10 Reasons to Visit the National Postal Museum

When the pandemic forced a shutdown of so many things 5 years ago, I started a bucket list of museums I wanted to visit someday. In my top 5 was the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington DC, and I finally got my chance 2 weeks ago. That it was just days before the 250th anniversary of the post office seemed like a good omen.

It’s very fitting that the museum is housed in a historic former working post office, actually the City Post Office of Washington up until 1986. Just a few steps away is Union Station, which has also had its beautiful architectural features revived and preserved.

Like all of Smithsonian’s important and wonderful museums, admission is free, the AC works great on hot summer days, and there’s enough there to engage a wide range of folks visiting. But unlike some, there’s not so much to see that you get overwhelmed or feel rushed to see everything. I budgeted 2-½ hours, and was on target.

So what follows is a quick rundown of some of the best things about the National Postal Museum, in no particular order.

1. Location, Location, Location

The museum is across the street from Union Station, which makes it easily accessible by Amtrak, MARC trains, or Metro. Lots of parking is close by; the adjoining parking garage was $21 for the day, not bad.

2. The Historic Lobby

After entering the NPM, you walk into a Beaux Arts-style grand hallway with tall columns, an ornamental ceiling, marble tables, tiny (by current standards) post office boxes … all preserved.

The impressive lobby of the National Postal Museum in a post office that operated for 72 years.

3. So Many Stamps

Much of the stamp gallery on the ground floor covers the history of postage stamps in the U.S. as well as other countries. I grew up collecting stamps, so seeing some of the most historic issues in person was pretty interesting.

4. Stuff for Kids

The museum provides cool and interactive things for kids, like checking out all of the delivery vehicles (trucks, trains, planes), designing their own digital stamps, and learning about how the Postal Inspection Service protects the mail.

5. Envelope Floor Tiles

After staring at 100-year old airmail planes hanging from the ceiling, I looked down at the floor and saw some cool tiles with designs for both sides of a classic stamped gummed seal envelope. Love it!

The unique floor pattern at the National Postal Museum.

6. The Spider Press

Intaglio printing is how stamps were produced until the 1880s, and sometimes even afterwards. During World War I, a retired spider press (with the long spokes on the wheel to push the paper and plate through) was used to print the first airmail stamp. But either the plate was put on backwards or the paper was loaded backwards, resulting in a single 100-stamp sheet that was printed and sold with the plane - a Curtiss Jenny - shown flying upside down.

Spider Press: the type of hand-operated press used to print most stamps until the 1880s.

7. Modern Printing

Stamps commemorating the 200th anniversary of Lewis & Clark in 2004 were printed with a combination of intaglio and offset. Both plates are part of a display explaining the processes.

Part of the display showing how offset and intaglio combined for printing Lewis & Clark commemorative stamps in 2004.

8. Mail Call

A permanent exhibit pays tribute to service members and their families back home by including their heartfelt and touching correspondence. Despite great distances and hardships, mail lets them vote, pay taxes, and stay connected. If you saw The Six Triple Eight on Netflix last year, you’ll remember why this partnership is so vital.

Mail Call Partnership: how the postal service and military partner to keep families connected with the mail.

9. Growing the Country

Several exhibits focus on how the postal service helped to enable commerce in cities across the country as well as small towns and rural areas. So airmail planes, delivery trucks, pneumatic tubes are all given space to shine. And the Railway Mail Service’s popular mascot in the late 1800s, a dog named Owney, is also highlighted.

10. Ben Franklin

As the country’s first postmaster general, it’s not a surprise that he pops up in several places. He brought order to a disorganized colonial system, then got fired by the British for his revolutionary activities, and well, the rest is history. There’s a statue of him here, too.

Wrapping It Up

By their very nature, museums capture only a snapshot of time. So recent and dramatic innovations in printing, marketing, and delivery technology may seem to have been left out. But that’s also besides the point.

My takeaway, and cause for optimism and hope, is that the history of the post office in America demonstrates its essential role in serving communities, businesses, and individuals. Our culture, economy, and democracy have expanded so much, but the universal service provided by the post office is what keeps us all connected in a very tangible, personal way.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions. Artificial Intelligence may have been used in part to create or edit this content.