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See What Train Travel Could Look Like In 2035

As expanded services and brand-new routes roll out, start picturing the travel possibilities for now and later with these four trips.

A behind-the-scenes look at the installation of a massive piece of stained glass art inside the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas.

Artisan America

Celebrating America’s Oldest Family-Run Stained Glass Studio

A new exhibition spotlights Judson Studios, the Los Angeles group that’s been creating iconic pieces of art for nearly 125 years

Yeondeunghoe is the Korean celebration of the Buddha’s birthday.

Ten Cultural Experiences to Put on Your Post-Pandemic Bucket List

From a lantern festival in Korea to camel racing in Oman, these traditions have us dreaming of future travel

If you hike to the Minam River Lodge, thinking about the amazing food, including smokehouse bacon and foraged morels, may keep you going.

What a Vintage Guidebook Taught Me About Oregon’s Past and Present

Our writer takes a quirky trip through Oregon, from a wilderness lodge to a Gilded Age saloon to a town hidden underground

Blue agave grows in a field in the town of Arenal, in the state of Jalisco, Mexico.

Virtual Travel

Around the World in Eight Plants

A new book takes readers on a journey across our planet, stopping to smell flowers and appreciate other species along the way

The Alpha (East) Tunnel leading toward the Oculus—an opening cut into the crater’s floor.

An Exclusive Look at James Turrell’s Visionary Artwork in the Arizona Desert

In the American Southwest, the famed light-bending artist is putting the final touches on Roden Crater, his ambitious, mind-boggling masterpiece

While the island’s dramatic connection to the Bay of Pigs invasion is all but unknown to the outside world, it is part of local lore.

The Florida Resort That Played an Unlikely Role in the Bay of Pigs Fiasco

Sixty years ago, the CIA-backed invasion of Cuba failed disastrously. It all began, here, on Useppa Island

The Brooklyn Art Library's Sketchbook Project celebrates its 15th anniversary this year.

Virtual Travel

This Library in Brooklyn Is Home to the World’s Largest Sketchbook Collection

With more than 50,000 sketchbooks, the Brooklyn Art Library in Williamsburg is still accepting submissions

The migration advances an average of 25 to 30 miles a day. A cyclist can cover similar distances.

What I Learned Biking the 10,000-Mile Migration Route of Monarch Butterflies

I set off to be the first person to cycle alongside the butterflies to raise awareness of their alarming decline

Portrait of Dante Alighieri, Florence and the allegory of the Divine Comedy, 1465, detail.

Virtual Travel

Follow Dante’s Footsteps Through Italy

For the 700th anniversary of the poet’s death, visit his birthplace, churches and tomb

Presenting the winners of Smithsonian magazine's 18th annual photo contest

These Are the Winners of Smithsonian Magazine’s 18th Annual Photo Contest

From India to Antarctica, these pictures capture the passion, solitude and surprise of a year unlike any other

A vaccine passport would be a digital or paper document showing that the bearer had received a Covid-19 vaccination or, in some cases, has antibodies to the virus or recently tested negative.

Five Things to Know About Vaccine Passports

As travelers venture out, countries and states are experimenting with forms of documentation that show proof of Covid-19 vaccination

The Wheeler Geologic Area in Colorado's La Garita Wilderness was once a national park.

You Can Still Visit These Six Former National Parks

Despite being delisted by the NPS, these spots are worth exploring thanks to their rich history and sheer beauty

Suffragist Rosalie Barrow Edge founded the world's first refuge for birds of prey.

Planet Positive

How Mrs. Edge Saved the Birds

Meet a forgotten hero of our natural world whose brave campaign to protect birds charted a new course for the environmental movement

The National Park Service predicts that peak bloom will take place between April 2 and 5.

Virtually Celebrate Peak Bloom With Ten Fun Facts About Cherry Blossoms

This year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival will feature a mix of in-person and online events

Architect Julia Morgan is best known for California’s Hearst Castle.

Virtual Travel

Six Wonders Built by Pioneering Women Architects

Virtually explore these groundbreaking designs around the world, from an Italian villa to an American castle

Virgin's hyperloop system uses magnetic levitation technology to reduce friction and low-pressure sealed vacuums along the track that minimize air resistance.

Futures

Smithsonian’s ‘Futures’ Exhibition to Feature Virgin Hyperloop’s Record-Breaking Transportation Pod

Virgin Hyperloop’s Pegasus vehicle will be on display for viewers to take a closer look at its interior this fall

“It’s not a historical museum,” Henrik Lübker says. “It’s more an existential museum.”

This Hans Christian Andersen Museum Asks You to Step Into a Fairy Tale

Opening soon in the storyteller’s hometown of Odense, Denmark, the museum allows visitors to experience his multilayered stories

This month's picks include The Agitators, Beloved Beasts, and Tiger Girl and the Candy Kid.

Books of the Month

America’s Original Gangster Couple, Trailblazing Women Explorers and Other New Books to Read

These March releases elevate overlooked stories and offer insights on oft-discussed topics

When conditions are right, Horsetail Falls transforms and emits an enchanting ember glow reminiscent of lava or falling fire.

Yosemite’s ‘Firefall’ Natural Wonder Illuminates El Capitan Through the End of February

Under the right conditions, viewers will have a short window of 10 minutes each evening to experience the glowing falls

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