Smithsonian HD Network
United States
Smithsonian HD Network presents documentary and factual programming drawn from the institution’s archives and research. The channel focuses on American history, natural sciences, space exploration, and cultural heritage, often featuring archival footage and expert commentary. Programs cover topics such as military technology, paleontology, aviation, and the lives of U.S. presidents. The network’s content is produced in high definition and avoids commercial interruptions during many of its documentary blocks. It is available through cable and satellite providers across the United States.
Viewers can access the channel’s schedule through their local TV guide or the network’s website, which lists upcoming programs by date and time. Some episodes are also available for streaming on demand through participating cable platforms. The network does not air movies, music videos, or live sports. Its programming is designed for an audience interested in educational content and institutional storytelling, without reliance on reality series or shopping segments.
Schedule
00:00 - 01:00
Mighty Cruise Ships
Symphony of the Seas
Series, Documentary, Travel
A crew of 2,200 on the Symphony of the Seas tends to more than 5,500 passengers as they sail to ports in Spain, France and Italy.
01:00 - 02:00
Mighty Cruise Ships
Marina
Series, Documentary, Travel
Visit Stonehenge, kiss the Blarney Stone and hunt for Nessie on a magical tour of the British Isles, aboard Marina.
02:00 - 03:00
Mighty Planes
CC-115 Buffalo
Series, Documentary, Aviation
The Canadian Air Force's CC-115 Buffalo is the go-to aircraft for search-and-rescue on the West Coast.
03:00 - 04:00
Mighty Trains
Maharaja's Express
Series, Documentary, Travel
Passengers are treated like royalty on Indian Railways' Maharaja's Express.
04:00 - 05:00
Mighty Cruise Ships
Seven Seas Explorer
Series, Documentary, Travel
Sailing from Chile and Peru to Ecuador and Costa Rica, the luxurious Seven Seas Explorer cruise ship is full of marble, granite and almost 500 chandeliers.
05:00 - 06:00
Mighty Cruise Ships
AIDAnova
Series, Documentary, Travel
We hop aboard a seven-day cruise to the Canary Islands and Madeira aboard the first large liner to run purely on cleaner-burning liquefied natural gas.
06:00 - 07:00
Mighty Trains
Bergen and Nordland
Series, Documentary, Travel
Norway's Bergen Line stretches from Oslo to Bergen, passing through 182 tunnels; Nordland Line transports passengers and freight; Flam Railway boasts one of the steepest railway climbs on Earth.
07:00 - 08:00
Mighty Trains
Reunification Express
Series, Documentary, Travel
Exploring Vietnam by rail aboard the Reunification Express; a three-day ride from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City rich in views of rivers, rice paddies and dragon fruit orchards; steeped in the nation's war-torn past.
08:00 - 09:00
Mighty Cruise Ships
Celebrity Solstice
Series, Documentary, Travel
Facing Australia's fierce heat, Celebrity Solstice provides guests with views of waterfalls, jumping crocodiles, koalas and the Great Barrier Reef.
09:00 - 10:00
Mighty Cruise Ships
Stella Australis
Series, Documentary, Travel
The only cruise ship designed specifically to navigate the treasures and dangers at the southern tip of South America.
10:00 - 11:00
Mighty Cruise Ships
Regal Princess
Series, Documentary, Travel
Follow mega cruiser Regal Princess as she whisks guests to Germany, Russia, and Scandinavia in style.
11:00 - 12:00
Mighty Cruise Ships
Viking Star
Series, Documentary, Travel
We follow passengers and crew aboard Viking Star during its two-week tour from Barcelona to its home port in Bergen, Norway.
12:00 - 13:00
How Did They Build That?
Breakthroughs & Bridges
Series, How-to
Visiting London's Gherkin, Seattle's Evergreen Point Floating Bridge and Lyon's Musée des Confluences to uncover how and why they were built.
13:00 - 14:00
How Did They Build That?
Canyons & Curves
Series, How-to
Engineers grapple with an apartment building, ripped apart by a man-made canyon; the Gateway Arch takes shape in St. Louis; an unpromising plot in Copenhagen, Denmark, is transformed by a gleaming new triangular office.
14:00 - 15:00
How Did They Build That?
Supertalls & Firehouses
Series, How-to
Alien port authority in Belgium; ultrathin skyscraper in Manhattan; hanging museum in Scotland.
15:00 - 16:00
How Did They Build That?
Boxes & Birds
Series, How-to
The American Museum of Natural History in NYC gets a cave-like extension; an arts center inspired by migrating birds is built on a lake in China; Boston University gains a fossil-free, Jenga-like tower.
16:00 - 17:00
How Did They Build That?
Heights & Balance
Series, How-to
A 1.2-million-square-foot office building balances precariously on a 39-foot wide base in Chicago; a building named Pterodactyl lands on top of a Los Angeles parking garage; the world's longest suspension footbridge.
17:00 - 18:00
How Did They Build That?
Subways & Sightlines
Series, How-to
A sculptural high-rise with rippling balconies breaks the mold in Chicago; Mammoth machines bore 26 miles of tunnels for an underground railroad beneath London's city streets.
18:00 - 19:00
How Did They Fix That?
Volcano Power
Series, Documentary
Mike is in Iceland, where teams harness the power of volcanos to keep the geothermal energy flowing; they battle harsh weather to maintain and upgrade giant power systems, fixing miles of steam pipes, and bringing a dead well back to life.
19:00 - 20:00
How Did They Fix That?
Documentary
An in-depth look at how things are repaired.
20:00 - 21:00
How Did They Fix That?
Philadelphia Transit
Series, Documentary
In Philadelphia, Mike is on streets, in tunnels, on tracks and in trolley restoration garages; he is working shoulder-to-shoulder with the team that keeps one of America's largest and oldest mass transit systems running smoothly and on time.
21:00 - 22:00
How Did They Fix That?
Water Work
Series, Documentary
In Florida, Mike tackles one of the dangerous jobs on the planet, commercial diving; he helps a specialized team keep waterways safe; fixing construction site leaks and removing dangerous structures, all while hurricane season is in full swing.
22:00 - 23:00
How Did They Build That?
Mirrors & Marble
Series, How-to
Visiting Australia's One Central Park, the Oslo Opera House and the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco to reveal their architectural secrets.
23:00 - 00:00
How Did They Build That?
Parking & Sparkling
Series, How-to
A dazzling new 1400 foot tapering skyscraper is built right next to New York's Grand Central. A curving wine museum requires ingenious engineering in Bordeaux, France. And possibly the world's most glamorous parking garage.