INSIDE TIPS
WHAT'S NEW

A new member to the Smithsonian Family of Museums and Galleries, the National Postal Museum chronicles the history of the U.S. mail. Complete with interactive displays, models and over 55,000 stamps the National Postal Museum has activities for visitors of all ages.

The National Postal Museum is located across the street from Union Station, making it a convenient and pleasant stop along your tour of Washington D.C.. The visit will only take you about an hour, and it is a worthwhile diversion if you have more than one day to spend in the city. Housed in the beautiful former City Post Office, the Museum is divided into five galleries. They depict the history of the mail service from colonial times to the present, with special displays on the more notable events in postal history like the Pony Express and The Duck Stamp Story.

The Museum is home to the largest stamp collection in the world and contains numerous philatelic rarities. The interactive games and activities will definitely entertain kids. A favorite is where visitors get to place their image on stamps and postcards at one of the numerous various video terminals.

The "Moving the Mail" exhibit features the machinery used to deliver mail. Examples include a stagecoach, railway mail cars and the three vintage mail planes suspended from the Museum’s beautiful 90-foot high atrium.