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Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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    Plan a Visit

    Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

    Admission is always free!

    2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
    Washington, DC 20002

    The museum's main entrance is located on the corner of First Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE. Other entrances have variable hours.

    street map of Postal museum

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    People in front of log post office building
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Oddly Interesting
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  • Animals and the Mail
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Animals and the Mail

Animals have a long association with mail and the postal system. Horses, dogs, oxen, even camels have been used at one time or another to help move the mail. While animals do not pull their weight carrying mail anymore, some animals, and more than a few types of insects, continue to be sent through the mail today.

Queen honeybee cage
Buzzing Through the Mail

Learn more About Buzzing Through the Mail

Owney the dog
Mail Clerks Are a Dog's Best Friends

Learn more About Mail Clerks Are a Dog's Best Friends

Oddly Interesting

  • Things That Carried the Mail
    • Do-It-Yourself Mail Sorter
    • A Floating Mailbox
    • Watch Out Below!
    • Cruise Missile Mail
  • Things That Marked the Mail
    • A Pirate Postmaster?
    • Mangling the Mail to Save It
    • A Baker's Touch
    • The Chicken Stamp
  • Things That Traveled in the Mail
    • A Dead Egg
    • Mail That Falls from Trees
  • What the Well Dressed Carrier Wears
    • Keeping Warm
    • The Postman Always Knocked Twice
    • Leather Face
  • Animals and the Mail
    • Buzzing Through the Mail
    • Mail Clerks Are a Dog's Best Friends
  • Conclusion
‹ Leather Face up Buzzing Through the Mail ›

HomeSmithsonian National Postal Museum

Plan a Visit

Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Admission is always free!

2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20002

The museum's main entrance is located on the corner of First Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE. Other entrances have variable hours.

street map of Postal museum

Learn more
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Owney, the Railway Mail Service Mascot

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