historic rendering of SI Castle

Welcome

The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex. Join us on a voyage of discovery in person or online.

Jim Henson
National Portrait Gallery

Jim Henson

Born on this day in 1936, Jim Henson was the creator of the beloved and irrepressible Muppets.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
National Portrait Gallery

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Born on this day in 1896, it was F. Scott Fitzgerald who named the self-indulgent 1920s the Jazz Age.
miles davis' jacket
Smithsonian Spotlight

Don't Forget Your Jacket

Some amazing people have left their jackets at the Smithsonian.
kids gardening
Smithsonian Spotlight

50th Anniversary!

The Anacostia Community Museum renews its mission to convene conversations about community life in a contemporary society.
bottles of parasite specimans
Smithsonian Insider

Changing Climate and Parasites

A new study shows that parasites are facing major extinctions, and museum natural history collections hold the key to research.
Sylvia Plath
Smithsonian Spotlight

American Women Writers

Discover women writers who have made a mark on American history and culture.
tardigrade
Smithsonian Insider

What Species Will Be Earth’s Last Survivors?

Scientists determine the world’s most indestructible species will survive until the Sun dies.
music poster
Smithsonian Spotlight

1967: A Year in the Collections

Now a half-century ago, a look back at 1967 from the "Summer of Love" to the "Long Hot Summer" to the escalating war in Vietnam.
Miss Liberty Celebration
Smithsonian Spotlight

The Statue of Liberty: Symbol for a Nation

A gift from France in 1886, Lady Liberty in our collections and across America.
scarlet tanager
Smithsonian Insider

A Cup of Joe That’s Good for the Birds

Learn about Bird Friendly coffee, an initiative spearheaded by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.
Chuck Berry’s Cadillac
Smithsonian Spotlight

Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll

Any old way you choose it, for many, it's got to be rock and roll music. 
surface of a planet
Smithsonian Insider

In Search for Life, Ultraviolet Light May Be Ultra Important

Could UV light be one of the matches that gets life as we know it to ignite?

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MagazineSmithsonian Magazine

Smithsonian magazine places a Smithsonian lens on the world.

ChannelSmithsonian Channel

Original programs exploring science, nature, history, and pop culture.