November 2026
Smithsonian magazine delivers trusted and incisive reporting on history, science, nature, culture and travel.
Features
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The Mighty Metropolis of the Maya
In the rainforest of Belize, archaeologists are uncovering neighborhoods, local markets and urban farms that shed new light on daily life in the ancient world
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Untangling an American Mystery
A lock of hair, advances in genetic science and the Smithsonian's 15-year quest to conclusively resolve an enduring question: Did Thomas Jefferson father Sally Hemings' children?
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The Skywatchers
Astronomers, astrophysicists and art historians are on a luminous quest to unlock the real-world secrets of classic paintings and literature
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Into the Woods
After centuries of setbacks, the European bison faces a new challenge: surviving in a primeval forest that isn’t its true home
Departments
‘The Honor of My Life’: As He Prepares to Retire, Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III Reflects on His Decades of Service With the Smithsonian
What started with an impromptu introduction when his dad took a curious son on a detour of discovery culminates now as he steps down from his tenure as the Institution’s 14th leader
Discussion
Your feedback on sea shells, the battle against long Covid, the museums of Mexico City and the story of how an Arkansas town embracing its mob history
Tough Old Bird
It’s gangly and unglamorous—and offers a plucky, distinctly American comeback story
The Miracle Worker
Thanks to a chance discovery, Italian farmer Claudio Grossi has sown a renaissance for a noble and ancient grain
King of the Hills
The sturdy mountain bike reinvented the wheel and conquered the steepest terrain
A Voice From Vietnam
A wartime reel-to-reel tape brings one U.S. soldier’s experience to vivid and poignant life
Jesus, Mary and ... Augustus?
The early Roman Empire revolutionized the world. It also shaped Christianity more definitively than you might expect
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