Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Travel

The Silent Evolution. MUSA Collection, 2010. Depth, 8 m. Manchones Reef, Mexico.

Can Underwater Art Save the Ocean’s Coral Reefs?

Artist Jason deCaires Taylor is creating sculptures to help promote reef growth

For centuries, wooden boats called "dhows" have sailed Lamu's shores, transforming the far-flung island into an important port city.

Washington, D.C.

Why the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is Anchoring a 30-Foot Kenyan Sailing Vessel on the Mall

The 10-day-long celebration of global culture, featuring Kenya and China, takes place in late June and early July

Bluejacket Brewery is one of the newest additions to DC's local beer scene.

Washington, D.C.

Take a Tour of Washington D.C.’s Emerging Craft Beer Scene

The Capital City might be best known for its monuments, but it also has a burgeoning brewery culture

SPONSOR CONTENT: TAIWAN

Photos: Hike Through Towering Walls of Swirling Marble in Taiwan’s Taroko Gorge

The Liwu He River carves a dramatic canyon through Taroko National Park

Lent by Department of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries. (L.4.122.2013_YOS.19_CDP-pub.tif)

Cool Finds

These 1861 Photos Helped Convince Abraham Lincoln to Preserve Yosemite for the Public

Stanford University celebrates the National Park’s 150th anniversary with some retro photos

Les Braves war memorial sculpture on Omaha Beach.

Why a Walk Along the Beaches of Normandy Is the Ideal Way to Remember D-Day

Follow in the footsteps of legendary reporter Ernie Pyle to get a real feel for the events that took place 70 years ago

Interior view of the Amazon Arena.

World Cup 2014

Will Brazil’s World Cup Stadium in the Middle of the Amazon Pay Off?

The city of Manaus hopes that a new soccer stadium, built for the World Cup, will become a post-tournament boon to the economy

Police officers stand proudly with jars and crates of moonshine, brewed illegally duirng the prohibition. Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Grab a Drink, on the Sly, at One of D.C.’s Former Speakeasies

Prohibition might have lasted longer in D.C. than anywhere else, but that didn’t stop the District from throwing a few back

Lighting the sails at the Sydney Opera House.

Australia

Sydney’s Spectacular Technicolor Art Festival in Nine Mesmerizing GIFs

3-D digital light projections and interactive sound sculptures transform famous landmarks around Australia’s largest city

Camel statues mark the Desert of Maine, which is actually not a true desert.

The Science of a Tourist Trap: What’s This Desert Doing in Maine?

Maine’s “most famous natural phenomenon” is also a reminder about responsible land use

The Capital Wheel has 1.6 million programmable LED lights.

Washington, D.C.

A New 180-foot Observation Wheel Opens Near Washington, D.C.

National Harbor’s newest attraction offers sweeping views of the Potomac River and an LED light show

The Massive and Controversial Attempt to Preserve One of the World’s Most Iconic Islands

Mont-Saint-Michel is trying an extreme makeover to save its dreamlike setting

How a Tightknit Community of Ghanaians Has Spiced Up the Bronx

From fufu to omo tuo, Ghanaian immigrants are adding their own distinctive flavor to the New York City borough

World War I: 100 Years Later

Europe’s Landscape Is Still Scarred by World War I

Photographs of the abandoned battlefields reveal the trenches’ scars still run deep

The Thailand display at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Photos: Impressive Floral Displays Unveiled at the U.K.’s Most Prestigious Garden Show

Flower sculptures and elaborate themed gardens are on display at London’s annual Chelsea Flower Show

The crater measures almost 230 feet across.

This Hellish Desert Pit Has Been On Fire for More Than 50 Years

In the Turkmenistan desert, a crater dubbed “The Door to Hell” has been burning for decades

Riverbank of the Mississippi River as the dusk sun sets on a summer evening.

My Life as a Mississippi River Rat

A half century spent on, in, and around our most all-American body of water

Kayakers paddle along the roadway of the historic waterfront of Annapolis, following Hurricane Isabel. As much as four feet of water flooded the historic capital city.

Which of America’s Most Precious Historical Sites Are Threatened By Climate Change?

A new report warns that rising sea levels could destroy many of the nation’s important—and beloved—locations

The northernmost statue of Lenin.

A Soviet Ghost Town in the Arctic Circle, Pyramiden Stands Alone

This outpost in the high north looks much as it did when it was abandoned in 1998, providing visitors with a glimpse into Soviet-era life and culture

In March 2012, shipwrights at the Mystic Seaport Museum replace planks in the hull of the Charles W. Morgan. The restoration of the ship required more than 50,000 board feet of live oak and other woods for framing, planking and other structural elements.

For the First Time in 93 Years, a 19th-Century Whaling Ship Sets Sail

Built in 1841, the Charles W. Morgan is plying the waters off New England this summer

Page 123 of 202