Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

Voting by Mail: Civil War to COVID-19

The presidential election year is the appropriate time to reflect on past examples of national voting by mail.

August 24, 2024 – February 23, 2025

Postal Museum

Baseball: America's Homerun

The National Postal Museum presents a blockbuster exhibition exploring America’s national pastime.

April 9, 2022 – January 5, 2025

Postal Museum

Pony Express: Romance vs. Reality

This exhibition examines fictional and actual stories from the history of the world's best known mail carriers.

April 3, 2010 – January 26, 2020

Postal Museum

None Swifter Than These: 100 Years of Diplomatic Couriers

The U.S. Department of State's 100 badged diplomatic couriers travel the globe safeguarding our nation's most sensitive information and materials.

September 14, 2019 – January 26, 2020

Postal Museum

1856 British Guiana One-Cent Magenta

The world's rarest postage stamp, the 1856 British Guiana One-Cent Magenta, is prominently displayed in the museum’s William H. Gross Stamp Gallery.

June 4, 2015 – December 22, 2019

Postal Museum

Royal Philatelic Society London's 150th Anniversary

The exhibition includes displays of Empire and Commonwealth treasures and royal autographs from the National Postal Museum’s collection, as well as a non-competitive exhibition of single-frame exhibits by RPSL’s North American members.

October 18, 2019 – October 19, 2019

Postal Museum

John Lennon: The Green Album

John Lennon’s boyhood stamp album—including 565 stamps on more than 150 pages are on display.

September 7, 2018 – September 2, 2019

Postal Museum

Postmen of the Skies

History of dangerous work of airmail service and the heroic pilots who flew expanding routes that lead to the nation’s commercial aviation system.

May 1, 2018 – August 18, 2019

Postal Museum

Beautiful Blooms: Flowering Plants on Stamps

This exhibition highlights the variety of flowering plants commemorated on US postage stamps during the past 50 years and explores artistic themes that emerged during this period.

October 20, 2017 – July 14, 2019

Postal Museum

Trailblazing: 100 Years of Our National Parks

Featuring original postage stamp art from the United States Postal Service and artifacts loaned by the National Park Service, the exhibition explores the myriad—and sometimes surprising—ways that mail moves to, through and from our national parks.

June 9, 2016 – March 3, 2019

Postal Museum

Alexander Hamilton: Soldier, Secretary, Icon

Explore the extraordinary life of Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) through original mail sent and signed by him in his role as the first Secretary of the Treasury and through portraits of him and his contemporaries on stamps.

May 25, 2018 – March 3, 2019

Postal Museum

My Fellow Soldiers: Letters from World War I

Through personal correspondence written on the frontlines and home front, this centennial exhibition uncovers the history of America’s involvement in World War I.

April 6, 2017 – December 2, 2018

Postal Museum

In Her Words: Women's Duty and Service in World War I

Through the letters and artifacts of four women, visitors can explore unique, personal perspectives on life, duty, and service during the war.

February 2, 2018 – September 5, 2018

Postal Museum

PostSecret: The Power of a Postcard

More than 500 artfully decorated postcards mailed anonymously from around the world reveal regret, fear, betrayal, desire, confession, childhood humiliation, and other compelling confessions

August 3, 2015 – January 1, 2018

Postal Museum

Mail Trolleys

Learn about trolley car mail and increased speed in mail delivery. Between trolleys and multiple daily deliveries in large cities, individuals or businesses could send and receive letters as many as three to four times a day!

May 19, 2017 – September 10, 2017

Postal Museum

New York City: A Portrait Through Stamp Art

This exhibition explores the diversity of topics highlighting the cultural heritage of New York City with thirty pieces of original artwork.

December 10, 2015 – May 14, 2017

Postal Museum

From Royal Mail to Public Post

To mark the United Kingdom postal service's 500th anniversary, a temporary display of original documents from 1635 and 1840 is presented.

October 21, 2016 – January 16, 2017

Postal Museum

Freedom Just Around the Corner: Black America from Civil War to Civil Rights

A chronicle of the African American experience told from the perspective of stamps and mail.

February 12, 2015 – February 15, 2016

Postal Museum

Alphabetilately: An Alphabet of Philately

This exhibition presents an alphabet of philately through 26 topics, in which each letter stands for some aspect of stamp collecting or the sending of mail.

September 26, 2008 – October 12, 2015

Postal Museum

Pacific Exchange: China & U.S. Mail

Examine the relationship between China and the United States through stamps and mail.

March 6, 2014 – January 4, 2015

Postal Museum

Postal Inspectors: The Silent Service

This exhibition spotlights the oldest federal law enforcement agency and its role in fighting crime.

February 2, 2007 – April 8, 2014

Postal Museum

Fire & Ice: Hindenburg and Titanic

Learn about postal service aboard the Hindenburg and the Titanic, the largest flying and sailing post offices in history.

March 22, 2012 – January 6, 2014

Postal Museum

Honoring Lincoln: Abraham Lincoln Certified Plate Proofs

Eleven certified plate proofs for postage stamps issued from 1894 to 1959 honoring Abraham Lincoln are on view in the Philatelic Gallery pullout frames.

November 15, 2008 – September 21, 2013

Postal Museum

Philatelic Gallery

For both the serious collector and those who know little about the renowned hobby of stamp collecting, this gallery highlights some of the best philatic collections in the world.

July 30, 1993 – September 21, 2013

Postal Museum

Amelia Earhart's Personal Collection

Portraits of aviator Amelia Earhart tell the story of her career and pay special attention to her work on behalf of women’s rights.

November 12, 2007 – September 21, 2013

Postal Museum