Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
National Postal Museum Events
Public programs and events at the National Postal Museum.
Upcoming events
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Story Time
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Stamp your calendar for Story Time! Join us every week for a fresh story, a stroll through the Museum, hands-on postal play, and more. Together, we’ll explore mail and all the ways it connects us to people, places, and big ideas. Stop by anytime—whether you stay for one activity or the whole session, this program will get everyone’s “stamp of approval”. Meet in the Museum Lobby. If there are services or accommodations that can improve your experience (e.g., ASL interpretation, etc.), please contact [email protected]; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Story Time
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Stamp your calendar for Story Time! Join us every week for a fresh story, a stroll through the Museum, hands-on postal play, and more. Together, we’ll explore mail and all the ways it connects us to people, places, and big ideas. Stop by anytime—whether you stay for one activity or the whole session, this program will get everyone’s “stamp of approval”. Meet in the Museum Lobby. If there are services or accommodations that can improve your experience (e.g., ASL interpretation, etc.), please contact [email protected]; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Celebrate with Stamps
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Celebrate the art, culture, and creativity of stamps at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum during our Family Festival and USPS’s First Day of Issue Celebration for the new 2026 Christmas Cookies Forever® Stamps. Enjoy hands‑on artmaking, explore stories and traditions, and join us for a joyful unveiling of this year’s holiday stamps... complete with music, hands-on activities, and fun for all ages! Timed Activities: 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Letters to Santa Story Time with guest author Cathy Breisacher 12:00 p.m. U.S. Postal Service stamp unveiling of the 2026 holiday stamps 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Artist demo and conversation with guest artist Heather Moulder and U.S. Postal Service Stamp Art Director Antonio Alcalá 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. ABCs of Lowriding Story Time with Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit Service 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Letters to Santa book signing with guest author Cathy Breisacher (Books will be available for purchase in the museum gift shop while supplies last.) Ongoing Activities:Stamp Art Studio with Guest Artist Heather Moulder: Create your own portrait-based stamp design celebrating the people who inspire you. Throughout the day, enjoy live artist demos and conversations with U.S. Postal Service stamp art director Antonio Alcalá, offering a behind the scenes look at how stamp artwork comes to life. Make Some Music: Design your own musical instrument inspired by stamps that honor sound, rhythm, and the many ways communities celebrate through music. Latino Heritage and Lowrider Culture Activities with Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service: Explore hands on artmaking and cultural storytelling rooted in Latino heritage, lowrider traditions, and community expression. Stamp Unveiling and More: The official unveiling of the new holiday stamps anchors the day’s celebrations with plenty of hands-on fun for all ages! ASL interpretation will be provided during Story Time sessions. For questions or to request additional accommodations, please contact us at [email protected].
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45-minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Virtual Story Time
Join educators from the National Postal Museum for live, interactive story time. Designed for children ages 4-7, but all are welcome! Mondays at 11:00 (ET) National Postal Museum educators will read stories aloud and lead related activities in a Zoom meeting for children and their caregivers. Explore a range of postal-related topics and more! Sessions will be interactive and last approximately 45-60 minutes. Caregivers are expected to be present with children for the duration of the program.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45-minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Story Time
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Stamp your calendar for Story Time! Join us every week for a fresh story, a stroll through the Museum, hands-on postal play, and more. Together, we’ll explore mail and all the ways it connects us to people, places, and big ideas. Stop by anytime—whether you stay for one activity or the whole session, this program will get everyone’s “stamp of approval”. Meet in the Museum Lobby. If there are services or accommodations that can improve your experience (e.g., ASL interpretation, etc.), please contact [email protected]; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Educator Workshop: Youth Civic Voice through Stamp Design
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
How can tiny postage stamps shape national narratives and amplify civic expression? In this hands‑on session from the National Postal Museum, participants will explore how stamps serve as primary sources that reflect and influence democratic values, U.S. identity, and civic engagement. Centering objects from the museum collection, we’ll examine stamp history, elements of design, and how stamps can elevate youth civic engagement. Participants will then create a stamp‑inspired print using simple, classroom‑ready printmaking techniques. This session blends visual arts, history, and civic learning through close‑looking strategies and hands-on learning that support the expression of civic voice through stamp design. This session is in collaboration with WISIT Institute, DC Project Zero.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Research Conversations: The Post Office and the Rise of Photography with Natalie Pellolio
Since the early decades of photography, practitioners have relied on a growing international postal system to send photographs, materials, and information about technological developments to recipients near and far. The official announcement of the invention of photography in 1839 occurred just six years before the landmark Postal Act of 1845, in which the United States Congress reduced postage rates to allow the mail to be, for the first time, an affordable form of communication for most Americans. Central to the history of photography though rarely discussed within it, the mail facilitated the production of photographs and proved a key agent in the evolution of the photograph from a singular and costly object to a reproducible and disseminable image. Natalie Pellolio is a Visiting Professor in the History of Art and Visual Culture department at California College of the Arts. She received her B.A. in Art History at Reed College in 2009 and her Ph.D. in Art & Art History at Stanford University in 2018. She has held positions at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Portland Art Museum, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, and the California Historical Society. She is currently completing a book manuscript about the intertwined histories of photography and the postal service and the impact of the mail on American photographic aesthetics.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Story Time
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Stamp your calendar for Story Time! Join us every week for a fresh story, a stroll through the Museum, hands-on postal play, and more. Together, we’ll explore mail and all the ways it connects us to people, places, and big ideas. Stop by anytime—whether you stay for one activity or the whole session, this program will get everyone’s “stamp of approval”. Meet in the Museum Lobby. If there are services or accommodations that can improve your experience (e.g., ASL interpretation, etc.), please contact [email protected]; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45-minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Virtual Story Time
Join educators from the National Postal Museum for live, interactive story time. Designed for children ages 4-7, but all are welcome! Mondays at 11:00 (ET) National Postal Museum educators will read stories aloud and lead related activities in a Zoom meeting for children and their caregivers. Explore a range of postal-related topics and more! Sessions will be interactive and last approximately 45-60 minutes. Caregivers are expected to be present with children for the duration of the program.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45-minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Story Time
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Stamp your calendar for Story Time! Join us every week for a fresh story, a stroll through the Museum, hands-on postal play, and more. Together, we’ll explore mail and all the ways it connects us to people, places, and big ideas. Stop by anytime—whether you stay for one activity or the whole session, this program will get everyone’s “stamp of approval”. Meet in the Museum Lobby. If there are services or accommodations that can improve your experience (e.g., ASL interpretation, etc.), please contact [email protected]; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Story Time
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Stamp your calendar for Story Time! Join us every week for a fresh story, a stroll through the Museum, hands-on postal play, and more. Together, we’ll explore mail and all the ways it connects us to people, places, and big ideas. Stop by anytime—whether you stay for one activity or the whole session, this program will get everyone’s “stamp of approval”. Meet in the Museum Lobby. If there are services or accommodations that can improve your experience (e.g., ASL interpretation, etc.), please contact [email protected]; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45-minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Virtual Story Time
Join educators from the National Postal Museum for live, interactive story time. Designed for children ages 4-7, but all are welcome! Mondays at 11:00 (ET) National Postal Museum educators will read stories aloud and lead related activities in a Zoom meeting for children and their caregivers. Explore a range of postal-related topics and more! Sessions will be interactive and last approximately 45-60 minutes. Caregivers are expected to be present with children for the duration of the program.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Postmarks and Paperbacks October Meeting
Join staff from the Smithsonian National Postal Museum and the Postal Museum in London for a discussion on 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff on Monday, October 19th at 7:00pm. If you have any accessibility requirements, please email [email protected] and we will do everything we can to meet your needs. A Zoom link will be emailed to participants prior to the program. Registration is required.
Highlights Tour with the Postal Museum’s Director or Deputy Director
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
On this extra special tour with the Postal Museum’s Director or Deputy Director, explore the wonders of our museum like never before! Meet at the Information Desk for an exclusive 45-minute tour.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45-minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Story Time
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Stamp your calendar for Story Time! Join us every week for a fresh story, a stroll through the Museum, hands-on postal play, and more. Together, we’ll explore mail and all the ways it connects us to people, places, and big ideas. Stop by anytime—whether you stay for one activity or the whole session, this program will get everyone’s “stamp of approval”. Meet in the Museum Lobby. If there are services or accommodations that can improve your experience (e.g., ASL interpretation, etc.), please contact [email protected]; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Story Time
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Stamp your calendar for Story Time! Join us every week for a fresh story, a stroll through the Museum, hands-on postal play, and more. Together, we’ll explore mail and all the ways it connects us to people, places, and big ideas. Stop by anytime—whether you stay for one activity or the whole session, this program will get everyone’s “stamp of approval”. Meet in the Museum Lobby. If there are services or accommodations that can improve your experience (e.g., ASL interpretation, etc.), please contact [email protected]; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45-minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Virtual Story Time
Join educators from the National Postal Museum for live, interactive story time. Designed for children ages 4-7, but all are welcome! Mondays at 11:00 (ET) National Postal Museum educators will read stories aloud and lead related activities in a Zoom meeting for children and their caregivers. Explore a range of postal-related topics and more! Sessions will be interactive and last approximately 45-60 minutes. Caregivers are expected to be present with children for the duration of the program.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45-minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Story Time
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Stamp your calendar for Story Time! Join us every week for a fresh story, a stroll through the Museum, hands-on postal play, and more. Together, we’ll explore mail and all the ways it connects us to people, places, and big ideas. Stop by anytime—whether you stay for one activity or the whole session, this program will get everyone’s “stamp of approval”. Meet in the Museum Lobby. If there are services or accommodations that can improve your experience (e.g., ASL interpretation, etc.), please contact [email protected]; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.
Highlights Tour
Postal Museum · Postal Museum
Look for our friendly volunteer at the Information Desk for a 45 minute tour of the highlights of the museum.