April/May 2025
Smithsonian magazine delivers trusted and incisive reporting on history, science, nature, culture and travel.
Features
In Search of Siddhartha
The legendary birthplace of Siddhartha in Nepal beckons worshipers from around the world—and archaeologists hoping to uncover new evidence about the revered spiritual leader
Can a Forgotten Bean Save the Brew?
In a world that consumes two billion cups of coffee each day, climate change is threatening the most popular species. How one leading botanist is scouring remote corners of the earth to find new beans that could keep our cups full
Larger Than Life: Smithsonian Magazine's 22nd Annual Photography Contest
By toying with perspective, this year’s winners capture the sublime—and the uncanny
An Artist for the Here and Now
Long overlooked, Swedish painter Hilma af Klint made pioneering abstract art. Today she’s a global star—but some scholars insist she should be sharing the spotlight
It's Always High Noon in Tombstone
Saddle up for a visit to the most notorious town in the West, where a certain infamous showdown happens day after day
Born to Bee Wild
Iridescent sweat bees, hairy-faced mining bees, tiny Perdita minima the size of a gnat. Thanks to swarms of apiary enthusiasts, native species are finally getting the buzz they deserve
The City Beneath the City
A journey into the vast subterranean world preserved under Rome—from ancient aqueducts and apartment buildings to pagan shrines
Departments
This Stellar Smithsonian Program Will Bring the Wonders of the Universe to the Classroom
The new initiative will help students in rural areas learn more about astronomy. Can it inspire the next generation of scientists?
Home Game
Wrigley Field, the coziest park in baseball, is also still the purest
Eyes on the Prize
The salty, crunchy, sweet and altogether irresistible history of baseball's most famous snack
Wealth of Nations
A new show illuminates the rich artistic exchange that took place between two great trading empires
When the South Awakened
How a disagreement with a Scottish lord helped kick-start the American Revolution
French Gunpowder, American Grit
How a stalwart ally’s mastery of chemistry helped win the Revolutionary War
'Strange, Sudden & Unexpected'
A peculiar, short-lived office at the Smithsonian was dedicated to collecting reports of the most bizarre natural phenomena
Fancy That!
Unraveling the surprising science that gives colorful diamonds their special allure
Secret Agents
A new book reveals the daredevil lives of four Italian women who stood up to Hitler and Mussolini
Altar Ego
Just how far did Neolithic Britons carry Stonehenge’s most famous boulder?
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