:focal(750x500:751x501)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/76/f3/76f374c2-8365-41d5-9e00-95e9d1aad6da/stained-glass-black-bg.jpg)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/74/5a/745a7e72-cd2f-4276-9c2c-218611cec177/abovethefold-314x210.png)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/4a/c7/4ac79913-4c53-4575-a9fa-29fbae5e2a8c/2-3f2d3143-ed5d-466b-a799-a90c1b1ce91a.jpg)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/b8/5d/b85d6c70-9747-4395-a923-b2d3c577acee/jr-19-6177-78.jpg)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/e6/33/e6334475-292e-4efa-8f87-60be39b40ef3/screenshot_2026-04-21_145340.png)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/24/30/24309b6f-099b-4466-ba8c-aca476cdb41b/ic-01-01_bison_north_entry_graphic_bison_1-2__4.jpeg)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/65/ca/65ca74ab-74fb-4e7a-adb6-ae10f0cd8328/24g_wint2026_fordtrimotorcent-opener-eaatri-motor_52230305791_41356184bf_live_copy.jpeg)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/fc/4f/fc4f3076-3145-4143-ad33-aafbc5de36d3/03a_wint2026_aloft-masthead-wasppilots_live_copy.jpeg)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/b8/70/b87023ea-fb1d-4f56-a54f-4f749e1bf0f8/bgcaorlandonmah1.png)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/03/c6/03c64c25-5080-437d-bfcd-1fa68dabff64/monique_chism_edu_awards.jpg)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/fe/5d/fe5d0bf5-0452-4daf-8574-445d25b2b351/signing_of_the_declaration_of_independence.jpg)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/93/d6/93d6048d-b80c-430b-bfe8-e09006429399/19l_wint2026_boeing737-700_1758546545.jpg)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/33/35/333565f3-3e1c-4aae-b6c6-41505a2c769f/hnepicture1.jpg)
:focal(500x281:501x282)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/7a/29/7a29855e-24a9-4a9c-aae9-7efbf6302f17/large_acafe56c-aa33-4a9b-a27f-0ffe403d73a8.png)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/98/3b/983b87b5-09d0-4c86-9a1b-010cd804dab1/gettyimages-1430465223.jpg)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/65/1e/651e7a00-2459-4cd9-b0bf-73d22729a386/crf-smithsonian-250719-090.jpg)
Science
The Fox Family of Mount Rainier
Even the scientists who study the animals rarely see them except on camera. But Gretchen Kay Stuart spent a season documenting them up close
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/0e/43/0e43de7b-1053-4f66-8306-b8cad320efc5/gettyimages-502254239.jpg)
An Eccentric Tycoon Left a Fortune to the Winner of a Baby-Making Contest. The Great Stork Derby Divided Canadians During the Great Depression
In his will, Charles Vance Millar offered roughly 500,000 Canadian dollars to the mother who "has since my death given birth to the greatest number of children"
Smart News
The National Gallery of Art Embraces New Role as Lending Library, Thanks to a Big Gift That Sends Artwork to Other Museums
A Humanoid Robot Just Beat the Human World Record for the Fastest Half-Marathon During a Race in China
This Rare-Coin Scavenger Hunt in San Francisco Offers Participants the Chance to Relive the California Gold Rush
Humans Are Still Evolving. Natural Selection Has Favored Genes Linked to Red Hair and Less Male-Pattern Baldness, a Study Suggests
Bob Dylan’s Original Typewritten Draft Lyrics for ‘I’m Not There’ Have Been Rediscovered After More Than Half a Century
Latest Features
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/db/05/db059581-3108-4fd6-abfc-22f0d86b5428/sharon_and_dad_charles.jpg)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/0e/43/0e43de7b-1053-4f66-8306-b8cad320efc5/gettyimages-502254239.jpg)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/04/60/046048bd-5c96-462e-a77f-703f81264e9f/img_9281.jpg)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/0e/c8/0ec8a237-40da-4c05-bd13-7115915903ae/gettyimages-80912904.jpg)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/94/3a/943ad83b-0672-4a32-8e4f-b559deee125b/aprmay26_-_web_cover.jpg)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/91/d5/91d59498-8aa5-4056-b3c3-60d911fe7aa4/l1001414_copy.jpg)
History
Plunder at the Pink Temple
Clara and André Malraux conspired to loot the pink temple of Banteay Srei, but their failure started a battle of reclamation
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/51/ab/51abaae9-76cc-4808-9b4c-eaf6fcbbe767/middletontvrn_0062.jpg)
Travel
Drafting the Revolution
Taverns, public houses and inns served as meeting places before the war and unofficial headquarters during it. Some still stand—including these nine, where you can raise a glass in memory of the founders
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/6e/62/6e624419-dc21-4c3a-8072-4a95c0f4eb05/smithsonian-rarebirdad1-1400x290.gif)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/aa/61/aa6188dd-9c00-4db1-9bd9-ade5443a3a2b/smithsonian-rarebirdad1-336x280.gif)
Most Popular
:focal(2000x1429:2001x1430)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/97/9b/979bd344-6d74-48e4-ae0b-af5073faea84/lion_gold.jpg)
:focal(1594x1101:1595x1102)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/db/f1/dbf18030-84f8-4d37-a2b1-d7893625c6ea/spice.jpg)
:focal(675x540:676x541)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/4b/0b/4b0b4057-b31b-44e7-a9c3-d6941c0370f7/651886194_18344737438242014_8401832748140664513_n.jpg)
:focal(1037x691:1038x692)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/1a/6e/1a6eeefd-3ccb-4629-a5d7-38d36844d2da/screenshot_2026-04-14_at_125848pm.jpeg)
Special Report
:focal(2806x1871:2807x1872)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/98/3b/983b87b5-09d0-4c86-9a1b-010cd804dab1/gettyimages-1430465223.jpg)
Rooted in the American West: Food, History and Culture
This series will trace how the American West's identity has been shaped by its people, landscapes and legacies
Featured Stories
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/92/1d/921d0f8c-b899-4c23-a894-90e8826d67af/1_-_4c3ccbe3-db30-4c85-853a-36a708c22b21.jpg)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/0d/32/0d322a57-ea7b-4a3a-9cbe-471f7f8798fb/stuartconwaybonneville-0020.jpg)
Made Possible Through the Support of /https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/7b/c6/7bc6306c-fc0a-4037-809f-0e49f27a0fe0/wyot_thatswy_arc_forlargescaleuse-01_png_black.png)
Photo of the Day
:focal(2250x1561:2251x1562)/https://tf-cmsv2-photocontest-smithsonianmag-prod-approved.s3.amazonaws.com/5da63703-05d7-4973-9ee4-2b39661e8072.jpg)
Nectar of Life
Get the Photo of the Day directly to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter.
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 Remarkable, Amazing Stories of Route 66 Reflect the Twists and Turns of 100 Years of Americana
April 23, 2026 | 34 minutes
History
An Eccentric Tycoon Left a Fortune to the Winner of a Baby-Making Contest. The Great Stork Derby Divided Canadians During the Great Depression
In his will, Charles Vance Millar offered roughly 500,000 Canadian dollars to the mother who “has since my death given birth to the greatest number of children”
Science
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/67/a5/67a58a01-7f97-4fa4-961e-01877f773a87/gettyimages-1607866642.jpg)
Ancient Humans Mastered Fire. Now, Burning Fossil Fuels and Blazing Landscapes Threaten to ‘Undo the World’
Intensifying wildfires across the continent are spewing air pollution, putting human health at risk, particularly Americans living with chronic illnesses
Innovation
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/00/9f/009fed7b-9f75-4578-a718-96c0c5842c92/gettyimages-2154196583.jpg)
Sea Stars Can Lose an Arm and Soldier On. What If Robots Could Do the Same?
Bioinspiration looks to nature for clues on how to build more efficient, resilient robots
Travel
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/d1/3a/d13ab3ad-e2f1-4767-bb50-bd201684cf81/gettyimages-1462215142.jpg)
Chiringuitos Offer the Quintessential Beach Bar Experience on Spain’s Costa del Sol
Steeped in history, the seafood joints are evolving to keep up with a global clientele and tightening environmental regulations
Arts & Culture
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/d3/bf/d3bfdf8c-2f6e-494c-9451-01224b0301e7/pomona.jpg)
Renaissance Art Linked Beauty With Virtue and Ugliness With Vice. See How Painters From Leonardo da Vinci to Botticelli Viewed Physical Attractiveness
An exhibition in Brussels spotlights 90-plus artworks featuring golden-haired muses, greedy old men and those deemed unattractive simply because they were different
At the Smithsonian
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/11/68/1168a287-c095-4bd6-b995-b929a5159cf1/gettyimages-526899000.jpg)
‘The King and I’ Spotlights an English Governess Who Modernized Siamese Society. The Real Anna Leonowens Exaggerated Her Influence and Lied About Her Origins
The beloved musical is loosely based on a Eurasian schoolteacher’s accounts of her time at King Mongkut’s court. These memoirs masked her mixed-race status and unfairly portrayed the monarch as a tyrant