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Th Nathional Postal Museum was a beautiful building and had such interactive exhibits. The building is 3 floors and everything is well done. There are machines to make your own stamp, post cards that you can write & send, and stamps that you can take home with you. Everything was fun to read and learn about the long history of stamps and mail. Free and open until 5pm!
Admittedly, I've been in the area for some time and never thought to check out this museum and it was well worth a visit. First, it's located right across from Union Station which makes it a great stop if you are looking to take in the city for an hour or so while coming or going from the city (a few people were wheeling around luggage inside). Second, it offers a nuanced look at the postal system sharing history through stamps, innovations in the postage system, networks and systems built to sustain such a colossal system, and the role of law enforcement. It's well organized, helps you better understand and appreciate what it takes to mail something, and provides a great history through the lens of mail. I was able to go through and see most of the exhibits in about an hour and you could easily spend more time or focus on a particular section if on a schedule.
The Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C., is a hidden gem that's way cooler than you might expect especially if you're into history. Housed in the stunning historic City Post Office Building, constructed in 1914 (and used as D.C.'s main post office until 1986), the museum opened to the public on July 30, 1993, through a partnership between the Smithsonian Institution and the United States Postal Service. It dives deep into the fascinating story of America's postal system, from colonial mail routes and the Pony Express to how stamps and delivery innovations connected people across the country and world. I had so much fun exploring the interactive exhibits, massive stamp collections, and artifacts that bring postal history to life it's engaging, surprising, and full of "wow" moments that make you appreciate something as everyday as mail. By the end, you even get a personalized postcard souvenir, which is a nice touch. It's definitely worth a visit, and in my opinion, it should be closer to the National Mall so more people discover how awesome it is!
At first, I thought "postal museum sounds like the most boring museum I can imagine" but boy was I wrong. This was really interesting and worth a half day at least to explore. First off, the building is gorgeous because it was built in the early 20th century and was the main post office in DC, so it was done with grandeur in mind. Details from the ceiling to friezes to columns show this as an important institution. I found the history of stamps and stamp collecting really fascinating, including a video on the rarest, most expensive biplane Jenny printing error. There were exhibits on the history of mail and how it was delivered during wars and disasters. Other exhibits featured mail carriages, trucks, and planes, the old post office mascot dog Owney, and how processes for delivering mail developed as populations grew and time developed. It was chock full of information I hadn't thought about before, so I learned a lot. You can still send mail from near the gift shop, which had a lot of great souvenirs. If it's your first day in our nation's capital, there are more iconic Smithsonians, but this was fun and informative and not crowded, so it should be on your agenda as well.
Across the Union Station, this museum can be easily accessed from the train station. It has two floors. The lower floor has exhibits that tell the history of postal service, the progression to horse-drawn transportation to trains and air mail delivery. There's an exhibit on postal police/officers, scams they deal with, and some interesting cases. The gift shop and a statue of Benjamin Franklin are located on this floor. The street level floor houses the impressive stamp collections. It shows videos about the gems of American philately including the Inverted Jenny, etc. They also have the world's first postage stamp here. There are interactive screens where you can select historic stamps and send digital copies to your email. You could also design your own stamp. Very informative. Had a great time here.
I love this museum! This was my second visit after going in 2019 - I felt like I didn't appreciate it enough. You can learn about stamps and stamp collecting, and then, you can learn about the postal service! I found the exhibit about mail crimes and the postal police fascinating. Compared to other Smithsonian's, this one is a quick visit. I was able to squeeze it in between lunch and an evening flight. The gift shop is small, but I think it's quite cute. There's also a post office! I mailed postcards.
I personally work for the post office in Honolulu. I was traveling from Hawaii for a conference and decided to stop by the museum. It's awesome how the museums are free there. The postal museum was very interesting. The things I've never known even after working for the post office all these years. It's very interesting to learn how things started and all the different phases Ang changes that the post office went through.
Awesome!!! Perfect little museum. Great for a rainy afternoon. I loved the exhibits. I also LOVED the post office inside the museum... I bought some gorgeous Goodnight Moon stamps as a usable souvenir.
This is THEE place to be if you want to see interactive exhibition design, deep global history, and a doggy! Our tour guide was so imaginative, full of spunk, and provided such an encyclopedic breadth of knowledge tied to the Postal Museum and the Postal Service's contributions. Since this is marketed as a children's museum, you can really let go of the pompous nature of museums and lean into the fun interactives and content!
Postal museum @ Washington, DC The museum was not crowded and it was interesting to learn about different kinds of stamps and delivery of postal services. There was an area you can treasure hunt your favorite stamps. Good place to bring children and spend time together!
We took the train to visit the Postal Museum. If you're a stamp collector, this is a must-see! Even though we're not collectors ourselves, we found it very informative and interesting. The museum has multiple exhibits, which makes for a great overall experience.
Definitely a fun stop in D.C. The exhibits are nice, and to see the entire history of printed stamps was amazing. I wish we had more time to browse through all the stamps they have archived. There is Ana activity where you can get five used stamps, from the past, to start a collection. It was fun to sift through them. Make sure to get there before the stamp store closes at 5pm. Then you can purchase the current stamp designs. The gift shop is separate and has some nice first print covers and a mixed bag of used stamps if you're just starting out collecting. read more
Although some of the exhibits appear dated, the museum's historical progression and international perspective on mail created a surprisingly timeless experience. There was a modest line at opening because security was extremely thorough. Once inside, however, the museum felt spacious and easy to navigate, aside from the more crowded areas surrounding the large mail carrier exhibits. *Moving The Mail: one of the older exhibits featuring recreated mail transportation vehicles. This section felt especially geared toward children, as many enjoyed peering into the driver seats and exploring the interiors. *On The Road: another large scale exhibit showcasing the evolution of mail transportation, from horse drawn wagons to the familiar modern white postal trucks. *Binding The Nation: an engaging walkthrough covering the development of mail service during colonial America. I enjoyed moving through different historical periods and seeing how influential figures and major events shaped stamp designs over time. *Airmail In America: unexpectedly haunting after learning about the high number of fatalities associated with early airmail delivery. This exhibit gave me a much deeper appreciation for both the dangers of postal service and the role mail played in advancing aviation. *Systems At Work: comparatively plain next to the other exhibits. This area relied more heavily on videos rather than physical displays or interactive elements. Personally, the modern logistics focus interested me less than the historical sections. *William H. Gross Stamp Gallery: an incredibly impressive collection. Not only was there a beautifully organized display of international stamps, but there was also an entire room filled with pullout frames highlighting rare stamps and their histories. Everything was thoughtfully categorized by era or theme. My favorite section focused on counterfeit stamps and the subtle differences that exposed the forgeries. The gift shop was surprisingly extensive and carried a variety of specialized merchandise. They even had their own mascot featured on themed clothing and trinkets. I especially appreciated the mail themed products and the conveniently attached postal station. While this was not the largest museum I have visited, it ended up being one of the more memorable. Some exhibits could benefit from updated lighting since their age is beginning to show, but most of the displays remained engaging and informative. The hands-on activities were particularly distinctive and thoughtfully designed. Even if you are short on time, the stamp gallery alone is well worth visiting. read more
This musuem was a great experience. Three floors of the history and progression of the postal system. There was an exhibit where you could pick out free stamps from around the world. The other exhibit should the progression of the mail service throughout the various wars. It's amazing to see how far the mail service has developed over time. This museum is free and there are no advanced tickets needed. Definitely worth a visit. read more
Th Nathional Postal Museum was a beautiful building and had such interactive exhibits. The building is 3 floors and everything is well done. There are machines to make your own stamp, post cards that you can write & send, and stamps that you can take home with you. Everything was fun to read and learn about the long history of stamps and mail. Free and open until 5pm! read more
Admittedly, I've been in the area for some time and never thought to check out this museum and it was well worth a visit. First, it's located right across from Union Station which makes it a great stop if you are looking to take in the city for an hour or so while coming or going from the city (a few people were wheeling around luggage inside). Second, it offers a nuanced look at the postal system sharing history through stamps, innovations in the postage system, networks and systems built to sustain such a colossal system, and the role of law enforcement. It's well organized, helps you better understand and appreciate what it takes to mail something, and provides a great history through the lens of mail. I was able to go through and see most of the exhibits in about an hour and you could easily spend more time or focus on a particular section if on a schedule. read more
The Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C., is a hidden gem that's way cooler than you might expect especially if you're into history. Housed in the stunning historic City Post Office Building, constructed in 1914 (and used as D.C.'s main post office until 1986), the museum opened to the public on July 30, 1993, through a partnership between the Smithsonian Institution and the United States Postal Service. It dives deep into the fascinating story of America's postal system, from colonial mail routes and the Pony Express to how stamps and delivery innovations connected people across the country and world. I had so much fun exploring the interactive exhibits, massive stamp collections, and artifacts that bring postal history to life it's engaging, surprising, and full of "wow" moments that make you appreciate something as everyday as mail. By the end, you even get a personalized postcard souvenir, which is a nice touch. It's definitely worth a visit, and in my opinion, it should be closer to the National Mall so more people discover how awesome it is! read more
1 year ago
At first, I thought "postal museum sounds like the most boring museum I can imagine" but boy was I wrong. This was really interesting and worth a half day at least to explore. First off, the building is gorgeous because it was built in the early 20th century and was the main post office in DC, so it was done with grandeur in mind. Details from the ceiling to friezes to columns show this as an important institution. I found the history of stamps and stamp collecting really fascinating, including a video on the rarest, most expensive biplane Jenny printing error. There were exhibits on the history of mail and how it was delivered during wars and disasters. Other exhibits featured mail carriages, trucks, and planes, the old post office mascot dog Owney, and how processes for delivering mail developed as populations grew and time developed. It was chock full of information I hadn't thought about before, so I learned a lot. You can still send mail from near the gift shop, which had a lot of great souvenirs. If it's your first day in our nation's capital, there are more iconic Smithsonians, but this was fun and informative and not crowded, so it should be on your agenda as well. read more
Across the Union Station, this museum can be easily accessed from the train station. It has two floors. The lower floor has exhibits that tell the history of postal service, the progression to horse-drawn transportation to trains and air mail delivery. There's an exhibit on postal police/officers, scams they deal with, and some interesting cases. The gift shop and a statue of Benjamin Franklin are located on this floor. The street level floor houses the impressive stamp collections. It shows videos about the gems of American philately including the Inverted Jenny, etc. They also have the world's first postage stamp here. There are interactive screens where you can select historic stamps and send digital copies to your email. You could also design your own stamp. Very informative. Had a great time here. read more
8 days ago
I love this museum! This was my second visit after going in 2019 - I felt like I didn't appreciate it enough. You can learn about stamps and stamp collecting, and then, you can learn about the postal service! I found the exhibit about mail crimes and the postal police fascinating. Compared to other Smithsonian's, this one is a quick visit. I was able to squeeze it in between lunch and an evening flight. The gift shop is small, but I think it's quite cute. There's also a post office! I mailed postcards. read more
1 year ago
I personally work for the post office in Honolulu. I was traveling from Hawaii for a conference and decided to stop by the museum. It's awesome how the museums are free there. The postal museum was very interesting. The things I've never known even after working for the post office all these years. It's very interesting to learn how things started and all the different phases Ang changes that the post office went through. read more
11 months ago
Awesome!!! Perfect little museum. Great for a rainy afternoon. I loved the exhibits. I also LOVED the post office inside the museum... I bought some gorgeous Goodnight Moon stamps as a usable souvenir. read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
This is THEE place to be if you want to see interactive exhibition design, deep global history, and a doggy! Our tour guide was so imaginative, full of spunk, and provided such an encyclopedic breadth of knowledge tied to the Postal Museum and the Postal Service's contributions. Since this is marketed as a children's museum, you can really let go of the pompous nature of museums and lean into the fun interactives and content! read more
9 months ago
Postal museum @ Washington, DC The museum was not crowded and it was interesting to learn about different kinds of stamps and delivery of postal services. There was an area you can treasure hunt your favorite stamps. Good place to bring children and spend time together! read more
1 year ago
We took the train to visit the Postal Museum. If you're a stamp collector, this is a must-see! Even though we're not collectors ourselves, we found it very informative and interesting. The museum has multiple exhibits, which makes for a great overall experience. read more
8 months ago
I love niche museums as I am able to learn so much more than I would at a more general knowledge type of museum. I was looking for a unique museum with free admission to visit in DC, and the National Postal Museum really caught my eye. The museum turned out to be so much larger than I expected. We started off in the Stamp Gallery after going through security. They have a huge collection of stamps from all over the world. I thought this was the main part of the museum, but I was very surprised and impressed when we went down the escalator to a grand atrium with a large plane model, train, horse carriage, and postal truck. They have many more exhibits on this lower level about the history of the postal service. They were very well designed. I especially liked how you could walk inside the train, and I found the exhibit about bioterrorism through the postal service to be the most fascinating. There were quite a few interactive features that were out of order. I was confused why there were so many baseball exhibits in the postal museum. I feel like they belong in a baseball or sports museum. read more
Lovely visit to the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum. Free to enter and NO advanced reservations required. Although you will be screened via a TSA-style metal detector upon entry. Conveniently located right across the street from Union Station. Also a nice 15-minute walk to the Capitol Building and a 20-25 minute walk to the National Mall area. Lovely architecture in the museum as with other Smithsonian Museums. Lots of exhibits covering stamps, the postal process, postal security procedures, postal transportation and the general evolution and advances of the postal service throughout history. This is an absolute must for stamp-collectors. One interesting area is where you can look up stamps from any country in the world...that is very cool considering the number of international tourists visitig the area. There is a small gift shop but it has a separate stamp shop which is cool. Overall a great experience...highly recommended. read more
2 years ago
As an avid journaling girl and stamp fan, this museum was on my to-visit list as soon as I moved to the DMV. This museum is a free two story museum dedicated to our USPS, its history, and its stamps!! You don't require a reservation in advance and I got through security in less than a minute. It's a less popular museum simply because it isn't located at the National Mall directly but you should absolutely visit if you have any interest in stamps, the USPS, or history! The exhibits are well done and interactive. I particularly enjoyed one that mimicked the forested trail post officers would have had to walk through in the dark when delivering mail back in the 1700's. This museum also teaches you so much about our country's mail delivery services I didn't know about and it was so interesting to learn. They had a giant section on stamps and you could see a bunch of brilliant older designs as well as go through their free stamp collection section where they kindly ask visitors to limit themselves to 6 stamps to take home to start their own collections. They also feature the USPS's mascot which was so nice to see. They also had a baseball section when I went but I am unsure if this is temporary or not. The gift shop sells pretty historic stamps to collect (not usable for mailing), actual pretty stamps you can use to mail letters or packages (many designs are unfortunately sold out, I'm not sure how often they replace them), as well as USPS and general mail/stamp themed gifts. I purchased a worldwide stamp set for $10 which included 500 stamps. They have another $10 stamp set which includes 500 stamps, the difference is mine has the stamps attached to a paper backing. You will have to remove this by soaking the paper in warm-hot water for a few minutes and then the stamp's glue will dissolve and you can safely and gently remove it from its paper's backing. If you do not wish to do this, you should purchase the other set that shows the stamps you will receive in a transparent plastic bag. They also sell individual stamps without a paper backing from various countries for $4-$5. For my stamp aficionados!!! There IS a stamp you can collect from this museum!! Please see my attached photo, I received this after asking about it in the gift shop on the lower level. I sorted the stamps I received and made a collage of the American ones I got in my journal (see below). read more
I wish they had the transitions to the first uniform to most current, but this was still a super neat place to see. I'm a mail nerd, so I enjoyed each piece of history the museum had to offer. Beautiful displays! Easy to find and steet parking is available read more
3 months ago
1 year ago
Omg. My favorite of the many Smithsonian's. The gentleman doing the tours made our day. We had breezed through the upper floor prior to the tour, but he pointed out so many highlights we would have missed. Great job. read more
2 years ago
The National Postal Museum is a museum that opened in Washington, D.C. in 1993. It was established through a joint agreement between the United States Postal Service and the Smithsonian Institution. The museum is located across the street from Union Station in a building that served as the main post office for Washington, D.C. from 1914-1986. Historical exhibits guide visitors through the postal service's inception and expansion, as well as its role in significant national events such as World War II. Since the museum is a member of the Smithsonian Institution, admission is FREE. My family and I recently visited the National Postal Museum while we were staying in DC for a short vacation. It isn't one of the more popular Smithsonian Museums, but I was still excited to see it because both my uncle and my late grandfather were postal workers (with the latter even rising to the rank of postmaster). We also heard that it was a great place to bring young children. For the occasion, my wife even surprised our older son with his own postal worker uniform. We ABSOLUTELY LOVED this museum! It was so interactive for children and adults alike. It features several mail cars, trucks, trains and planes (some of which can even be sat in). Our older son loved pretending that he was driving a postal tractor trailer. There are also several exhibits where visitors can learn about message boxes, zip codes, optical scanners and conveyor systems. The museum has an excellent wing devoted entirely to stamps. It features some of the rarest stamps in the world (including the "Inverted Jenny") as well as the childhood stamp collection of the late musician (and former Beatle) John Lennon. Best of all, it wasn't crowded at all. We highly recommend visiting the Postal Museum and we look forward to returning on a future trip to DC! read more
3 years ago
I've lived in the DC area all my life and never came to the Postal Museum. Guess my parents usually stuck to the museums on the Mall. This place is such a great place to explore. My 9 year old and 4 year old had a blast. The older one loved reading about the history and taking a closer look at stamps from all over. The little loved running through the "trail" and tossing packages in the mailroom. Both loved the mail truck and the interactive activities throughout. I enjoyed testing my skills at finding suspicious mail and entering zip codes. Definitely a less crowded option in DC for a kiddo day! read more
2 years ago
Very niche museum, perfect if you're into stamp collecting. It's free admission and opens a little later than the rest of the Smithsonian museums. There's two stories total with a gift shop on the ground floor. The gift shop was a little disappointing because we're expecting it to be a lot bigger and have a lot of stamp options to from... They have one of the crank machines for coin pressed souvenirs right outside the gift shop. My favorite exhibit is the USPS and mail crime. I thought the gallery of stamps was kind of boring in my opinion lol. One cool thing is you can pick a few stamps for free to start your own stamp collection. They also have this station with free postcards to write on. read more
Loved this museum! Lots of interactive pieces that were fun to play with, especially the mail sorting zip code typer. A lot of activities to keep children busy and so much to learn fr adults. We left with a newfound respect for everything postal workers do. read more
4 years ago
I had not expected to be as impressed as I was by this museum! The building and facilities are clean and maintained well, the exhibits are visually and intellectually pleasing, the staff are courteous and friendly, and best of all, there is no charge to visit! There is something to do for everyone, including young children. For the bigger visitors, there's a fun station to design your own stamps that you can email to yourself. And also sort through the thousands of used stamps and pick some (up to six) for your own collection or for souvenir. You can also pick up a free postcard and mail it with a special National Postage Museum stamp! We went at 4:00pm on a Saturday (closing time is 5:30pm) and had plenty of time to explore (including getting lost). It was not crowded at all, which is nice. read more
My friend and I are locals and decided for to check out this museum since it's free. We really enjoyed how informational it was and they had so many exhibits. Between the first and second floor we were able to learn so much history about stamps. There were also so interactive portions on the first floor as well which I thought was cool. This is a fun museum for kids to see as well. read more
1 year ago
Okay, this place is a hidden gem. Not an all day event, but much more there and much more exciting than you'd think, you can even start your own stamp collection for free! Gorgeous ceiling on the main floor, and don't forget to go downstairs for more to see! Usually not too crowded either, as most people pass up this place read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
Fantastic niche museum about the history of the post office. Great for kids, complete with scavenger hunt. Clean huge bathrooms and directly across the street from union station. Very informative and free Smithsonian museum. read more
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2 Massachusetts Ave NE
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