The National Postal Museum is divided into galleries that explore America's postal history. Visitors will have a full picture of the creation and fantastic varieties of postage stamps.
World of Stamps
Video images bring stamps to life and attract visitors who explore the surrounding displays. Visitors encounter the world's first postage stamp — the 1840 Penny Black and learn how it revolutionized communication. Stamp images, including Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech and the stamp that helped raise almost $72 million dollars for breast cancer research, explain how stamps have shaped history and honored people and places worldwide.
Gems of American Philately
Visitors have the opportunity of examining 13 of the most rare and highly valued stamps in the world of the stamp collection, including the most famous American stamp of all, the 1918 Inverted Jenny. A video explains why the Inverted Jenny and other stamps displayed here are the most valuable. The treasures in this area are rarely available for public viewing. Each tells a story about an important event in US history.
Mail Marks History
The markings on mail provide valuable clues to the surprising ways mail has been transported over time, including challenges and even disasters encountered along the way. You will understand these markings by following the journeys of three historic letters.
Connect with US Stamps
Visitors explore their own connections with stamps. At three touch screen tables, they create their own stamp collection based on the topics that interest them most. They can also create their own stamp designs. Visitors have the chance to view videos in which stamp designers talk about their craft, stamp collectors explain what they collect and why, and footage(片段) shows the process of making stamps.
