Office of the Secretary of the Smithsonian | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/blog/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/RSS feed for Office of the Secretary of the SmithsonianenWed, 03 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000Secretary Lonnie Bunch Says the Smithsonian Keeps 'The Nation’s Memory' in an Exclusive Essay for America’s 250th Birthdayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2026/06/03/secretary-lonnie-bunch-says-smithsonian-keeps-nations-memory-exclusive-essay-americas-250th-birthday/The acclaimed historian and head of the Institution argues that the semiquincentennial presents the perfect opportunity for Americans to consider their nation’s past and futureWed, 03 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2026/06/03/secretary-lonnie-bunch-says-smithsonian-keeps-nations-memory-exclusive-essay-americas-250th-birthday/The Smithsonian’s Renovated Carousel Will Return to the National Mall for Another Roundhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2026/03/31/the-smithsonians-renovated-carousel-will-return-to-the-national-mall-for-another-go-round/The classic merry-go-round is gleaming again, but it’s more than an amusement: it’s a ride through historyTue, 31 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2026/03/31/the-smithsonians-renovated-carousel-will-return-to-the-national-mall-for-another-go-round/How the Smithsonian Archives Help Unlock Mysteries and Connect Americans to Their Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2026/02/17/smithsonian-archives-help-unlock-mysteries-connect-americans-history/Sometimes finding the answer to the most perplexing question is simply a matter of knowing where to lookTue, 17 Feb 2026 15:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2026/02/17/smithsonian-archives-help-unlock-mysteries-connect-americans-history/How Curators Collect Pieces of History as It Unfoldshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2026/01/07/janfeb-secy-letter/The dynamic nature of the world means that anything can become an artifact, and the professionals put themselves in position to collect itWed, 07 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2026/01/07/janfeb-secy-letter/For a Quarter of a Century, We've Helped Make It Possible to Protect Birds Over a Cup of Coffeehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2025/11/20/quarter-century-weve-made-possible-protect-birds-over-cup-coffee/The Smithsonian’s bird-friendly coffee certification program started after researchers made an unexpected correlation around a farm. It has been helping migratory birds and forest farms for 25 years now, one sip at a timeThu, 20 Nov 2025 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2025/11/20/quarter-century-weve-made-possible-protect-birds-over-cup-coffee/How the Smithsonian Collections Reflect the Remarkable Contributions of American Veteranshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2025/10/23/honoring-our-veterans/The Smithsonian’s collections speak to the resolve and ingenuity of America’s service membersThu, 23 Oct 2025 17:16:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2025/10/23/honoring-our-veterans/Celebrating 60 Years of Igniting Your Curiosity With Smithsonian Associateshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2025/08/29/celebrating-60-years-igniting-your-curiosity-smithsonian-associates/What began as a local outreach program now brings the magic of the Smithsonian to learners across the nationFri, 29 Aug 2025 15:54:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2025/08/29/celebrating-60-years-igniting-your-curiosity-smithsonian-associates/What to Expect at the Newly Renovated National Air and Space Museum When It Opens This Monthhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2025/07/02/what-expect-newly-renovated-national-air-space-museum/The Smithsonian museum's new galleries explore the challenges and delights of life in spaceWed, 02 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2025/07/02/what-expect-newly-renovated-national-air-space-museum/Sixty Years Since Its Founding, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Continues to Protect and Study the Health of Our Coastal Systemshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2025/05/14/sixty-years-founding-smithsonian-environmental-research-center-continues-protect-study-health-coastal-systems/The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center safeguards the vibrant ecosystems—and economic power—of our coastal zonesWed, 14 May 2025 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2025/05/14/sixty-years-founding-smithsonian-environmental-research-center-continues-protect-study-health-coastal-systems/This Stellar Smithsonian Program Will Bring the Wonders of the Universe to the Classroomhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2025/03/25/stellar-smithsonian-program-will-bring-wonders-universe-classroom/The new initiative will help students in rural areas learn more about astronomy. Can it inspire the next generation of scientists?Tue, 25 Mar 2025 16:46:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2025/03/25/stellar-smithsonian-program-will-bring-wonders-universe-classroom/How One of the Smithsonian's Newest Museums Is Looking at the Unsung Heroines of American Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2025/02/12/smithsonian-newest-museum-looking-unsung-heroines-american-history/Even before it has a home on the Mall, the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum is sharing stories of overlooked pioneersWed, 12 Feb 2025 17:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2025/02/12/smithsonian-newest-museum-looking-unsung-heroines-american-history/At the Smithsonian's National Design Museum, a Home Is What You Make of Ithttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2024/12/27/smithsonian-national-design-museum-home-what-you-make-it/In a new exhibition at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, artists explore just what makes a space feel like homeFri, 27 Dec 2024 12:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2024/12/27/smithsonian-national-design-museum-home-what-you-make-it/What the Smithsonian (and the Public) Have Learned About Pandas in More Than 50 Years at the National Zoohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2024/11/19/what-smithsonian-public-learned-pandas-more-than-50-years-national-zoo/Cue the panda cam: The Zoo’s two newest residents, Bao Li and Qing Bao, will make their debut in JanuaryTue, 19 Nov 2024 15:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2024/11/19/what-smithsonian-public-learned-pandas-more-than-50-years-national-zoo/The Global Story of Slavery in the Americas Comes to the Smithsonianhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2024/10/24/global-story-slavery-americas-comes-to-smithsonian/"In Slavery's Wake," an international exhibition set to debut next month, illuminates the unfinished work of securing freedomThu, 24 Oct 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2024/10/24/global-story-slavery-americas-comes-to-smithsonian/How the Civil War Spawned the Mail-In Ballothttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2024/09/03/how-civil-war-spawned-mail-in-ballot/At the National Postal Museum, a new exhibition traces the long history of a newly popular way of votingTue, 03 Sep 2024 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2024/09/03/how-civil-war-spawned-mail-in-ballot/Thirty Years Ago, a Smithsonian Exhibition in Japan Told the Whole American Storyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2024/07/01/thirty-years-ago-smithsonian-exhibition-traveled-world-telling-whole-american-story/The choices we made then still resonate todayMon, 01 Jul 2024 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2024/07/01/thirty-years-ago-smithsonian-exhibition-traveled-world-telling-whole-american-story/Why This Year's Smithsonian Folklife Festival Honors Indigenous Americanshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2024/05/15/smithsonian-folklife-festival-honors-indigenous-Americans/The annual summer tradition will celebrate the National Museum of the American Indian and the people it honorsWed, 15 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2024/05/15/smithsonian-folklife-festival-honors-indigenous-Americans/Tracing a Century of History Through Arthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2024/05/02/tracing-a-century-of-history-through-art/The Hirshhorn and the Anacostia Community Museum both opened stunning and distinct exhibitions with unexpected parallels this March.Thu, 02 May 2024 18:53:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2024/05/02/tracing-a-century-of-history-through-art/An Appreciation of the Volunteers Who Devote Their Time to the Smithsonianhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2024/04/01/appreciation-volunteers-devote-time-smithsonian/Whether fielding questions from visitors or digging for answers behind the scenes, volunteers help the museums thriveMon, 01 Apr 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2024/04/01/appreciation-volunteers-devote-time-smithsonian/Relive the Glamour of Hollywood’s Golden Age With These Photoshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2024/02/13/when-stars-were-born/The work of a pioneering celebrity photographer shines a spotlight on the iconic eraTue, 13 Feb 2024 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/office-of-the-secretary-of-the-smithsonian/2024/02/13/when-stars-were-born/