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Have you ever recreated an old family recipe? 🍰

Special delivery! When cake artist Justin Ellen ( @EverythingJustBaked ) visited our @NationalPostalMuseum, education specialist Phoebe Sherman not only shared interesting objects that were sent through the mail but also historic recipes.

Inspired, Justin recreated a recipe found in an old post office’s account book. Featured on the cake are just a few of the museum’s collections Justin explored during his visit.

Can’t get enough of these museum-inspired cakes? Tune in this time next week to see a cake that is pane-stakingly beautiful.
#CakeArt #SmithsonianCakes #MuseumCakes #MuseumInspo #oldrecipes

The Postal Service issued a 34-cent "Peanuts" commemorative stamp featuring Snoopy the dog on May 17, 2001.

Drawn by Charles M. Schulz (1922-2000), "Peanuts" began in syndication on October 2, 1950. The installment published on Sunday, February 13, 2000, was the last original comic strip by Schulz, who had passed away the previous day.

"Peanuts" focuses on the anxieties and joys of childhood as expressed by a cast of children who often seem wise beyond their years. Central to the comic strip is Charlie Brown's dog Snoopy, who first stood on his hind legs in 1958 and became extremely popular for his imaginative adventures as a number of characters, among them the World War I flying ace depicted on this stamp.

The world's first regularly scheduled Airmail Service began on May 15, 1918, connecting Washington, D.C. and New York City through Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The U.S. Army provided the airplanes, ground crews, pilots and instruction for the first three months, with the Post Office Department taking over in August.

The plane pictured taking off here on May 15, 1918, is flown by Major Reuben E. Fleet, who managed setting up the airmail service. He had been assigned pilots, airplanes and mechanics; given the three-city route to cover; and told to make everything ready in less than two months. Astoundingly, Fleet pulled everything together, and the service began on May 15, just as it had been announced it would.

The debut of the airmail service was such a big deal that President Woodrow Wilson was present for takeoff from D.C. He is pictured here wishing Major Fleet good luck on his historic flight.

In third photo, also taken May, 15, 1918, Major Fleet (left) and another airmail pilot Lieutenant Boyle admire Fleet's new watch. The Hamilton Watch company presented each of the Army fliers with a new wristwatch in honor of their flights. Unfortunately, Boyle's stint as an airmail pilot was not as successful as Fleet's. The rookie pilot got lost not just once, but on two separate attempts. He was removed from the airmail service shortly thereafter.

The world's first regularly scheduled Airmail Service began on May 15, 1918, connecting Washington, D.C. and New York City through Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The U.S. Army provided the airplanes, ground crews, pilots and instruction for the first three months, with the Post Office Department taking over in August.

The plane pictured taking off here on May 15, 1918, is flown by Major Reuben E. Fleet, who managed setting up the airmail service. He had been assigned pilots, airplanes and mechanics; given the three-city route to cover; and told to make everything ready in less than two months. Astoundingly, Fleet pulled everything together, and the service began on May 15, just as it had been announced it would.

The debut of the airmail service was such a big deal that President Woodrow Wilson was present for takeoff from D.C. He is pictured here wishing Major Fleet good luck on his historic flight.

In third photo, also taken May, 15, 1918, Major Fleet (left) and another airmail pilot Lieutenant Boyle admire Fleet's new watch. The Hamilton Watch company presented each of the Army fliers with a new wristwatch in honor of their flights. Unfortunately, Boyle's stint as an airmail pilot was not as successful as Fleet's. The rookie pilot got lost not just once, but on two separate attempts. He was removed from the airmail service shortly thereafter.

The world's first regularly scheduled Airmail Service began on May 15, 1918, connecting Washington, D.C. and New York City through Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The U.S. Army provided the airplanes, ground crews, pilots and instruction for the first three months, with the Post Office Department taking over in August.

The plane pictured taking off here on May 15, 1918, is flown by Major Reuben E. Fleet, who managed setting up the airmail service. He had been assigned pilots, airplanes and mechanics; given the three-city route to cover; and told to make everything ready in less than two months. Astoundingly, Fleet pulled everything together, and the service began on May 15, just as it had been announced it would.

The debut of the airmail service was such a big deal that President Woodrow Wilson was present for takeoff from D.C. He is pictured here wishing Major Fleet good luck on his historic flight.

In third photo, also taken May, 15, 1918, Major Fleet (left) and another airmail pilot Lieutenant Boyle admire Fleet's new watch. The Hamilton Watch company presented each of the Army fliers with a new wristwatch in honor of their flights. Unfortunately, Boyle's stint as an airmail pilot was not as successful as Fleet's. The rookie pilot got lost not just once, but on two separate attempts. He was removed from the airmail service shortly thereafter.

Free registration is now open for the 2026 Smithsonian National Education Summit! Join us online or
in-person in D.C. for over 40 sessions designed to prepare educators for the nation’s 250th anniversary. To view the session line-up and to register, visit the link in our bio!

#MayThe4thBeWithYou! This metal R2-D2 collection box is covered with a vinyl “skin” that makes it take on the appearance of a droid character in the film Star Wars. Transferred from the United States Postal Service in October 2007, this collection box is signed by George Lucas and then Postmaster General John E. Potter.

March 2007 marked the 30th anniversary of the release of the first Star Wars film. To honor the event, USPS in collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd. released 400 round-top mail collection boxes across the country. This box was installed at Union Station in Washington, DC, next to the Postal Museum!

R2-D2 was chosen to have its likeness placed onto collection boxes because of his shape, which is similar to that of the mailboxes and because it “embodies the trust and dependability for which the Postal Service is renowned” according to a press release from USPS. It is currently on view at the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution's Udvar Hazy Center!

© Lucasfilm Ltd. and the United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

This summer, ignite your child’s curiosity with STAMP Camp, a fun, free virtual program designed to bring STEAM learning (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) right to your inbox!

STAMP Camp is fully digital, free, and self-paced, making it accessible to everyone, everywhere. Each week of activities connects postal history with STEAM learning, using real objects and stories from across the Smithsonian.

Perfect for kids ages 6–12 (with adult support). Registration is required by a parent or guardian.
Sign up for free at the link in our bio!

STAMP Camp begins June 3.

Before texts. Before emails. Before mailboxes. There was Benjamin Franklin, and he was already trying to connect everyone.

In our newest episode, host @marisamagnatta sits down with Lynn Heidelbaugh, Curator at the @nationalpostalmuseum, to unpack how America's most extra Founding Father became the country's first Postmaster General, and accidentally built the backbone of modern communication.

Turns out the guy on the $100 bill also invented the group chat. Kind of.

🎧New episode out now!

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Special thanks to our partners:
@52FirstsPhilly
@discover_PHL
@phlvisitorcenter
@visitphilly
@constitutionctr
@historicphilly
@allthatsgoodpro
@muralarts

#52FirstsPhilly #PhiladelphiaHistoricDistrict #PhillyFirst #Philly2026

NEW EPISODE DROPS TOMORROW!

Travel back in time long before texts or emails...or even mailboxes... with Lynn Heidelbaugh, Curator for the Smithsonian National Postal Museum (@nationalpostalmuseum)! Marisa (@marisamagnatta) and Lynn explore how Benjamin Franklin became America's first Postmaster General, and helped build a system that changed the way we communicate.

Listen tomorrow wherever you get your podcasts!
Special thanks to our partners:
@52FirstsPhilly
@discover_PHL
@phlvisitorcenter
@visitphilly
@constitutionctr
@historicphilly
@allthatsgoodpro
@muralarts

#52FirstsPhilly #PhiladelphiaHistoricDistrict #PhillyFirst #Philly2026

Frances Perkins, the woman behind the weekend, the minimum wage, and safer working conditions was born #OnThisDay in 1880 in Boston.

She was the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet. Perkins was the fourth U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

She began her career as a social worker and teacher and is known as the woman behind the New Deal legislation. Perkins was a central force behind the Social Security Act of 1935, which created a retirement program for workers, unemployment insurance, and mandated compensation for work-related accidents. She also drafted the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, banning child labor and establishing a minimum wage and 40-hour work week.

Learn more about her pioneering career at the link in our bio.

(Image Credits)
1. “Frances Perkins” by Clara Sipprell, 1952. @smithsoniannpg
2 & 3. “Franklin Roosevelt and Cabinet” (detail) by Harris & Ewing Studio, 1933. @smithsoniannpg
4 & 5. “Frances Perkins” by Samuel Johnson Woolf, 1933. Gift of @time magazine. @smithsoniannpg
6. © United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

Frances Perkins, the woman behind the weekend, the minimum wage, and safer working conditions was born #OnThisDay in 1880 in Boston.

She was the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet. Perkins was the fourth U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

She began her career as a social worker and teacher and is known as the woman behind the New Deal legislation. Perkins was a central force behind the Social Security Act of 1935, which created a retirement program for workers, unemployment insurance, and mandated compensation for work-related accidents. She also drafted the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, banning child labor and establishing a minimum wage and 40-hour work week.

Learn more about her pioneering career at the link in our bio.

(Image Credits)
1. “Frances Perkins” by Clara Sipprell, 1952. @smithsoniannpg
2 & 3. “Franklin Roosevelt and Cabinet” (detail) by Harris & Ewing Studio, 1933. @smithsoniannpg
4 & 5. “Frances Perkins” by Samuel Johnson Woolf, 1933. Gift of @time magazine. @smithsoniannpg
6. © United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

Frances Perkins, the woman behind the weekend, the minimum wage, and safer working conditions was born #OnThisDay in 1880 in Boston.

She was the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet. Perkins was the fourth U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

She began her career as a social worker and teacher and is known as the woman behind the New Deal legislation. Perkins was a central force behind the Social Security Act of 1935, which created a retirement program for workers, unemployment insurance, and mandated compensation for work-related accidents. She also drafted the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, banning child labor and establishing a minimum wage and 40-hour work week.

Learn more about her pioneering career at the link in our bio.

(Image Credits)
1. “Frances Perkins” by Clara Sipprell, 1952. @smithsoniannpg
2 & 3. “Franklin Roosevelt and Cabinet” (detail) by Harris & Ewing Studio, 1933. @smithsoniannpg
4 & 5. “Frances Perkins” by Samuel Johnson Woolf, 1933. Gift of @time magazine. @smithsoniannpg
6. © United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

Frances Perkins, the woman behind the weekend, the minimum wage, and safer working conditions was born #OnThisDay in 1880 in Boston.

She was the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet. Perkins was the fourth U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

She began her career as a social worker and teacher and is known as the woman behind the New Deal legislation. Perkins was a central force behind the Social Security Act of 1935, which created a retirement program for workers, unemployment insurance, and mandated compensation for work-related accidents. She also drafted the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, banning child labor and establishing a minimum wage and 40-hour work week.

Learn more about her pioneering career at the link in our bio.

(Image Credits)
1. “Frances Perkins” by Clara Sipprell, 1952. @smithsoniannpg
2 & 3. “Franklin Roosevelt and Cabinet” (detail) by Harris & Ewing Studio, 1933. @smithsoniannpg
4 & 5. “Frances Perkins” by Samuel Johnson Woolf, 1933. Gift of @time magazine. @smithsoniannpg
6. © United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

Frances Perkins, the woman behind the weekend, the minimum wage, and safer working conditions was born #OnThisDay in 1880 in Boston.

She was the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet. Perkins was the fourth U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

She began her career as a social worker and teacher and is known as the woman behind the New Deal legislation. Perkins was a central force behind the Social Security Act of 1935, which created a retirement program for workers, unemployment insurance, and mandated compensation for work-related accidents. She also drafted the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, banning child labor and establishing a minimum wage and 40-hour work week.

Learn more about her pioneering career at the link in our bio.

(Image Credits)
1. “Frances Perkins” by Clara Sipprell, 1952. @smithsoniannpg
2 & 3. “Franklin Roosevelt and Cabinet” (detail) by Harris & Ewing Studio, 1933. @smithsoniannpg
4 & 5. “Frances Perkins” by Samuel Johnson Woolf, 1933. Gift of @time magazine. @smithsoniannpg
6. © United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

Frances Perkins, the woman behind the weekend, the minimum wage, and safer working conditions was born #OnThisDay in 1880 in Boston.

She was the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet. Perkins was the fourth U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

She began her career as a social worker and teacher and is known as the woman behind the New Deal legislation. Perkins was a central force behind the Social Security Act of 1935, which created a retirement program for workers, unemployment insurance, and mandated compensation for work-related accidents. She also drafted the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, banning child labor and establishing a minimum wage and 40-hour work week.

Learn more about her pioneering career at the link in our bio.

(Image Credits)
1. “Frances Perkins” by Clara Sipprell, 1952. @smithsoniannpg
2 & 3. “Franklin Roosevelt and Cabinet” (detail) by Harris & Ewing Studio, 1933. @smithsoniannpg
4 & 5. “Frances Perkins” by Samuel Johnson Woolf, 1933. Gift of @time magazine. @smithsoniannpg
6. © United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

Say goodbye to Earth Month with one last upcycle! Bring an object that you would like to decoupage with stamps or grab a coaster or bookmark from us. Visit the National Postal Museum on Thursday, April 30 from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm for a happy hour combined with crafting fun! Light snacks, crafting materials, drinks, and after-hours gallery exploration are included in the price of the ticket.

Attendees must be 21+ to attend and show a valid ID at the door. Please note space is limited and registration is required. Tickets are $25. Register at the link in our bio!

Were any of these children's books on your shelf growing up?

For decades, the United States Postal Service have released stamps honoring the stories that shaped generations. These five stamps, released between 1993 and 2025, demonstrate the variety of books that capture the imaginations of young readers.

🍝: “Strega Nona” by Tomie dePaola,released in 2024.

⛄: “Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats, released in 2017.

🌝: “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown, released in 2025.

📝: “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott, released in 1993.

🐻: “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak, released in 2006.
(Where the Wild Things Are™&© Maurice Sendak.)

These stamps are in the collection of our @NationalPostalMuseum. © USPS; all rights reserved.#NationalChildrensBookDay #InternationalChildrensBookDay

Were any of these children's books on your shelf growing up?

For decades, the United States Postal Service have released stamps honoring the stories that shaped generations. These five stamps, released between 1993 and 2025, demonstrate the variety of books that capture the imaginations of young readers.

🍝: “Strega Nona” by Tomie dePaola,released in 2024.

⛄: “Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats, released in 2017.

🌝: “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown, released in 2025.

📝: “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott, released in 1993.

🐻: “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak, released in 2006.
(Where the Wild Things Are™&© Maurice Sendak.)

These stamps are in the collection of our @NationalPostalMuseum. © USPS; all rights reserved.#NationalChildrensBookDay #InternationalChildrensBookDay

Were any of these children's books on your shelf growing up?

For decades, the United States Postal Service have released stamps honoring the stories that shaped generations. These five stamps, released between 1993 and 2025, demonstrate the variety of books that capture the imaginations of young readers.

🍝: “Strega Nona” by Tomie dePaola,released in 2024.

⛄: “Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats, released in 2017.

🌝: “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown, released in 2025.

📝: “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott, released in 1993.

🐻: “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak, released in 2006.
(Where the Wild Things Are™&© Maurice Sendak.)

These stamps are in the collection of our @NationalPostalMuseum. © USPS; all rights reserved.#NationalChildrensBookDay #InternationalChildrensBookDay

Were any of these children's books on your shelf growing up?

For decades, the United States Postal Service have released stamps honoring the stories that shaped generations. These five stamps, released between 1993 and 2025, demonstrate the variety of books that capture the imaginations of young readers.

🍝: “Strega Nona” by Tomie dePaola,released in 2024.

⛄: “Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats, released in 2017.

🌝: “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown, released in 2025.

📝: “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott, released in 1993.

🐻: “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak, released in 2006.
(Where the Wild Things Are™&© Maurice Sendak.)

These stamps are in the collection of our @NationalPostalMuseum. © USPS; all rights reserved.#NationalChildrensBookDay #InternationalChildrensBookDay

Were any of these children's books on your shelf growing up?

For decades, the United States Postal Service have released stamps honoring the stories that shaped generations. These five stamps, released between 1993 and 2025, demonstrate the variety of books that capture the imaginations of young readers.

🍝: “Strega Nona” by Tomie dePaola,released in 2024.

⛄: “Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats, released in 2017.

🌝: “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown, released in 2025.

📝: “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott, released in 1993.

🐻: “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak, released in 2006.
(Where the Wild Things Are™&© Maurice Sendak.)

These stamps are in the collection of our @NationalPostalMuseum. © USPS; all rights reserved.#NationalChildrensBookDay #InternationalChildrensBookDay

Celebrate Earth Month at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum with a day of hands-on creativity and planet-friendly fun. Explore how mail and the postal service connect communities while discovering ways to reduce waste, reuse materials, and care for the Earth!

Drop in between 11am–3pm. Free and open to all ages. No registration required

Offerings include:

• Stamped for Sustainability Murals: Collaborate on large-scale, nature-inspired murals using shared art materials for a shared message.

• Postcards for the Planet: Write a postcard that promotes sustainability and environmental action.

• Conservation tours at 11:30am and 1:30pm

• Story Time with the DC Public Library at 12pm and 2pm

• Activities with educators from Smithsonian Gardens, the National Museum of Natural History, and the National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.

ASL interpretation will be provided during both Story Time sessions. For questions or to request additional accommodations, please contact us at npmprograms@si.edu