Smithsonian

Kids test out the new 1,700-square-foot Wegmans Wonderplace at the National Museum of American History.

How the Smithsonian Hopes to Turn Infants, Toddlers and Young Children Into Museumgoers

The National Museum of American History opens its new "Wonderplace," a space for the youngest members of the family

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

The Renwick: America's Louvre

Read everything you need to know about the National Historic Landmark building as it reopens after a $30 million renovation

“If I go look for dinosaurs, I will find them, because there’s tons of them out there,” says Kirk Johnson, the director of the National Museum of Natural History and the star of a new Nova series "Making North America."

Smithsonian’s Kirk Johnson Steps Up to Be the Rock Star of Geology

The new PBS science series “Making North America” features the director of the National Museum of Natural History

Last week, Twitter and Facebook fans of Smithsonian.com were invited to send in their questions for the new Smithsonian Secretary.

The Smithsonian’s New Secretary David Skorton Takes Questions From the Crowd

The secretary is creating a new teen advisory board, networking with D.C. arts and science leaders and getting to know the collections

A hyalotype photo printed and mounted as a glass lantern slide, by William and Frederick Langenheim.

This is the First Known Photo of the Smithsonian Castle

On the Smithsonian's 175th birthday, a glimpse into the iconic Castle's construction

Portrait of James Smithson

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

In 1835, the U.S. government debated what to do with the generous bequest coming from across the pond

Smithsonian Secretary David Skorton and his wife, Robin Davisson, greet Marie Dieng at the Institution's staff picnic on the National Mall. Skorton begins his tenure as the 13th Secretary on July 1.

On His First Day on the Job, Smithsonian Secretary David J. Skorton Discusses the Past and the Future

The new Smithsonian leader says he wants to emphasize the arts and humanities at a time when they are being deemphasized nationally

During the Civil War, a canal ran along what we now know of as the Mall

Meet the Madam on the Mall

Mary Ann Hall ran a successful brothel in D.C. for years, but it took a 1997 dig to tell the whole story

United States Internal Revenue Service "bottle stamp"

Museums Are Now Able to Digitize Thousands of Artifacts in Just Hours

At the American History Museum, a collection of rarely seen historic currency proofs are being made ready for a public debut

Asked to choose one artifact, the Smithsonian's Undersecretary for Arts, History and Culture Richard Kurin selected this spinning wheel from the collections of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

For Every Object, There Is a Story to Tell

A Smithsonian curator is asked to select just one artifact

Earth's layers.

What We Can Learn by Digging Up the Secrets of Earth's Deep Carbon

Diamond computers and subsurface life are just some of the topics being investigated by scientists in the Deep Carbon Observatory network

A fossilized leaf from the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum sits in the Wyoming snow.

Ancient Earth Warmed Dramatically After a One-Two Carbon Punch

A period of intense warming 55 million years ago is an even better case study for modern climate change than previously suspected

View of the Castle and the Haupt Garden from Independence Ave.

Smithsonian Announces BIG Plans for Campus Redesign

Led by the innovative vision of Bjarke Ingels, the Smithsonian unveils a 20-year plan for redesigning its south campus

Two-headed smooth-hound (Mustelus)

A Two-Headed Shark and Other X-Rayed Beauties at the Smithsonian

Sandra Raredon's x-rays of fish specimens are critical records for scientists studying various species. And, as works of art, they are breathtaking

The Clarion nightsnake, brought into the scientific light at last.

Written Off as a Figment, the Mysterious Clarión Nightsnake Reemerges after Nearly 80 Years

The snake was discovered on a remote Mexican island in the 1930s, but the notes of the famous naturalist who documented it were later called into question

How Do Rockets Ignite Their Engines in Space Without Oxygen and More Questions From Our Readers

You asked, we answered

Why Do We Love R2-D2 and Not C-3PO?

With its stubby cylindrical body and playful whistles and beeps, the lovable Star Wars’ robot R2-D2 is just the right mix of man and machine

Which Animal is the Smartest, How Did Fingernails Evolve and More Questions From Our Readers

You asked, we answered

David Datuna's "Portrait of America" is the first artwork in the world to use Google Glass technology.

Seeing Art Through Google Glass

David Datuna became the first artist to incorporate the technology into a public art piece; now, "Portrait of America" is coming to the Smithsonian

"Cherry Tree" by Zandile Ntobela, 2011

Painting with Beads: A New Art Form Emerges in South Africa

"Ubuhle Women" at the Anacostia Community Museum showcases the work of a community of master beaders

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