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FACTS
Open every day
(except December 25)10:00 am to 5:30 pm
Admission is always free!
Street Address:
National Postal Museum
2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20002
Tel: (202) 633-5555MAP
- Collections
- Collection Database
- Collection History
- Collection Plan
- Collection Projects
- Collection Internships
- Object Donations
- Object Loans
- Object Spotlight
- Photographic Archives
- Preservation
The national collection illustrates and invites research into United States philately and postal operations. It contains prestigious postal issues and specialized collections, archival postal documents and three-dimensional objects that trace the evolution of the postal services.
- Exhibits
The National Postal Museum is divided into galleries that explore America's postal history from colonial times to the present. Visitors learn how mail has been transported and the wondrous diversity of postage stamps.
- Research
- Museum Library
- Forensic Laboratory
- Appointments to Research Objects
- Maynard Sundman Lecture Series
- Symposiums and Lectures
- Research Funding
- Finding Guides
- Research Articles
- Topical Reference Pages
- External Research Links
The Museum supports a wide variety of interdisciplinary research projects which address topics of importance such as current and future postal operations, as well as philatelic and postal history. Our efforts are a resource and point of reference for research and wider investigation by historians throughout the United States and the world.
Museum Highlights
Smithsonian Statement on Possible Government Shutdown
All Smithsonian Museums and the National Zoo to Remain Open Through January 1
In the event of a U.S. federal government shutdown, the Smithsonian can use prior-year funds to remain open to the public. All Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo will remain open through Tuesday, January 1, 2019.
Smithsonian museums are always closed on December 25.
This announcement will be updated as needed.
Current Exhibits
The Museum's galleries explore America's postal history from colonial times to the present. Visitors learn how mail has been transported and the wondrous diversity of postage stamps.
Object Spotlights
Learn more about objects in the museum’s collections. From the tiniest stamps to a full-sized bus, the museum is home to a wide variety of fascinating objects.
Special Themes
Browse these pages to discover resources organized by topic, such as African Americans in the Postal Service and Philately, Airmail Service, or Civil War.
Stamp Collecting
The Museum celebrates the beauty and lore of stamps. A stamp is much more than the physical evidence that postage has been paid. Stamps can be miniature works of art, treasured keepsakes, and rare collectibles.
