National Postal Museum

About

The National Postal Museum was established through a joint agreement between the U.S. Postal Service and the Smithsonian Institution, opening on July 30, 1993. Its building was constructed in 1914 and served as Washington, D.C.'s main post office until 1986; the museum now occupies the Postal Square Building across from Washington's Union Station. The museum houses the National Philatelic Collection, considered one of the largest and most comprehensive stamp collections in the world. In 2005 it acquired John Lennon's childhood stamp collection, and from 2015 to 2019 it displayed the rare 1856 British Guiana 1c magenta stamp, which has sold for nearly $10 million. Among its best-loved exhibits is Owney, a taxidermied dog who rode the rails with mail clerks across the country in the 1890s, guarding mailbags along the way. Admission is free.