Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Travel

Bill Owens' photograph of Richie Ferguson in 1971 became one of the most evocative images in Suburbia, a collection Owens published in 1972.

Shooting the American Dream in Suburbia

Bill Owens was seeking a fresh take on suburban life when he spotted a plastic-rifle-toting boy named Richie Ferguson

On the anniversary of the assassination of an anti-mafia magistrate, Palermo's citizens joined politicians in a fiaccolata, or candlelight vigil, in his honor.

In Sicily, Defying the Mafia

Fed up with extortion and violent crime, ordinary citizens are rising up against organized crime

Travelers walked the Kiso Road as early as A.D. 703. Old stones still identify it as part of the Nakasendo, the inland highway connecting Kyoto and Tokyo.

A Walk Through Old Japan

An autumn trek along the Kiso Road wends through mist-covered mountains and rustic villages graced by timeless hospitality

A section of the rugged backcountry terrain of the Los Padres National Forest is visited by fewer than 20 people per year.

Carving Out the Condor Trail

Cartographer Bryan Conant leads the quest to link Big Sur to southern California in the West Coast’s answer to the Appalachian Trail

After doing some digging, author Joshua Hammer discovered an anti-mafia movement going on in Sicily and thought it would make a good Smithsonian story.

Joshua Hammer on “In Sicily, Defying the Mafia”

The wrinkled Blackstone Glacier absorbs every color of the spectrum except blue, so the crevasses are a brilliant, Gatorade-like aquamarine.

Kayaking Alaska in the Exxon Valdez’ Shadow

The massive oil spill devastated the Prince William Sound shore 21 years ago; now the wildlife and vistas are making a comeback

Cassadaga, Florida is considered the oldest active religious community in the Southeast.

Cassadaga: America’s Oldest Spiritualist Community

The mystics of the Florida village offer a connection to the spirits living among us and a portal into America’s religious past

People of every income level and skin color mix comfortably on Rio's gorgeous beaches like here at Ipanema-Leblon.

Reinventing Rio

The dazzling but tarnished Brazilian city gets a makeover as it prepares for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games

The Pathway Home encourages its residents to go into the community. "The real test is when you go outside," explains program director Fred Gusman.

The Pathway Home Makes Inroads in Treating PTSD

An innovative California facility offers hope to combatants with post-traumatic stress disorder and brain injuries

Legend has it that camel jumping began many generations ago with a dare between two Zaraniq tribesmen.

The Sport of Camel Jumping

In the deserts of Yemen, Zaraniq tribesmen compete to leap camels in a single bound

"We had 12,000 to 15,000 paintings here," says Georges Nader Jr., with a Paul Tanis work at the remains of his family's house and museum near Port-au-Prince.

In Haiti, the Art of Resilience

Within weeks of January’s devastating earthquake, Haiti’s surviving painters and sculptors were taking solace from their work

Reservations "are strongholds of community," says Chris Eyre.

A Youth Renaissance for Native Americans

Filmmaker Chris Eyre says Native pride will embolden the next generation of first Americans

Population growth places the United States in a radically different position from that of Russia, Japan and Europe.

The Changing Demographics of America

The United States population will expand by 100 million over the next 40 years. Is this a reason to worry?

"Much of the innovation reshaping our world comes from the private sector," President Obama writes.

President Barack Obama: Why I’m Optimistic

Looking ahead to the next 40 years, President Obama writes about our nature as Americans to dream big and solve problems

None

Ten Infamous Islands of Exile

Established to banish dissidents and criminals, these islands are known for their one-time prisoners, from Napoleon to Nelson Mandela

None

Fostoria, Ohio

Over 12,000 people call this town home

An old factory in Blawnox

Blawnox, Penn.

Ten miles from downtown Pittsburgh along the Allegheny River

Deerfield, Illinois

Deerfield, Illinois

Growing up in this small suburb of Chicago

Shanghai’s European Suburbs

Chinese urban planners are building new towns with a foreign flair, each mimicking architecture from Europe’s storied cities

Love it or hate it, the vuvuzela is the voice of South African soccer fans and will be on display at the 2010 World Cup.

Vuvuzela: The Buzz of the World Cup

Deafening to fans, broadcasters and players, the ubiquitous plastic horn is closely tied to South Africa’s soccer tradition

Page 154 of 200