Des Moines Post Office

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. A regular was stamping letters one afternoon when he noticed something peculiar. Every Tuesday at exactly three o’clock, an old man in a fedora would appear from nowhere and casually inspect the mailboxes outside the post office. Curious, the worker followed him with his eyes until the fedora disappeared as mysteriously as it had arrived. The next day, everyone in town started watching for him, but never saw anyone again. To this day, some locals still claim they’ve spotted him lurking around the mailboxes on Tuesdays at precisely three.

2. At dawn, a mail carrier arrived at Des Moines Post Office to discover that every letter had been folded into tiny animals and placed neatly in alphabetical order. Curious, he picked up one envelope labeled ‘Aardvark.’ Inside was an adorable little kangaroo made of paper. Smiling, he thought, ‘Someone’s having fun here!’ But when he reached for the next envelope, his hand brushed against something cold—an ice cube nestled among the letters. Turning around, he saw a neighbor waving from behind the counter, grinning mischievously and holding another ice cube. “Just helping things stay cool,” she whispered.}

3. One morning, a delivery driver pulled up to the Des Moines Post Office and found an unusual package on the loading dock. Curious, he picked it up—only to realize it was addressed to ‘The Fastest Mailman Alive’ with no return address. He opened it carefully, expecting anything from letters to packages. Inside was just a note scribbled in childish handwriting: 'Dear Fastest Mailman, sorry I missed you today!' Below was a small drawing of a smiling face and a bicycle. The delivery driver smiled, shook his head, and posted the note next to the time clock. From then on, whenever anyone asked him why he always looked so happy, he’d say, “Because someone believes in me.”

4. At closing time, a postal worker locked up the Des Moines Post Office and walked outside. Suddenly, her dog began barking frantically at an empty mailbox across the street. Curious, she approached the box and saw a tiny note stuck inside: ‘Dear Mail Lady, could you please mail my letter? I’m too shy to give it to you myself.’ Underneath was a handwritten love confession from a local delivery driver. The postal worker blushed and laughed softly, realizing that sometimes even empty boxes hold surprises.