The National Postal Museum

The National Postal Museum is the latest in the series of Smithsonian museums, which means it's both free and you won't have to stand in line at 6 a.m. to get a ticket.    It's located next door to the restored Union Station (which is a beauty you should definitely see, and you can catch the Gray Line tour to Mt. Vernon from there (see elsewhere on this site)).

The Postal Museum has a permanent exhibit on how the Post Office was responsible for the development of the United States (well, it is their museum), and several rotating exhibits designed to be of interest to the general public.    There really wasn't a lot there aimed at stamp collectors.

One of the exhibits showed the winning entries in the "Artful Envelope" contest, an annual contest for artist and graphic designers.    I was amazed at the colorful and clever ways people came up with to decorate envelopes; these people are a lot more imaginative than I am.

There was also an exhibit called "Mayhem in the Mails" - about postal crimes and investigators - which included a footlocker.    Seems this guy mailed himself in this footlocker, registered mail, across the country.     While the plane was in mid-air, he snuck out a false bottom and looted the registered mail, mailing the contents to his accomplices in separate containers.    Really clever.

A good place to visit when you're tired of the crowds, just be sure to completely avoid the very tacky Pitney-Bowes junk mail exhibit.