The Smithsonian, in partnership with 25 Affiliate organizations, has launched the Making History, Making Change Lecture Series to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary. Smithsonian experts will visit communities across the country to share stories that illuminate the richness and complexity of the American experience.

As 2025’s Year of the Snake slithers away, the Lunar New Year welcomes in the Year of the Fire Horse on February 17, 2026. Celebrate the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. 

A researcher at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) teamed up with two robotics engineers to better understand the common big-eared bat’s (Micronycteris microtis) expert foraging skills. Using a robot built to model the species’ acoustic techniques, scientists were able to test the previously suggested behavior of these bats employing angled sound waves to detect their prey.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture's latest exhibition, At the Vanguard, runs through July 19, 2026. Explore stories of creativity, resilience, and legacy through rare collections of five Historically Black Colleges and Universities partners. This exhibition celebrates how HBCUs preserve history—and shape the future.