Ten Top Smithsonian Stories of 2024, From a Mysterious Underground Chamber to Dazzling Auroras
The magazine’s most-read articles of the year included a close-up look at the adorable yet venomous pygmy slow loris, a profile of a little-known 20th-century street photographer and a majestic journey with divers into Mexico’s underwater caves
The Italian Town That Becomes a Giant, Goose-Themed Board Game Each Fall
With teams competing in outlandish physical challenges, the Zogo dell’Oca of Mirano showcases Italy’s flair for invented traditions
The Ten Best Photography Books of 2024
These works are not just for casual readers—they are for those who seek to expand their horizons, enrich their lives, and connect with the world on a deeper level
The Best Books of 2024
Whether you’re doing some holiday shopping or looking for your own next read, consider our thoughtfully curated lists.
The Ten Best Books About Travel of 2024
These top titles of the year whisk readers away on adventures and remind us of the many wonders in this world
Scientists Are Trying to Crack the Recipe for the Perfect Plant-Based Eggs
With new ingredients and processes, the next generation of substitutes will be not just more egg-like, but potentially more nutritious
The Ten Best History Books of 2024
Our favorite titles of the year resurrect forgotten histories and examine how the United States ended up where it is today
The Ten Best Books About Food of 2024
Travel to the American South, Vietnam and beyond with this year’s best cookbooks, memoirs and historic deep dives
What Food Was Served at the First Thanksgiving in 1621?
Turkey may have been part of the holiday meal, along with venison, shellfish and corn, but pies and potatoes were decidedly not on the menu
How an Engraving of Queen Victoria Ushered in the Era of the Bouquet Holder in England
The monarch set fashion trends during her time, and the flower holder became a sought-after accessory in Victorian society
An Astonishing, Rarely Seen Islamic Art Collection Goes on Display
At the oldest public art museum in the United States, miniatures, glassware and other intricately created works transport visitors around the world
A Curious Industry Once Gave Anyone With a Song in Their Heart a (Long) Shot at Stardom
How the dubious tradition of song-sharking led to a strangely beautiful repository of folk art
How Mistletoe Became a Christmas Kissing Tradition
The thorny origins of the yuletide canoodling ritual
Discover the Fresh and Unexpected Flavors of Slovenia, a Secret European Delight
In the young, tiny nation, inventive chefs are putting their own twists on classic regional dishes, using river trout, berries and other locally sourced delicacies to create some of the hautest cuisine around
How Fallingwater Gave Frank Lloyd Wright a Second Wind
The architectural wonder re-established the designer as a titan of his generation and shifted the public’s view of Modernism from a foreign movement to a part of the American character
The Feminist Who Inspired the Witches of Oz
The untold story of suffragist Matilda Gage, the woman behind the curtain whose life story captivated her son-in-law L. Frank Baum as he wrote his classic novel
Discover the Remarkable Paintings of Three Japanese Americans Whose Life Stories Are Told Through Their Work
A new exhibition spotlights a trio who pushed the boundaries of American art and illustrated the experiences of World War II incarceration
The Surprising Artwork That Inspired Netflix’s ‘The Piano Lesson,’ a New Movie Based on August Wilson’s Award-Winning Play
A Romare Bearden print served as a starting point for the American playwright’s 1987 drama, which follows a Black family’s struggle to decide the fate of an ancestral heirloom
Quincy Jones Was a ‘Musician’s Musician’ Who Was Uniquely Beloved in the Cutthroat Music Industry
A Smithsonian curator reflects back on the artistic legend, a “Renaissance man” with 28 Grammys to his name, who died Sunday at 91 years old
Cities Are Projecting Their History Onto Streets and Buildings After Dark
Pedestrians in Montreal, Grand Rapids and other locations can time-travel thanks to installations that map historical scenes directly onto the cityscapes
Page 4 of 359