As you know, Washington DC is full of museums, many of them a part of the Smithsonian. I once teased the kids that we had attended the Smithsonian Nation Umbrella Museum, and they almost bought it. Well, when we told them that we had gone to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, Kacie was quick to ask if that was as real as the Umbrella Museum! Well, for sure, this one is real, and we went there on Saturday the 22nd of Jan. It is a part of the Smithsonian and housed in what was once the main post office in Washington, DC. Inside, it tells the story of the Postal Service throughout the history of the United States.
Outside the main entrance (l) and inside the grand hall (r). Beautiful turn of the century (20th century, that is) architecture.
This sign tells the history of the building, built between 1911-14 and used as the post office until 1986.
An escalator descends into the museum area (l) and the marker commemorating the opening of the museum, some seven years after the post office moved out.
A statue of Benjamin Franklin, father of the postal service and first postmaster general.
The main hall with displays of some of the main modes of moving mails through the years.
An early 1900's mail truck (l) and stage coach (r).
A display of postal boxes (r).
And would a postal museum be complete without a display of stamps? This museum has tens of thousands of stamps from US history and from around the world, many of them very rare and highly valued.
Ok, not the most interesting Smithsonian Museum we have been to, but we're glad we did it.
No comments:
Post a Comment