Americana

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers in concert, Toronto, Canada, 1995

Tom Petty, Standard-Bearer for Classic Rock, Dies at Age 66

In <i>Smithsonian Rock and Roll: Live and Unseen</i>, Bill Bentley remembers the singer-guitarist who forged a unique place in American rock

What is it about cheap eats, long hours, counters, and booths that so consistently captures the American imagination?

The Mystique of the American Diner, From Jack Kerouac to “Twin Peaks”

Freedom, fear and friendliness mingle in these emblematic eateries

This Man Is the Father of Modern American Suburbia

By 1951, two thirds of Americans lived in urban areas. Enter William Levitt, who would utilize construction techniques he learned to build affordable homes

The Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona, is one of the few remnants of America’s mid-20th century motel boom.

The Rise and Fall of the Great American Motel

Mom and pop motels once dominated American highways. Now, they're an endangered species

This Wyoming Town Was Put Up for Auction

The bulk of the little hamlet was recently sold for $500,000

The 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2017

From remote hideaways to coastal harbors, discover the towns that topped our list this year

Interior of Historic RCA Studio B today.

Play Paul Simon's Piano or Croon Into Elvis' Mic at These Seven Historic Recording Studios

Take a tour through Americana music history

An African-American cowboy sits saddled on his horse in Pocatello, Idaho in 1903.

The Lesser-Known History of African-American Cowboys

One in four cowboys was black. So why aren’t they more present in popular culture?

The President, one of only three Inner Circle members who are allowed to handle Punxsutawney Phil, holds him aloft during ceremonies in 2013.

Meet the Inner Circle That Runs Groundhog Day

They've been holding the ceremony in Gobbler’s Knob every year since 1887

A postcard of the Motel Inn, circa 1940s.

The World’s First Motel Was a Luxury Establishment, Not a Dive

The first motel was supposed to turn into a chain, but it was quickly overtaken by cheaper competitors.

The Last Living Carver of Mount Rushmore Reflects on the Monument at 75

The 95-year-old looks back at the colossal effort that went into making the American masterpiece

One of Johnny Cash's last cars, whose design was inspired by the song "One Piece at a Time."

Explore Johnny Cash’s Tennessee Ranch-Turned Museum

Complete with a car built “one piece at a time”

The World’s Largest Picnic Basket Faces an Uncertain Future

The fast decline of a kitschy landmark

A dry farm field.

The Deep South, As Seen Through the Eyes of Renowned Photographer Steve McCurry

A new book written by travel writer Paul Theroux features images that chronicle life in this part of the country

The Castle and the Enchanted Forest Sign as they look today on Clark's Elioak Farm.

The Abandoned Theme Park That Finally Got a Storybook Ending

This Maryland amusement park was once an East Coast version of Disneyland and was left for dead until one woman rescued it

An aerial view of part of the Idaho National Laboratory.

Tour the World’s First Nuclear Power Plant

The historic site in a remote desert is now a museum where visitors can see the instruments that made nuclear history

In this intricate mechanical bank, the user balances a coin on the miniature man's gun, which then shoots the coin into a slot in the tree.

One Man's Obsession With Antique Toys Resulted in a Museum

The Portland, Oregon, attraction is more than just the stuff of Kidd's play

Belz Factory Outlet Mall, an abandoned shopping mall in Allen, Texas, United States.

The Death And Rebirth of the American Mall

Malls are dying—but a dead mall gives a community the chance to rebuild something that might have been doomed to begin with

Untitled, Distant Steam Vents; Yellowstone National Park, 2008

Stark Photographs of America the Beautiful, Forever Altered by Man and Nature

Victoria Sambunaris’s new photography book, Taxonomy of a Landscape, goes beyond the amber waves of grain to catalogue what's on America's horizon

The American Dream Doesn’t Mean the Same Thing to White People And Minorities

While many see the American Dream including a home, not everybody thinks about that home the same way

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