Museo de Filatelia de Oaxaca (Philately Museum of Oaxaca), Oaxaca

The Philately Museum of Oaxaca, founded on July 9, 1998, is the only museum of its kind in Latin America, dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich history of stamps from Mexico and around the world. Born from a 1996 exhibition of the Alfredo Harp Helú philatelic collection, the establishment found its home in a former state newspaper building, renovated under the guidance of architect Daniel López Salgado and museographers Martha Ellion and Alejandra Mora Velasco.

The museum's vault safeguards its most prized items, including a Penny Black-the world’s first postage stamp-and every Mexican stamp issued since 1856. In total, the collection boasts some 200,000 pieces: postage stamps, first-day covers, special cancellations, leaflets, mail art, and even personal letters from Frida Kahlo to Dr. Leo Eloesser.

The galleries bring postal art to life through thematic exhibits-baseball, railroads, the Olympic Games, orchids, arthropods, and more-demonstrating how a tiny piece of paper can capture global culture, history, and creativity.

Through rotating exhibitions and hands-on workshops, MUFI not only celebrates the art of the postage stamp but also inspires new generations to discover the stories these miniature artworks carry.