National Postal Museum

Washington, DC: Inside the lower level of the historic city post office lies the National Postal Museum. Here guests can learn about the history of the postal service from its inception in 1775 through today.

The collection of stamps by the Smithsonian Institute began in 1886 with a donation of Confederate postage stamps, this was the beginning of The National Philatelic Collection. From 1908 to 1963, the collection was on display at the Arts and Industry building. In 1964, the growing collection was moved to the National Museum of American History.

The collection continued to grow and expanded to include the history of the postal service, mail delivery and stamp production. They collection began to outgrow the exhibit space at the American History museum and was in need of a dedicated museum. In 1990, the Smithsonian Institute entered into a joint agreement with the United State Postal Service to operate a National Postal Museum.

The National Postal Museum opened to the public in 1993. The museum is housed in the ground floor of the historic city post office in downtown DC. The post office was built in 1914 and served the postal duties for Washington DC until 1986.

The museum is home to the world’s largest collection of stamps. It also features several historical looks at the history of the postal service including mail delivery, uniforms, postal inspectors, and the vehicles used to transport mail from stagecoaches to airplanes. There are interactive exhibits in which you can create a letter, view the route it will take to the address and mail it from the museum.

For more photos, visit my Postal Museum photo gallery.