The Smithsonian National Postal Museum brings the colorful history of the nation’s postal service to life through hands-on exhibits and engaging public programs. The lesser-known museum is part of the Smithsonian Institution and features attractive exhibits on sending, receiving, and delivering mail. Six galleries explore topics ranging from the post office system in colonial and early America to the Pony Express and art mail and mailbox modes of transportation. Visitors can explore the history of the postage stamp and marvel at thousands of postage stamps and artifacts.
The National Postal Museum atrium has a 90-foot-high ceiling with three vintage airmail planes suspended overhead, a rebuilt railroad car, an 1851 stagecoach, a 1931 Ford Model A postal truck, and a contemporary postal truck. Long Life Vehicle. The museum offers exhibits and special programs that include workshops, movies, family events, lectures, and guided tours. More than 40,000 books and archival documents are housed in the National Postal Museum Library which is open to the public by appointment only.
The museum’s gift shop sells stamps, books, and other gift items. This is a great attraction for children because many of the exhibits are interactive and you can see most of the exhibits in an hour or two.
See photos of the National Postal Museum
Get to the National Postal Museum
Address: 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE Washington, DC (202) 357-2700
The museum is located about 4 blocks from the National Mall in the old post office building next to Union Station. The closest subway station is Union Station. More than 2,000 parking spaces are located in the Union Station parking lot. See a map and driving directions.
Hours
Open every day except December 25.
Regular hours are from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm
Permanent exhibition featured
- Binding the Nation – The exhibit provides an overview of the mail service in the United States from colonial times through the 19th century, highlighting the importance of written communication in the young nation.
- Systems at Work: The exhibition recreates the routes of letters, magazines, packages and other mail as they travel from sender to recipient over the past 200 years.
- Moving Mail: Challenged with moving mail quickly, the postal service sought out trains, cars, airplanes, and buses to deliver the mail.
- Mail Call – The gallery tells the story of military mail from the American Revolution to 2010: How does this mail get to its destination? What roles does it play? Why does it influence morale? The exhibition explores the great efforts made to establish and operate postal services in extraordinary circumstances. It also features lyrics that reveal the expressions, emotions, and events of the time.
- Clients and Communities – This gallery focuses on modern changes to the mail service introduced in the early 1900s.
- Pony Express: Romance vs. Reality: This exhibition examines fictional and real stories from the history of the world’s best-known postmen.
- William H. Gross Stamp Gallery – The 12,000-square-foot gallery is the largest stamp collection in the world.
History of the National Postal Museum
From 1908 to 1963, the collection was housed in the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building on the National Mall. In 1964, the collection was moved to the National Museum of History and Technology (now the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History), and its scope it was expanded to include postal history and stamp production. The National Postal Museum was established as a separate entity on November 6, 1990, and its current location opened to the public in July 1993.
Website: www.postalmuseum.si.edu
The Smithsonian museums in Washington DC are world-class attractions that cover a wide range of topics. For more information on all museums, see the Smithsonian Museums (Visitor’s Guide)
