Smithsonian Stories

"Say my name."

Dali originally used a real lobster, that eventually decayed, for his phone.

Significant battles have been won (and some lost), but one of our most effective weapons has been vaccination.

What lessons does the response of prehistoric plants to rapid climate change hold for today?

Tracking crabs in the Chesapeake Bay to protect them.

A tree from the Andean slopes can be found in the Smithsonian's gardens.

An unassuming 3 x 5 inch card attests to a remarkable event that took place more than two hundred years ago.

Tattoos are not just skin deep; they tell us about individuals and their cultures.

An intersection of science and fiction.

To find out, we asked Briana Pobiner, paleoanthropologist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

Fossils reveal the state of coral reefs before large-scale human disturbance.

An 1850 photo shows the Smithsonian Castle during its construction.

Forensic anthropologists and archaeologists piece together just who the four men were.

On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act.

More than a million wishes from various trees around the world have been collected so far.

Learn how carnivorous plants attract insects and what we know about those relationships.

Bartzella is one of the first peonies to have an herbaceous growth cycle and have truly yellow flowers.

The development of these power-storing cells in the early 1800s energized American life and culture.

This photo is part of an exhibition that considers image making and how personalities are constructed.

Read about the history of the ukulele and its Hawaiian ties.

Darren Waterston reimagines James McNeill Whistler’s famed "Peacock Room."

This painting features 18 iconic jazz musicians.

Learn more about Selena’s leather outfit, her life, and her legacy.

Delicate cherry blossoms fall like snow.