Cultural Heritage

Over the course of the 2018 Folklife Festival, experienced artisans worked hand in hand with crochet novices to decorate a humble tree of life.

Armenia’s “Tree of Life” Tradition Took Root Thousands of Years Ago, and Has Only Grown Since

The tree adorned in this year’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival will continue to blossom overseas

The famous Les Deux Magots situated in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area of Paris, France

The Parisian Bistro Is Disappearing

And one bistro owner is on a mission to save them

Part of the Danevirk wall surrounding Hedeby

Viking Archaeological Site and Others Earn World Heritage Status

The trading center of Hedeby and its surrounding wall are considered one of the most significant Viking sites in Northern Europe

How the Belize Barrier Reef Beat the Endangered List

An oil drilling moratorium, development restrictions and fishing reform has helped the 200-mile-reef come off Unesco's endangered world heritage sites list

The spectacular 13th-century Noravank monastery is situated among mountain cliffs in southern Armenia.

This Free Virtual Reality App Drops Users in the Heart of Historic Armenia

Painstaking imaging of cultural heritage sites worldwide has the potential to usher in a new era of participatory preservation efforts

Bringing the American public together with folk and traditional artists to share their creativity—and their lives—starts the conversation.

Here’s How to Have a More Meaningful Experience at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Director Michael Atwood Mason reflects on the transformative powers of cultural exchange

The Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus suffered one of the worst train wrecks in history in 1918, with more than 100 people injured and 86 killed.

The Hammond Train Wreck of 1918 Killed Scores of Circus Performers

One hundred years ago, a horrific railway disaster decimated the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus—but the show still went on

The 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2018

From Oregon Trail stops to Mister Rogers' original neighborhood, these towns are worth seeing this year

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Oaxaca's Pre-Hispanic Monte Albán Ruins to Be Restored

World Monuments Fund raised $1 million to help repair 15 structures at the World Heritage Site that were impacted by a 2017 earthquake

How the UAE Became the Center for Art in the Middle East

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Step Inside the Louvre Abu Dhabi

Open Heritage shows Bagan, an ancient city in Myanmar, before and after the 2016 earthquake.

Check Out the World’s Largest Archive Digitally Preserving At-Risk Heritage Sites

Open Heritage features 27 sites in 18 countries with more locations to be added in the future

A flock of beluga whales in the Sea of Japan, off the coast of Russia.

How Culture Guides Belugas' Annual Odysseys Across the Arctic

Strong, multi-generational ties help the cetaceans make the same migrations year after year

Crown, gold and gilded copper with glass beads, pigment and fabric, made in Ethiopia, 1600-1850

London Museum Says It's Willing to Return Looted Ethiopian Artifacts on Long-Term Loan

A new exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum grapples with Britain's seizure of cultural treasures during the 1868 Battle of Maqdala

William Still and a recent street view image of the row house where conservationists believe he and his wife Letitia once lived.

Underground Railroad Safe House Discovered in Philadelphia

Preservationists say they have identified the home of famed black abolitionist William Still, who offered refuge to hundreds of freedom seekers

The castle in 2012

Rubens’ Sprawling Castle in the Belgian Countryside Is on the Market

The famed Flemish painter redesigned the castle in Flemish Renaissance style

Manifestipi (installation detail) 2016 by ITWÉ Collective

The Tipi Gets a Makeover

Ideas of evolution and tradition commingle in a new show at the American Indian Museum in New York City

St. Mary's church in Norfolk

How Churches Are Improving Wi-Fi Access in Rural England

A new program is outfitting places of worship with wireless transmitters and fiber cables

Truck tracks on the Nasca lines

Truck Driver Leaves Tire Tracks Over Peru's Ancient Nasca Lines

Three of the Unesco World Heritage site's enigmatic glyphs were harmed, but authorities believe they can repair the damage

Music might be more universal than we thought.

Your Brain Knows What Songs Are For, No Matter Where They Came From

Researchers find that people easily recognize lullabies and dance songs from around the world

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