Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Smart News / Smart News Travel

Inside Idiom, which uses mirrors to provide the illusion of infinite length

Trending Today

You Can See a Swirling Sculpture Made of 8,000 Books at a Library in Prague

Officials are managing an influx of tourists coming to see “Idiom,” a seemingly infinite tunnel of books by the artist Matej Krén, at the Municipal Library

Bowie lived in the two-story house between 1955 and 1967.

You Can Soon Step Inside David Bowie’s Childhood Bedroom, Restored to the Way It Looked When He Was 16

The musician’s former home in south London is scheduled to open to the public in late 2027 following an extensive restoration, which will transport visitors back in time to 1963

Kiyoshi Kimura, known as the "Tuna King," poses with the record-breaking bluefin tuna.

See the Record-Breaking Bluefin Tuna the Size of a Grizzly Bear That Sold for $3.2 Million at a Tokyo Fish Market

The 535-pound fish, purchased by Japan’s self-proclaimed “Tuna King,” was sliced and shipped to sushi restaurants across the country

Built between 180 and 193 C.E., the column depicts the battles of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, with more than 2,000 highly detailed figures spiraling around the shaft.

Archaeologists Are Using Lasers to Clean Decades of Grime Off a Towering 1,800-Year-Old Marble Column in Rome

Standing 154 feet tall, the column of Marcus Aurelius is located in the Piazza Colonna and intricately decorated with gruesome scenes of warfare

Both statues are more than 40 feet tall.

Two Towering Statues of an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Have Been Restored at the Entrance of His Temple After 3,000 Years

Known as the Colossi of Memnon, the statues of Amenhotep III both stand at more than 40 feet tall. Experts have been working for two decades to reassemble them

Ancient ruins displayed at Colosseo-Fori Imperiali, a new subway station near the Colosseum in Rome

You Can Now See 2,000-Year-Old Thermal Baths and Military Barracks Without Ever Leaving Rome’s New Subway Stations

Two recently opened stops by the Colosseum double as museums, showcasing the ancient artifacts and ruins unearthed during their construction

A similar situation unfolded in January 2023, when a burrowing owl (pictured here) was found aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas.

These Owls Took a Free Vacation on a Cruise Ship—but Soon They’ll Be Heading Home

A pair of burrowing owls made themselves at home aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Allure of the Seas in February, joining a trans-Atlantic sailing to Spain. They’ll return to the United States next month

An exterior view of the famous window and balcony that robbers entered in October

Louvre Robbers Escaped With Less Than a Minute to Spare Due to Major Security Fumbles

An investigation ordered by France’s culture ministry highlighted a number of security failures that made October’s brazen heist possible

The statue, created for Rocky III, has been moved around to various locations throughout the city in recent decades. Since 2006, it has been located at the base of the steps leading to the Philadelphia Art Museum.

The Iconic ‘Rocky’ Statue at the Philadelphia Art Museum Steps Is Still Stirring Up Strong Feelings

Actor Sylvester Stallone initially told officials he wanted the sculpture back—but after public outcry, he changed his mind and agreed to let the city keep it

Cerro Pedernal, the flat-topped mountain pictured here, was a frequent subject of O'Keeffe's landscapes.

This Landscape Inspired Some of Georgia O’Keeffe’s Best-Known Works. Now, It’s Receiving New Protections

A conservation plan will help preserve 6,000 acres of land in northern New Mexico, a region that frequently appears in the 20th-century artist’s paintings

The South Unit Scenic Loop road offers panoramic views of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

A Scenic Road Winding Through Theodore Roosevelt National Park Finally Reopens After Six Years

The South Unit Scenic Loop officially welcomed visitors again in late November following $51 million of repairs, in time for the debut of the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library next summer

Tourists take pictures of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa during the Louvre's reopening following a daylight jewel heist in October.

Weeks After a Brazen Heist, the Louvre Increases Ticket Prices for Non-E.U. Visitors by 45 Percent

Officials say the fee hike will help fund a much-needed overhaul of the museum’s security systems and infrastructure

The text contains illustrations of plants, animals and biblical scenes.

See the ‘Mona Lisa of Illuminated Manuscripts,’ a 600-Year-Old Bible Covered in Intricate Illustrations

Created between 1455 and 1461, the Borso D’Este Bible is currently on view in the Italian Senate in Rome

Syria's National Museum reopening to visitors in Damascus on January 8

Six Ancient Roman Statues Have Been Stolen From Syria’s National Museum

The theft is a serious loss for the country’s cultural heritage, which had already sustained extensive damage during a long civil war

Photographs of an elderly Holocaust survivor from an album documenting the Jewish Relief Unit's activities in Germany after World War II

Elderly Jews Were Among the Most Likely to Die in the Holocaust. Why Has History Forgotten About the Genocide’s Oldest Victims?

A new exhibition at London’s Wiener Holocaust Library spotlights the unique challenges faced by European Jews who were over the age of 55 during World War II

Dutch officials will return the 7.5-inch-tall stone bust to Egypt by the end of the year.

The Netherlands Will Return a Looted 3,500-Year-Old Stone Bust to Egypt

The repatriation coincided with the lavish opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is finally welcoming visitors after years of delays

El Capitan is an iconic 3,000-foot-tall cliff that soars above the valley floor in Yosemite National Park.

Another 8-Year-Old Boy Ascends El Capitan, Following in His Brother’s Footsteps

On October 24, Sylvan Evermore and his father reached the top of the 3,000-foot-tall vertical granite cliff using a method known as “jugging”

View of construction underway on Barcelona's Sagrada Familia in September 2025

Coastal Cities of Europe

Still Unfinished After 143 Years, Barcelona’s Dazzling Sagrada Familia Is Now the Tallest Church in the World

Last week, a new addition to the basilica—designed by architect Antoni Gaudí—brought its height to 534 feet, breaking a record set by Germany’s 530-foot-tall Ulm Minster

The People’s Salvation Cathedral stands more than 410 feet tall.

The World’s Largest Christian Orthodox Church Is Now Open in Romania

The People’s Salvation Cathedral in Bucharest is covered in stunning frescoes and mosaics. At 410 feet tall, it cost more than $300 million and took 15 years to build

French police officers stand by the ladder that robbers used to enter the Louvre on October 19.

Burglars Just Broke Into the Louvre and Stole Historic Crown Jewels in a Daring Daylight Heist

In a matter of minutes, thieves climbed a ladder and smashed display cases before fleeing the scene with eight valuable artifacts. The jewels had been housed just 270 yards from the “Mona Lisa”

Page 3 of 118