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Tiana's Bayou Adventure is now open to the public.

What the Changes to Splash Mountain, Now Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Reveal About How Americans See Themselves

Originally based on themes from the 1946 film “Song of the South,” the Disney World attraction debuted in Florida in June. The Disneyland version will be unveiled in California later this year

Arsenic tests for the Lydia Sherman trial of 1872

What a 100-Year-Old Lie Detector and 150-Year-Old Arsenic Tests Tell Us About Forensic Science Today

An exhibition at the National Museum of American History examines how humans influence and judge investigation techniques

A member of the Indigenous Bolivian women's skateboard collective Imilla Skate in La Paz on June 16, 2022.

How Indigenous Communities Preserve and Practice Heritage at the 2024 Smithsonian Folklife Festival

The annual festival returns to the National Mall to celebrate Indigenous traditions that span continents and generations

Look closely at Libba Cotten’s 1950 Martin guitar, part of the Sounding American Music exhibition at the National Museum of American History, and you may be able to see the unique grooves formed by her fingers on the body of the instrument as she played it upside down.

How This Self-Taught Guitarist Became a Music Legend

For decades, Libba Cotten was one of the most distinctive folk musicians in America

A new documentary about the creation of Black Barbie is now streaming on Netflix.

How the First Black Barbie Was Born

A new documentary tells the story of Black Barbie, and why she has meant so much to so many

An artist's portrayal of Lokiceratops rangiformis, which lived in the swamps of western North America about 78 million years ago.

Cool Finds

Dinosaur With Giant, Loki-Like Horns Has the ‘Craziest, Coolest’ Headgear—and Could Be a New Species

The discovery sheds light on the evolution of a surprisingly diverse group of horned dinosaurs in the western United States

The badges identify the wearer's occupation, such as servant or porter. 

These Badges Shed New Light on the Enslaved Workers Who Built Charleston

The Smithsonian has acquired a collection of 146 slave badges from between 1800 and 1865

Elle Decor magazine cover, Rachelle A. Baker, digital illustration, 2021

How Do You Rest in a Culture of Overwork?

A showcase of Black artists displays the restorative power of relaxation, and defines what it means to reclaim time

“What made Willie so appealing," says author James S. Hirsch "was how he played the game: the grace and the tenacity and the sheer entertainment value that he brought to playing the game, the style with which he played.”

Why Baseball Legend Willie Mays, Dead at 93, Will Never Be Forgotten

Even decades after he redefined the game, the 24-time All-Star continued to be revered by fans and historians alike for his incredible athleticism, spellbinding defense, powerful bat and admirable sportsmanship

A lesson plan from the National Museum of the American Indian seeks to include missing narratives about the California Gold Rush.

There’s a Better Way to Teach the California Gold Rush

A new lesson plan centers Native American perspectives on the violence of Western expansion

Abraham Lincoln, William Judkins Thomson, half-plate ambrotype, 1858

See the Photographs That Introduced Americans to Their Presidents

The National Portrait Gallery traces early images of American leaders, from John Quincy Adams to Abraham Lincoln

“When I was making it, people laughed at me a good deal,” Charles F. Ritchel later said. “But so they did at Noah when he built the ark.”

Untold Stories of American History

Twenty-Five Years Before the Wright Brothers Took to the Skies, This Flying Machine Captivated America

First exhibited in 1878, Charles F. Ritchel’s dirigible was about as wacky, dangerous and impractical as any airship ever launched

Taken in December 1968 during NASA's Apollo 8 mission, William Anders' iconic "Earthrise" photograph galvanized environmental movements and inspired people on Earth.

William Anders, NASA Astronaut Who Captured Iconic ‘Earthrise’ Photograph, Dies at 90

The Apollo 8 lunar module pilot also served in the U.S. Air Force and worked extensively on nuclear energy projects

The planet-forming disk is made of gas and dust.

This Giant Cosmic ‘Butterfly’ Is a Planet-Forming Disk

New research has confirmed that the celestial object may be the biggest of its kind ever found

A Juneteenth celebration held in Brooklyn, New York, on June 18, 2023

Why Juneteenth, the U.S.’s Second Independence Day, Is a Federal Holiday

The celebration commemorates June 19, 1865, when a military decree informed the people of Texas that all enslaved people were free

Gilbert Stuart painted the famous Lansdowne portrait of George Washington. 

Before Andy Warhol Set His Eyes on Marilyn and Prince, There Was Gilbert Stuart and George Washington

Two court cases over 200 years apart reflect what happens when commercial and artistic interests meet

Disney+ released a new documentary about Jim Henson's life and career called Jim Henson Idea Man.

What Made Jim Henson, the Visionary Behind the Muppets, One of the Nation’s Most Beloved Cultural Figures

Museum collections and a new documentary on Jim Henson’s life and career reveal how his creativity cemented his legacy

Bao Li, a 2-year-old male, is the son of Bao Bao, who was born at the Zoo in 2013.

Pandamonium

Giant Pandas Are Coming Back to Washington, D.C.

A pair of the bears will arrive at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo by the end of 2024

"I Dream of Jeannie" stars Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman

How a Bottle Served as a Living Room—and a Prison—for a 2,000-Year-Old Genie

The vessel from 1960s sitcom “I Dream of Jeannie,” now on display at the National Museum of American History, could not contain the exuberance of the beloved character

A Spectra Physics Model A supermarket scanner—one of the first ten ever produced. A laser within the unit projects a beam onto a mirror that redirects it through the glass plate on the top.

The Supermarket Scanner Changed the Way We Buy Groceries Forever

Invented 50 years ago, the curious box deciphered an arcane kind of code to offer shoppers a trip into the future

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