US & Canada

Commune With Pets of the Past at These Five Pet Cemeteries

Far from scary, these burial sites can be relaxing, beautiful and even inspiring

October 30, 2015

This Is What 7,000 Jack O’Lanterns Look Like

At a historic landmark in New York, pumpkins take the shape of dragons, spider webs and even a planetarium

October 29, 2015

Where Dinosaurs Walked: Eight of the Best Places to See Prehistoric Footprints

Step in the footprints of giants on "dinosaur highways"

October 27, 2015

Find Flavor Around Every Corner (and Off the Beaten Path) With These Culinary Walking Tours

From beloved institutions to hole-in-the-wall eateries, great food is everywhere

October 13, 2015

Awkward Family Photos Is Playing in Peoria

Like a long family road trip, the hilarious exhibition of awkward photos featuring kith and kin makes a stop in Illinois

September 24, 2015

Nine American Airports for Art Lovers

Your layover just got better

September 23, 2015

The Innovative Spirit

This Interactive Installation Rains a Poem Down on Viewers

Artists Camille Utterback and Romy Achituv wrote the software that drives an artwork, in which onlookers catch letters falling on a large screen

September 23, 2015

Smithsonian Best Small Towns 2015

The 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2015

From sea to shining sea, our top picks for the most amazing American small towns to see this year

April 16, 2015

American South

Best Places to See Wildflowers Around the United States

Snow and cold got you down? Remember, spring is around the corner, and that means wildflowers

March 6, 2015

National Park Service Map Shows The Loudest, Quietest Places In the U.S.

Want some peace and quiet? Avoid cities, the East Coast

February 23, 2015

How Oregon's Second Largest City Vanished in a Day

A 1948 flood washed away the WWII housing project Vanport—but its history still informs Portland's diversity

February 18, 2015

Now's the Time to See Hundreds of Bald Eagles

The Winter Wings Festival at Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge is one of the longest-running bird festivals in the country

February 13, 2015

Five Spots for a Romantic Presidents' Day (or a Presidential Valentine's Day)

These locations combine presidential history and romance

February 13, 2015

Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings Nominated for Unesco World Heritage Status

It's the first time the United States has nominated works of modern architecture

February 9, 2015

Celebrate 100 Years of Rocky Mountain National Park

January 26 marks the 100th anniversary of the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park—and celebrations are going all year long

January 26, 2015

Where to See Thousands of Monarch Butterflies

The species is being reviewed for potential addition to the Endangered Species list. Can tourism help save the butterfly?

January 22, 2015

Inside the Three-Decade Evolution of "Star Wars" Costumes

A Smithsonian traveling exhibition offers an unprecedented glimpse at costumes from a galaxy far, far away

January 20, 2015

Where to See the Work of Mr. Turner Around America

The British painter is the subject of a new film, but where can you see him stateside?

January 16, 2015

The King's Keepers: Five Quirky Locations for Finding Elvis Beyond Graceland

From Georgia to Connecticut, Elvis' spirit lives on in unexpected places

January 8, 2015

Six Historic Trains That Embody the Holiday Spirit

Trains have always been a part of holiday celebrations—so why not hop aboard this season? Here are six seasonally appropriate rides to consider

December 15, 2014