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The dominant female wolf of Yellowstone's Canyon pack on February 26, 2015

Rooted in the American West: Food, History and Culture

Yellowstone Is Among the World’s Best Places to See Wild Wolves. Here’s the Story of the Animal Called Both ‘Public Enemy’ and Cultural Icon

A century ago, resident wolves were eliminated from the park. In 1995, biologists brought them back, marking a historic reintroduction of a top carnivore

Formerly a royal residence, the Louvre Palace is now home to one of the world’s most famous museums.

 

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

See 20 Picturesque Views of Paris

France’s charming city

At Nona Manis, dining guests can enjoy a prix-fixe menu that may include any of these dishes: ikan pindang patin (braised fish), steak semur (steak with kecap manis sauce), laksa (seafood curry soup), oyster sambal matah and oyster gulai Aceh (oyster on the half shell with Balinese sambal and Aceh curry).

A New Generation of Chefs Reimagines Indonesian Cuisine in the Netherlands to Tell the Stories of Its Origins

The shift reflects a larger cultural moment, with chefs asking whether the cuisine should remain tied to colonial nostalgia or evolve into a reflection of modern Indonesian identity

The "Jane!" exhibition is on view at the Cantor Arts Center through May 18, 2028.

Women Who Shaped History

Stanford University’s Founding Matriarch Was a Travel-Loving Philanthropist Who Met a Tragic End. A New Exhibition Explores Her Life, Grief and Death by Poison

Jane Stanford’s legacy is the focus of a new showcase at the California university. The display features artifacts that have never previously been exhibited

A busy scene unfolds on Broadway in Nashville, featuring a taxicab parked on the curb, a “pedal tavern” and a scooter rider.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

These Photos of Nashville Will Have You Packing Your Bags for Music City, USA

These 15 images from the archives of the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest give us a glimpse of life in Tennessee’s capital city

Finland's Lake Saimaa is 111 miles long, 87 miles wide, dotted by about 14,000 islands, pierced by dozens of narrow straits, and surrounded by sheltered bays perfect for ringed seal breeding.

Before Cultural and Natural Wonders Earn UNESCO World Heritage Status, They Are Put on a ‘Tentative’ List. Here Are Five Nominees Worth Visiting Now

Featuring more than 1,800 sites from 181 countries and territories, UNESCO’s tentative list is a treasure trove of lesser-known marvels

Known as Yowjab to Indigenous Australians, the inshore reef covers about 100,000 acres.

For Three Hours Every Day, Open Ocean Transforms Into Australia’s ‘Ghost’ Reef

An isolated wonder some 1,200 miles from the nearest city, Montgomery Reef disappears as quickly as it appears, mirroring the supposed vanishing of its original owners, a tribe of Indigenous giants

In the bushes on a summer day, the photographer’s cat plays and looks up at the camera.

15 Kitten Photos That Will Make You Feel as Warm and Fuzzy as the Tiny Felines Themselves

These moments from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest highlight curious kittens from around the world

Autumn colors frame a calm lake in Central Park as two people row beneath looming skyscrapers.

Verdant Beauty, Wide-Open Spaces, Elegant Architecture: Have a Look at 15 Photos That Show Why Central Park Is the Lifeblood of Manhattan

At the center of the concrete jungle, the green expanse provides New York with a real retreat to nature

Archaeologist Gino Caspari holds an iron artifact recovered from one of the Menorca shipwrecks.

Take an Exclusive Look at Three Newly Discovered Medieval Shipwrecks in Menorca’s ‘Cove of Mysteries’

Meteorological tsunamis likely sank the 13th-century trading vessels, whose cargo included objects from both Christian kingdoms and Moorish communities on the Iberian Peninsula

One of the most unusual public transportation systems in the world, the train hangs from an elevated steel track.

When Germany Built a Flying Train 125 Years Ago, a City Coalesced Beneath It. It Has Moved Royalty, Commuters and Tourists—and One Elephant—Ever Since

When there was no room on the ground, towns in the Wupper Valley looked to the skies and built a suspension railway that became a source of pride and connection

An illuminated American flag display casts its colors onto passing cars, merging national symbolism with New York City’s constant flow of people and light.

July 4 Is Always a Star-Spangled-Banner Day for Old Glory. Celebrate With These 15 Images of the American Flag

Nothing symbolizes the promise of the nation like the stars and stripes flapping valiantly in the blue sky. As we approach the country’s 250th anniversary, this collection offers a moment of reflection

The Creature Shop is located in Queens, inside the former Standard Motors building, a two-block-long behemoth with high ceilings and freight elevators capable of accommodating even the biggest birds. 

A Peek Inside Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, Where ‘Sesame Street’ Characters and Other Whimsical Puppets Are Designed

Every weekend, the magical workshop opens its doors for the public to see how legendary film and television characters are made

Two people wearing hot dog hats line up to watch the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4, 2025.

From a Sea Turtle Release to an Outhouse Race, These Ten Fourth of July Traditions Celebrate America Like No Other

Revelers typically mark Independence Day with a barbecue and fireworks show, but these festivities across the country offer quirky alternatives

With a full-size basketball court, and conspicuously without any presidential paper documents, the center, in many ways, is a departure from presidential institutions that came before.

Here’s How the Obama Presidential Center Is Different From Other Presidents’ Museums

More than a library and archives, the new Chicago institution is a place for the community to gather, talk and play together

One of the rewards of hiking up Machu Picchu is the definitive view of Huayna Picchu that it affords.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

To See the Magnificence and Majesty of Machu Picchu Without the Hike, Check Out These Amazing Images

More than a million people make the arduous ascent to this wonder of the world each year. And most of them bring cameras, so even those who can’t make it are in luck.

After moving 1,093 miles, the Jackson home sits in Greenfield Village, where visitors can tour it beginning this weekend.

The Events That Took Place in This Selma, Alabama, Home Were Key to the Civil Rights Movement, and You Can Now Visit It

The Jackson family opened their home to civil rights leaders planning the Selma-to-Montgomery march, which led to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The entire house was recently moved to Greenfield Village at The Henry Ford, in Dearborn, Michigan

Rock formations pierce still waters as the sun sets along the coast of Algarve.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

These 15 Stunning Photos Invite You to Take a Peek at the People, Places and Cultural Legacy of Picturesque Portugal

With its vibrant hues, vast landscapes and a venerable history, there’s much to love about the coastal country

Workers bake bread, pastries and meat at a communal oven in Marrakesh.

How Tanjia, a Meat Stew Slow-Cooked in Bathhouses, Shaped Marrakesh’s Social Life

In the Moroccan city, shared infrastructure, labor and ritual gave rise to a savory dish prepared in hammams and neighborhood ovens

The view from Olana State Historic Site in Hudson, New York.

America at 250: The Revolutionary Spark

America’s Original Travel Influencer Drew Up a Revolutionary Itinerary 200 Years Ago. There’s Still Plenty to See Along the Way

Follow along as we retrace the route one journalist laid out in “The Fashionable Tour,” from New York City to Niagara Falls, when memories of the fight for independence were still fresh

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