Did you know that the American Philatelic Center, headquarters for the largest, non-profit organization for stamp collectors in the world, is located right here in Pennsylvania?
The American Philatelic Center in Bellefonte is the home of both the American Philatelic Society and the American Philatelic Research Library, making it the epicenter of the stamp collecting hobby in the United States!
Part museum and part library – I’m going to give you a brief overview of what you can expect to see when you visit the American Philatelic Center in Bellefonte.
What is the American Philatelic Society?
Simply put, the American Philatelic Society promotes the hobby of stamp collecting, through educational programs and literature, by putting on “stamp shows” where hobbyists get together to buy, sell, and display stamp collections, and by representing the United States in the global body of stamp collectors.
The organization was founded in 1886, and since 2004 has been located in the historic Pennsylvania Match Factory building in Bellefonte.
Not only does the Match Factory give the American Philatelic Center great ambiance, but there’s plenty of free parking right next to the building.
And speaking of free, admission to the American Philatelic Center is also free!
What You’ll See at the American Philatelic Center
There are essentially two sides to the American Philatelic Center – the “museum side” and the “library side”.
If you’ve never visited the Center, I’d encourage you to check out the museum side first, where you’ll see displays about a variety of stamp collecting topics.
The displays are organized in alphabetical fashion, with each of the 26 letters corresponding with a stamp collecting topic.
For example, the letter “I” deals with inverted stamps, including the “Inverted Jenny”, one of the most famous stamps in the hobby.
The letter “S” deals with se-tenant stamps; stamps with different designs that are joined together.
As with the other exhibits, you’ll see examples that illustrate what se-tenant stamps looks like.
In addition to these alphabetical exhibits, there is a gallery of exhibits where stamps have been used to create art.
For example, the collage entitled “Books Cannot Be Killed By Fire” uses hundreds of stamps to create a thought-provoking collage about the dangers of censorship.
There are also displays of U.S. Postal Service memorabilia, including some featuring Mr. Zip, who was created in 1963 as a way to encourage people to use zip codes on their mailings.
The American Philatelic Research Library
The American Philatelic Research Library makes up the other half of the Center, and contains one of the world’s largest collections of philatelic literature.
The collection spans two floors and contains more than 23,000 book titles and 5,700 journal titles, as well as thousands of additional documents and catalogs related to the hobby of stamp collecting.
While anyone is free to come in and browse through the materials in the library, only members of the American Philatelic Society can check materials out of the library.
There is also a small bookstore on the ground floor of the library where used books related to stamp collecting can be purchased.
Hours and Directions
The American Philatelic Center is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm (closed on major holidays).
You’ll find the American Philatelic Center at 100 Match Factory Place, Bellefonte, PA 16823.
When you pull into the parking lot, proceed all the way to the back of the complex, past Big Spring Spirits (another tenant of the Match Factory complex).
For more information, check out the American Philatelic Society’s OFFICIAL WEBSITE.
Nearby Attractions
Talleyrand Park covers 3.5 acres along the banks of Spring Creek in Bellefonte, immediately adjacent to the American Philatelic Center.
Historic Bellefonte is both the county seat of Centre County and the “Victorian Jewel” of Pennsylvania!
Centre Furnace Mansion is a magnificently restored Victorian-style home near State College that has ties not only to the early iron industry in Centre County, but is also the birthplace of Penn State!
The Columbus Chapel in Boalsburg contains the largest and most important collection of Christopher Columbus artifacts and memorabilia on the North American continent!
Curtin Village is a beautifully-preserved and restored 19th century Centre County iron plantation, composed of the iron master’s mansion, the iron furnace, and the workers village.
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