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Arts & Culture

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Ingenious Minds

Cheech Marin Uses Humor to Find Common Ground

With the 14th Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, the actor and comedian talks about how his life has been filled with music, art and laughter

For the First Time in More Than 20 Years, Copyrighted Works Will Enter the Public Domain

A beloved Robert Frost poem is among the many creations that are (finally) losing their protections in 2019

A mini-loaf of homemade panettone

A Culinary History of Panettone, the Italian and South American Christmas Treat

The holiday pastry has been a multicultural phenomenon since the very beginning

Col. Manuel Jimenez stands on patrol in Afghanistan

America at War

A Warrior Comes Home

Corporal Jimenez was on patrol in southern Afghanistan when a mine exploded, changing his life forever

Dyngo served three tours in Afghanistan before retiring to Washington, D.C.

America at War

The Story of Dyngo, a War Dog Brought Home From Combat

I brought a seasoned veteran of the conflict in Afghanistan into my home—and then things got wild

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What Do a Toilet Seat and the Mail Have to Do With Art?

Record companies released stereo demonstration albums that showcased how sound could move from left to right, creating a sense of movement.

How Savvy Advertising Helped Make Stereo Technology Mainstream

Stereo demonstrations and colorful ads sold customers on the two-channel sound technology when it was introduced 60 years ago

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New Molina Family Latino Gallery Opens in 2021 at the National Museum of American History

New Molina Family Latino Gallery to Open at National Museum of American History in 2021

The Ten Best Board Games of 2018

Go analog at your next party with one of these new classics

The New York Botanical Garden in New York City is just one of many places across the country to see holiday-themed model train shows.

Eight Dazzling Toy Train Displays to Get You in the Holiday Spirit

From Dallas to New York City, these mighty miniatures will delight even the biggest Scrooge

The Ten Best Children’s Books of 2018

Our picks deliver feminist history, folklore reimagined and an adventurous romp through awe-inspiring destinations

A delta wave, typical of deep sleep, as envisioned by interdisciplinary artist Julia Buntaine Hoel.

Art Meets Science

This Sculptor Imagines Brain Waves in 3-D

Julia Buntaine Hoel depicts the electrical activity of the brain in Wave(s), on display at Smithsonian’s “The Long Conversation”

A view of the Spitzmaus exhibit.

Seven Must-See New Museum Exhibits to Marvel at This Winter

From fancy lights to Wes Anderson aesthetics, these new exhibits explore artists, history and fun

The Best Books of 2018

In our efforts to increase and diffuse knowledge, we highly recommend these 70 titles released this year

Alice Neel Self-Portrait by Alice Neel, 1980

History’s Selfies: Looking at Artists Looking at Themselves

National Portrait Gallery closes out 50-year anniversary celebration after widening the view to include more women, diverse backgrounds and emerging media

Smithsonian.com’s Chief Digital Officer Shares His Favorite Books of the Year

Our own William Allman describes the 2018 titles he found to be the most enjoyable and eye-opening reads

About 65 percent of Americans will send Christmas letters or cards this holiday season.

The History of Our Love-Hate Relationship With the Christmas Letter

How the “Dear Friends” missive started and how it has survived the Facebook age

Ida O’Keeffe created seven abstract paintings of Cape Cod’s Highland Light (pictured: Variation on a Lighthouse Theme V). The first in the acclaimed series has been lost.

Who Was Ida O’Keeffe, Georgia’s Lesser-Known, But Perhaps More-Talented, Sister?

The painter who toiled in the shadow of her celebrated sibling is the subject of a new, major exhibition

Dear Evan Hansen comes to the Smithsonian

‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Recognized as Part of America’s Cultural Heritage

Artifacts from the Broadway musical come to the collections of Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

A section of the 18,000-square-foot Cyclorama depicts a pivotal moment: Lt Edward Jones, on horseback, racing to reinforce the Federal line.

American South

Atlanta’s Famed Cyclorama Mural Will Tell the Truth About the Civil War Once Again

One of the war’s greatest battles was fought again and again on a spectacular canvas nearly 400 feet long. At last, the real history is being restored

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