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.
