September/October 2025
Smithsonian magazine delivers trusted and incisive reporting on history, science, nature, culture and travel.
Features
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Eyes on the Skies!
The sky above us is a complex ecosystem, just like the land and sea. The newly emerging science of aeroecology is bringing a fresh understanding of the birds, bugs and other creatures that live there—and how humans can ensure their survival
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Into the Heart of India
From flower markets and colonial forts to shrines and battlefields, a river journey in West Bengal reveals the enduring imprint of empire—and the soul of a region shaped by centuries of change
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The Secret Life of Cormac McCarthy
Two years after the elusive American novelist’s death, rare access to his personal library reveals the man behind the myth
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How to Save an Orangutan
A sanctuary in Borneo is giving the endangered primates a second chance
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Inside the Comeback at Valley Forge
The underappreciated true story of how an out-of-work Prussian military officer whipped the patriots into shape
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High on the Bog
In eastern Massachusetts, collecting cranberries from flooded wetlands is an annual ritual—and a shimmering spectacle from land and air
Departments
Celebrating 60 Years of Igniting Your Curiosity With Smithsonian Associates
What began as a local outreach program now brings the magic of the Smithsonian to learners across the nation
Discussion
Your feedback on Cajun cooking, Hemingway's Pamplona and good ol' Charlie Brown
Spinning Into the Future
The colorful, scandalous, true history of the machine that created American pop
Fresh Take
In her monumental work, an artist reimagines a much-depicted story from antiquity
The Dream of Having It All
A close look at the first career-women magazines reveals a portrait of immense creativity and hope
A New Frederick Douglass
In rediscovered correspondence, the greatest abolitionist offers some startling opinions
Women of Letters
In a long and storied tradition, these bold Americans recorded history—and shaped it—through their correspondence
Good Havens
Frank Kameny helped chart a path to liberation for millions of Americans
Circle Up!
How a quarterback who couldn't hear followed a quiet instinct that changed sports forever
An Epic Task
A veteran Pixar animator offers a charming remix of the longest poem in the world
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