The National Postal Museum and Union Station were 2 places we didn’t get a chance to visit on our first visit to Washington D.C. This time they were at the top of our list and since they are next to each other, they could be visited on the same day.
National Postal Museum
The National Postal Museum is a Smithsonian Museum located north of the US Capitol. It is easily accessed from the Union Station Metro. Take my word for it when I say, don’t drive! The parking garage is a nightmare.
All Smithsonian Museums, including the Postal Museum, have free admission. Unlike the other museums on the National Mall, the Postal Museum is not crowded. It’s a hidden gem.
The Postal Museum has 2 levels to explore. All the exhibits are modern and some are interactive. Our kids really enjoyed this museum. They hopped from room to room exploring everything from postal history to stamps. Their favorite parts were picking out free stamps to start a stamp collection and designing their own stamp.
Must Sees
Here are some things you don’t want to miss: Owney the Dog, the National Stamp Collection, the Inverted Jenny, and Amelia Earhart’s flight suit.
This museum is much smaller than the other Smithsonian museums, so it will only take you a couple hours to tour. They do have a small gift shop and stamp store. You have to go next door to find restaurants.
Union Station
Union Station was our second stop of the day. It is a major transportation hub with passengers traveling by Amtrak, Metro, and buses. Inside you will also find many shops and restaurants. The architecture is spectacular in the great hall. Take some time to look around and up.
A few words of caution about Union Station, keep your kids close! There are people from all walks of life wandering around inside and out. When my husband asked a security guard for directions to the restrooms he was told to not let the kids go by themselves. It made me a bit uncomfortable. I felt okay around the shops and in the great hall, but the closer I got to the train gates the more unsettled I got.
Unfortunately, in the post, 9/11 world that we live in you can no longer go out onto the train platforms. If you have a train lover, I suggest going out into the parking garage. We parked on the second level and had a great view of the tracks below (see above image, sorry for the bad quality).
Visiting the National Postal Museum and Union Station took up about half of our day. You could easily fit in another museum in the afternoon. Need some suggestions? Check out my posts:
- 4 Days with Kids in Washington DC
- Museum of the Bible with Kids
- United States Air Force Memorial with Kids
- National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial with Kids
- Theodore Roosevelt Island with Kids
- What you need to know about the Smithsonian National Zoo with Kids
- What you need to know about the International Spy Museum
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own. I did not receive compensation for this post.
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