Just like bridges enable cars to cross rivers and lakes, raised tracks allow trains to travel over bodies of water.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

Get Your Day Back on Track With These 22 Photos of Trains Around the World

Take to the rails with inspiring images of life on and around train lines

Two male polar bears square off for battles over territory and, ultimately, mating rights.

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Explore the Spectacular Landscapes and Awesome Animals of Western Canada

Enjoy some northern exposure with these 15 images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

Loaded with colorful containers, a cargo ship floats right into the Port of Miami.

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Set Sail With These 15 Scenes of Sensational Ships

These seafaring shots are harbored in the archives of the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

Scoresby Sund in Eastern Greenland is the largest fjord system in the world.

Nine Ways to Experience Greenland’s Unique Culture and Icy Landscapes

The first-ever direct flights from the United States to Greenland will give tourists easier access to the island’s history, culture and natural wonders

Vanilla producer Bertrand Côme displays bound and dried vanilla beans for sale at his Réunion farm. The beans generally grow as long as 6 to 11 inches.

The Bittersweet Beginnings of Vanilla Cultivation Can Be Traced Back to the Far-Flung Isle of Réunion

A journey to the remote Indian Ocean island reveals the story behind the fragrant, delicious, ubiquitous spice—and the enslaved youth who made it a commercial success

The last operating Woolworth lunch counter, in Bakersfield, California, seen in the 1990s.

The Last Operating Woolworth’s Lunch Counter Will Be Up and Running Once Again in California

A neighborhood icon, the Bakersfield luncheonette will mix modern design touches with classic decor

Piercing eyes mesmerize through the bright hues of this artwork that decorates a wall in the port area of Rio de Janeiro.

These 15 Mind-Bending Murals Turn the Mundane Into the Memorable

See 15 images of superb street art from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

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There's More to That

The Joys of Discovering the Roman Underground, From the Colosseum to What’s Beneath the Trevi Foundation

To escape the crowds of the Eternal City, head below ground and enter a portal into Rome’s past

In the early morning hours in Hanoi, people walk and jog around Hoan Kiem Lake's one-mile loop, while others partake in activities like traditional Vietnamese fan dancing, tai chi and even tango lessons.

To Truly Experience These Five Cities, Wake Before Sunrise

Everyone focuses on a destination’s nightlife, but perhaps we should be more concerned with what its early morning hours have to offer

The Newark Earthworks in Ohio consist of three sections of preserved earthworks: the Great Circle Earthworks, the Octagon Earthworks and the Wright Earthworks.

An Ohio Earthwork Where Thousands Once Gathered for Celestial Observations and Religious Ceremonies Is Open to the Public

An earthen enclosure called the Octagon is drawing much-deserved attention to the state’s history-filled mounds built some 2,000 years ago by the Hopewell culture

This June, North Carolina's Jockey's Ridge is celebrating 50 years as a state park.

How an Indomitable Environmental Activist Saved the Outer Banks From Impending Development

Fifty years ago, Carolista Baum passionately fought to create Jockey’s Ridge State Park, an unusually biodiverse ecosystem of dunes, thickets and marshes

Grave adoption programs—some part of structured, longstanding projects, others more individually driven—offer a touching layer of history that takes many visitors and even seasoned war experts by surprise.

History of Now

Meet the Dedicated Volunteers Who Honor World War II’s Fallen American Service Members by Adopting Their Graves

Europe will commemorate the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s surrender on May 8. But thousands of locals remain committed to preserving year-round the memories of those killed while fighting to liberate the continent

A man rides a camel in view of the remarkable Egyptian pyramids.

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These Extraordinary Archaeological Sites Are a Portal to Ancient Egypt

The Valley of the Kings and other bucket-list Egyptian destinations offer a glimpse into millennia-old majesty and artistry

Blood type, metabolism, exercise, shirt color and even drinking beer can make individuals especially delicious to mosquitoes.

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Why Do Mosquitos Bite Some People More Than Others? Your Blood Type, Sweat Contents and Even Alcohol Consumption May Make You More Attractive to the Pesky Insects

Scientists are working hard to discover the factors that drive the blood-sucking insects to target certain individuals

In England’s Lake District, a wooden footbridge connects two rocky sides of a riverbank as mountains peek out from the fog in the distance.

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See 15 Serene Scenes of the English Countryside

Quaint centuries-old villages dot the rural landscapes of the United Kingdom

Get your costumes on. It's slush cup season.

Why Skiers Are Ending the Season With a Splash—and Keeping the Raucous Tradition of Pond Skimming Alive

For nearly 100 years, die-hards have been saying goodbye to winter by speeding down the slopes and water skiing over massive puddles

An 1864 statue of George Washington is silhouetted against the night sky.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

Get Into the Revolutionary Spirit With These Beautiful Photographs of Boston

Massachusetts’ capital city offers American history lessons at every turn

The updated hotel will offer 375 hotel rooms and 372 residences ranging from studios to four-bedrooms.

Eight Historic Moments That Took Place at the Waldorf Astoria New York

The famous hotel reopens this spring after an extensive renovation that began in 2017

People gather on Kaanapali Beach, a popular tourist destination near Lahaina, Hawaii, in August 2024.

Destinations Hit by Natural Disasters Need Tourists Back—but Maybe Not in the Same Way as Before

Places like Maui and Asheville, North Carolina, rebuilding after wildfires and hurricanes, are doing so with a mind to sustainable tourism

A batteau is a flat-bottomed vessel, a wooden relic of the 18th century that once carried tobacco, iron and flour through Virginia.

Two Centuries Ago, Batteaumen on Virginia’s James River Ended Long Work Days With a Taste of Freedom

The James River Batteau Company, an outdoor recreation-meets-historical tour business, has designed a dinner cruise that honors the resilience and culinary ingenuity of enslaved boatmen

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