Photo of the Day

Seashell study

Featured Video

Articles

Wonder of the Deep

Wonders of the Deep

Wonders of the Deep

The National Museum of Natural History's Sant Ocean Hall illuminates the murky waters of the deep blue sea

President Lincoln with officers at the Battle of Antietam

History & Archaeology

Lincoln as Commander in Chief

A self-taught strategist with no combat experience, Abraham Lincoln saw the path to victory more clearly than his generals

Precious stones at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas

History & Archaeology

The Curious Case of the Arkansas Diamonds

In a state park full of amateur diamond miners, one prospector dug up a valuable stone worth thousands of dollars—or did he?

Location of northern polar dinosaur discoveries

Science & Nature

Dinosaur Tracking: How Did the Siberian Dinosaurs Die?

New research from a Russian site suggests that some dinosaurs were able to thrive in very cold temperatures

Aleutian cackling goose

Science & Nature

Wild Goose Chase

How one man's obsession saved an "extinct" species

a salt-making site at the village of Teguidda-n-Tessoumt in arid northern Niger

People & Places

Africa on the Fly

Dangling from a paraglider with a propeller on his back, photographer George Steinmetz gets a new perspective on Africa

Three-week-old spotted owl hatchlings

Science & Nature

The Spotted Owl's New Nemesis

An epic battle between environmentalists and loggers left much of the spotted owl's habitat protected. Now the celebrity species faces a new threat—a tougher owl

Hysterical Men by Mark Micale

Science & Nature

History of the Hysterical Man

Doctors once thought that only women suffered from hysteria, but a medical historian says that men were always just as susceptible

Askariya Shrine in Samarra, Iraq

History & Archaeology

Samarra Rises

In 2006, sectarian violence engulfed Iraq after terrorists destroyed the mosque of the golden dome, built on a site sacred to Shiites for 1,100 years. Today, Sunnis and Shiites are working together to restore the shrine and the war-torn city

The Luce Foundation Center

Arts & Culture

The End of the Game, a Mystery in Four Parts

In a first-hand account of participating in an alternative reality game, one player gets caught up in the challenge

Santa Clauses Eating Milk and Cookies

Arts & Culture

The More the Merrier

Photographer Neal Slavin captures the night some Santas bent the rules

Think Fast

What common item did Art Fry invent?


Games

Smithsonian Videos

Blogs

Most Popular

Advertisement

Newsletter

In The Magazine





CultureSpotter


Marketplace


Travel & Adventure


Advertisement

Join the Smithsonian Media Advisor Panel

And be entered to win a wireless reader device with instant access to books, blogs and magazines valued at $359. Share your opinions in surveys throughout the year and increase your chance to win great prizes.

Smithsonian magazine brings history, science, nature, the arts, and world cultures to your front door.