Description: In 2019, the Smithsonian faced the repercussions of the nation’s longest-ever government shutdown, but the institution is no stranger to the dreaded furlough.
Description: The Smithsonian was established in 1846 as a public trust by an act of Congress that also created a Board of Regents charged with establishing an institution “for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.” Find out more about how the Smithsonian is organized and governed in the pages below.
Description: The National Postal Museum was established in 1990 under an agreement between the Smithsonian and US Postal Service to preserve and display the National Philatelic Collection, formerly part of the National Museum of American History. The Postal Museum moved to the Washington City Post Office Building on Capitol Hill in 1993. History of the National Postal MuseumAdditional