As the Show Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary, a New Season Brings Episodes With Stories Only the Smithsonian Can Tell
The Smithsonian’s flagship podcast, Sidedoor, returned Wednesday, Oct. 7, for its 13th season as it celebrates 10 years of storytelling. Hosted by senior producer Lizzie Peabody, the award-winning podcast opens unexpected doors into history, science, art and culture through immersive reporting, expert interviews and unparalleled access to Smithsonian collections and researchers. Since its debut in 2016, Sidedoor has become one of Smithsonian’s most successful digital storytelling platforms, surpassing 20 million lifetime downloads and connecting audiences around the world with the Institution’s collections and expertise.
“The Smithsonian is home to some of our nation’s most compelling stories across history, science, art and culture,” said Julissa Marenco, Assistant Secretary for Communications and External Affairs and Chief Marketing Officer for the Smithsonian. “Sidedoor gives audiences a chance to go beyond what they see in our museums, connecting them with the experts, discoveries and collections that bring those stories to life.”
Season 13 introduces listeners to Linh Mai, the baby Asian elephant at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, and the unconventional treatment that helped her thrive; the remarkable beetles that help scientists clean thousands of animal skeletons preserved in the National Museum of Natural History’s collections; and the surprising history of the Declaration of Independence’s years-long journey through Washington before arriving at the National Archives and what the Smithsonian had to do with it.
“Twelve seasons of the show have left me in awe of the curatorial work, cutting-edge research and archival preservation happening across the Institution, and of the people doing it,” Peabody said. “This season, we have more treats in store, from the National Zoo’s newest 900-pound celebrity to salsa beats and, yes…quite a bit of poop. I’m thrilled that we get to keep doing what Sidedoor does best: telling real-life stories that take us across American history, science, art and culture, and finding the unexpected connections that make those stories feel alive.”
New episodes are released every other Wednesday. Listeners can subscribe to and download episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Sidedoor’s website, as well as stream the podcast’s extensive catalog on YouTube.
Sidedoor is a collaboration between the Smithsonian and PRX, the Pulitzer-winning public media organization behind programming reaching more than 99% of the U.S. PRX supports additional Smithsonian podcasts, including AirSpace from the National Air and Space Museum and There’s More to That… from Smithsonian magazine.
“Many of our country’s greatest stories reside across the Smithsonian, and we’re proud to help bring them to life,” said Jason Saldanha, CEO of PRX. “We congratulate the team at Sidedoor for 10 years of inspiring and informing audiences everywhere. The show plays an essential role in listeners’ lives, providing access to history, culture, science and the arts.”
Smithsonian Digital Studio and the Smithsonian’s Office of Communications and External Affairs produce Sidedoor. The public can follow @SidedoorPod on Instagram to go behind the scenes with Peabody, the Sidedoor crew and episode guests.
About the Smithsonian
Since its founding in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution has been committed to inspiring generations through knowledge and discovery. It is the world’s largest museum, education and research complex, consisting of 20 museums, the National Zoological Park, education centers, research facilities, cultural centers, libraries and gardens. Two of the 20 museums—the National Museum of the American Latino and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum—are in the early planning stages. The total number of objects, works of art and specimens at the Smithsonian is about 157 million. To commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, the Smithsonian is hosting a full slate of special exhibitions, festivals and public events, including the completion of the National Air and Space Museum’s renovation, which opened to the public 50 years ago for the nation’s bicentennial.
About PRX
Celebrating more than 20 years as a nonprofit public media organization, PRX works in partnership with leading independent creators, organizations and stations to bring meaningful audio storytelling into millions of listeners’ lives. PRX is one of the world’s top podcast publishers, public radio distributors and audio producers, serving as an engine of innovation to help shape a vibrant future for creative and journalistic audio. Shows across PRX’s portfolio and its Radiotopia podcast network have received recognition from the Peabody Awards, the Tribeca Festival, the International Documentary Association, the National Magazine Awards and the Pulitzer Prizes. Visit prx.org for more.