Adventure Base 100 |

Scouts on a quest for action, adventure, and treasure scoured the nation's capital July 24-25, 2010 during ScoutQuest! They were able to uncover clues that unlocked the link between Scouting and some of our greatest national treasures in an interactive citywide hunt, held in partnership with some of the greatest museums in the world. Learn more about it!

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Using QR Codes

It's as easy as taking a picture! When you snap a photo of a Quick Response (QR) code with a smartphone, it reveals a hidden message. Several free applications are available that can read the codes like i-nigma, BeeTagg, or the Zxing Reader. During ScoutQuest, guides equipped with HTC Aria smartphones were on hand so everyone could play the game.

Smithsonian's National Postal Museum

Hours 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Located next to Washington's Union Station
postalmuseum.si.edu

Think it's easy for your letter to get where it needs to go? Your visit to the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum will make you think again! From Alaskan dogsleds to the Pony Express to today's modern airplanes and semi-trucks, the Postal Museum will show you the colorful and engaging history of the nation's mail service.

You will find exhibits on the US Postal Inspection Service, unique postage stamps, and mail from World War II. Pass by the bronze statue of Owney the dog, the unofficial mascot of the Railway Mail Service, and rub his nose for good luck. (You can even meet the real lovable mutt himself by the museum's train car in the atrium.)

Explore one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of stamps and philatelic material in the world. But don't expect to find the 2010 "Celebrate Scouting" stamp just yet. Its first day of issue will be July 27 at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree, and all jamboree goers and visitors are invited to attend.

The Postal Museum is located next to Washington's Union Station. The museum is open every day except December 25, and admission is free.