew sank 24 American merchant vessels, unaware that the conflict had already ended
Science
Why Have Birds Never Gotten as Big as T. Rex?
Even the most massive birds have never reached the sizes of their dinosaur relatives
Innovation
The Effervescent History of Seltzer, From the Early Days of Home Delivery to Today’s Trendy Cans
A century before LaCroix or Spindrift were refrigerator staples, factories in New York City were carbonating gallons and gallons of tap water each day
Travel
How Sweden’s Vätternrundan Became One of the Biggest Recreational Bike Rides on the Planet
For 60 years, cyclists have descended on the city of Motala in June to ride 196 miles around Lake Vättern and promote healthy living
Arts & Culture
Why the World Became So Obsessed With William Morris’ Colorful Floral Prints
The British artist’s designs appear on mugs, plates, shoes and more. A new exhibition explores how his signature style became so ubiquitous—and how Morris would feel about his 21st-century legacy
At the Smithsonian
Take a Look at the ‘Extraordinary’ 19th-Century Portraits Made With Some of the Earliest Methods of Photography
A new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery traces three different 1800s forms of photo-making: daguerreotypes, ambrotypes and tintypes