The museum, which opened in 1963, features the collections of Cardinal Francis Spellman, a Boston-area native and avid philatelist who served as archbishop of New York for nearly 30 years, and the former National Philatelic Museum of Philadelphia. Through private donations, including those from notables such as President Eisenhower and Matthew Ridgway, the museum’s collection has expanded to more than 2 million items.
While it is surely Cliff Clavin’s idea of heaven, the Spellman Museum appeals to more than just stamp hobbyists. Perhaps surprisingly, it’s also a hit with a generation more familiar with abbreviations such as LOL and OMG than RFD and ZIP.
The pint-size set seems to have a natural affinity for the miniature pieces of paper, which is particularly good news for parents seeking a remedy for this winter’s particularly virulent strain of cabin fever. Children under 16 are always free, and this school vacation week the museum will expand its hours and host its annual Happy Birthday Presidents Family Day on Thursday. The museum galleries will feature an exhibition of presidential stamps, and there will be hands-on activities, scavenger hunts, and games to teach children about our pantheon of presidents. Kids will also be able to design their own presidential stamps. “We want to get kids to look at as many stamps as possible, ask questions about who’s on them, and get them interested in stamps and the presidents,’’ says Henry Lukas, the museum’s education director.
All year long, the museum caters to children with monthly family days, special scavenger hunts to locate particular stamps among the galleries, and an activity room where kids can rummage through bins of canceled stamps for art projects and educational games. Children are also given free packets of American and international stamps to take home, starter seeds that may blossom into a robust collection.
