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At the Smithsonian

Ecological scent detection dog Circe searches for Canelo Hills ladies’ tresses in the tall vegetation

This Rare, Endangered Orchid Only Exists in Two Locations. Can Dogs, Cows and Fungi Help It Thrive?

A Smithsonian ecologist is trying to restore the plant, Spiranthes delitescens, which grows on Arizona’s sky islands

Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

See Ten Gorgeous Photographs of Lions and Discover What Makes the Majestic Felines Special

A new book of essays and images reveals the history of the big cats and how they’ve become a vulnerable species today, and uncovers little-known facts about them

Two of Frank Kameny’s notebooks. In one, Kameny notes that the owners of the Tides Hotel are “non-members” but “sympathetic.”

Frank Kameny Helped Chart a Path to Liberation for Millions of Gay Americans

Personal notebooks reveal what life was like for the Washington activist who spent decades advocating for equal rights in the federal government and elsewhere

People line up for rations of beans and water in Japan following the country's defeat in World War II, in September 1945.

A Batch of Undelivered WWII Letters Intended for Japanese Soldiers Ended Up in an Oregon Museum Decades Later. Now, Experts Are Returning the Lost Correspondence to Their Families

An organization devoted to returning artifacts as a way to heal the emotional wounds left by the war is helping the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum send these deeply personal items to the writers’ descendants

Where did the Big Bang take place? Is it now at the center of the universe? 

Where Did the Big Bang Happen? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

The Nyayanga excavation site in Kenya, in July 2025. Fossils and Oldowan tools have been excavated from the tan and reddish-brown sediments, which date to more than 2.6 million years old.

Early Humans Moved Stones Long Distances to Make Tools 600,000 Years Earlier Than Thought

A new study takes another look at some of the oldest known stone tools and suggests their makers transported materials for up to eight miles

Water surrounds homes in New Orleans, Louisiana, after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina

Twenty Years After Hurricane Katrina, Many of Us Are Still Missing All That We Lost—and Grappling With One of the Country’s Worst Disasters

In Louisiana, heat and hurricanes can feel like a generational curse. After two decades, an editor who grew up in the state remembers and reflects on Katrina

The Blue Water valley viewed from Ash Hollow State Historical Park, not far from the massacre site. The park’s visitor center will store the belongings while the Lakota decide on their final disposition. Smithsonian opted not to include photographs of the items out of respect for descendants of the victims. 

The Return of Plundered Belongings Offers a Chance for Healing to a Grieving Lakota Community 170 Years After a Long-Forgotten Massacre

In the conclusion of a long-awaited turn of events, the Great Plains tribe has now reclaimed cherished items stolen from their ancestors by the U.S. Army

The vessel's timbers are shrinking and its iron fittings are disintegrating.

America's 250th Anniversary

Watch as Experts Preserve a 249-Year-Old Gunboat That Sank During the American Revolution

Badly damaged during the Battle of Valcour Island, the “Philadelphia” is now the focus of a new exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

The Iowa State Fair butter cow has been carved annually since 1911.

How Life-Size Cows Made of Butter Became an Iconic Symbol of the Midwest

The Iowa State Fair has featured a bovine butter sculpture for more than 100 years. Now, the tradition is part of the “State Fairs” exhibition at the Renwick Gallery

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Before Meditation Apps, Listeners Were Hooked on Whale Songs, Rain Sounds and the ‘Scream of the Southern Leopard Frog’

We’ve been listening to the great outdoors from the comfort of our homes since the invention of the portable tape recorder. Can nature sounds drown out the cacophony of modern life?

The entrance to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

See Electric Aircraft, Rockets and Everyone’s Favorite ‘Star Wars’ Droid at the National Air and Space Museum’s Newly Reopened Galleries

Across five exhibition halls, the museum showcases the past, present and future of aviation and space travel

Jim Lovell while training for the Apollo 13 mission

Jim Lovell, Apollo 13 Commander Who Thrived Under Pressure, Dies at 97

The space explorer was determined throughout his life, says Teasel Muir-Harmony, the curator of the Apollo Collection at the National Air and Space Museum

A handler holds her Chihuahua dogs in the grooming area at the 149th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on February 10, 2025, in New York City. 

How One Chihuahua Proved to Be a Link to the Ancient Dogs That Moved to Latin America With the Spread of Agriculture

New research shows that ancient dogs did not join Indigenous people in Central and South America until farming became popular—especially of maize

Bruce Springsteen on the Born to Run tour in 1975

How Bruce Springsteen Created the ‘Greatest Rock Album Ever’

Fifty years ago, the Boss was at a pivotal moment in his career. A new book details what it took to launch ‘Born to Run’

A river otter 

From Playful Otters to Pint-Size Owls, These Eight Awesome Animals Call the Chesapeake Bay Home

Blue crabs, bluebirds, beetles and many more creatures can be spotted in and around the bay—and scientists at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center are paying attention

Amelia Earhart stands in front of her Lockheed Vega flanked by two men in 1932

Amelia Earhart Made History in a Plane She Called Her ‘Little Red Bus.’ Here’s How It Became a Revered Museum Artifact and Hallowed Symbol

As the Smithsonian presents the aviator’s restored Vega in Washington, a special replica of the aircraft quietly re-emerges after decades in obscurity

A Sopwith Camel, World War I fighter, seen outside a hangar

This World War I Plane Has Two Claims to Fame: It Was One of the Deadliest Fighter Aircraft of Its Time, and It Was Flown by Snoopy

The Sopwith Camel was challenging to fly but also successful in downing enemy planes, and it went on to gain pop-culture fame thanks to the beloved “Peanuts” beagle

Reconstruction and illustration of Mirasaura in its natural forested environment, hunting insects

This Surprising Ancient Reptile Had a Colorful, Corrugated Sail on Its Back. New Research Suggests It Was Used to Communicate

A 247-million-year-old fossil from a German natural history museum reveals the secrets of Mirasaura

In 1893, a Spanish princess paid $2,500 (roughly $90,000 today) for a replica of this spun-glass gown.

How Do You Wear a Gown Made of Glass? Marvel at the Eye-Catching History of This Unlikely Fashion Trend

In the 20th century, actresses and royals alike donned delicate dresses woven with spun-glass threads. More recently, celebrities have sported impractically fragile handbags on the red carpet

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