Special Report

Smithsonian 175

This year, the Smithsonian’s 175th anniversary, offers an opportunity to remember where we’ve been and appreciate what we’ve accomplished. And especially after all the nation has been through, it’s a chance to assess our impact and imagine what the institution can become.

Inventive and egalitarian, the Arts and Industries Building is due to open in November after being closed for nearly two decades.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

The Arts and Industries Building Makes its Triumphant Return

Two American bison grazed in a paddock behind the Castle. A few years later, in 1891, they joined the first animals at the new National Zoo.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Secretary Lonnie Bunch Reflects on the Smithsonian's 175th Birthday

<em>James Smithson</em> by Hattie Elizabeth Burdette, 1872

Why This Wealthy British Scientist Saw So Much Potential in the United States of America

<em>James Smithson</em> by Hattie Elizabeth Burdette, 1872

Why This Wealthy British Scientist Saw So Much Potential in the United States of America

More About the Smithsonian

Portrait of James Smithson

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

When Congress Looked James Smithson's Gift Horse in the Mouth

The Smithsonian Castle Building, in a colorized photograph taken by Alexander Gardner, was severely damaged in a January 1865 fire.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

A Look Back at the First Time the Smithsonian Castle Closed for Renovations

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

The Definitive Story of How the National Museum of African American History and Culture Came to Be

The scope of Dyar's tunnel networks, first discovered in 1917 against the chaotic backdrop of World War I, didn't truly sink in until 1924, when the weight of a truck in Dupont Circle caused one to collapse.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

The Bizarre Tale of the Tunnels, Trysts and Taxa of a Smithsonian Entomologist

The Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, after a $30 million renovation, is qualified once again to be called the

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

The Renwick: Finally The Gem It Was Meant to Be

The Peacock Room, named for the birds James McNeill Whistler painted on its shutters and walls, reflects the tension between the artist and his first significant patron.

The Story Behind the Peacock Room's Princess