Date of Sojourn: January 2018
Location: 2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E., Washington, DC 20002; Map
The Smithsonian Institution’s National Postal Museum occupies the ground floor of the former DC City Post Office Building, next to Union Station in downtown Washington. The building served as the city’s central post office from its opening date in September 1914 to September 1986 after which the Postal Service began a major renovation of the building, including restoring the lobby to its original design. A glass-enclosed atrium was created and became the central feature of the National Postal Museum. The Postal Museum opened in this location in 1993.
A visit to the Postal Museum provides an opportunity to see the grand restoration of the City Post Office Building along with a variety of exhibits on the history of the US Postal Service. The The William H. Gross Stamp Gallery takes up much of the original building. In the atrium and associated space in the addition are several exhibits including the history of the Postal Service, the Postal Inspection Service, and the technology to sort/distribute/deliver mail today.