In "Moving the Mail," see how a letter gets delivered to places like the bottom of the Grand Canyon and how early airplane pilots found their way cross-country in the dark.
Learn the story of the stray dog, Owney, who became the mascot of the Railway Mail Service. Traveling thousands of rail miles, Owney was adopted, fed and cared for by postal workers along the route. A bronze sculpture of the peripatetic pup is located near the atrium.
Just off the atrium, view three early mail-carrying airplanes: a 1936 Stinson Reliant, a 1919 de Havilland DH-4B and a 1911 Wiseman- Cooke biplane.
"Postal Inspectors: The Silent Service" spotlights one of the oldest federal law enforcement agencies and its role in fighting crime from the earliest days of our nation to today.
"Victory Mail" showcases the museum's collection of World War II V-mail correspondence.
"Alphabetilately" (opens Sept. 26) Twenty-six letters tell the story of stamp collecting and mail delivery in celebration of the museum's 15th anniversary. Test your postal knowledge: did you know that from Sept. 16, 1940, when America's first peacetime draft became law, to Sept. 2, 1945, after the unconditional surrender of Japan, the Post Office Department issued close to 52 billion firstclass and airmail postage stamps? That amounts to almost 20,000 stamps produced per minute.
The Postal Museum Store has a large selection of books, calendars, postcards and posters.
Although the Postal Museum does not have an on-site café, many Smithsonian museums do.
