Everything covered about the new home for one of Washington, DC’s most popular Spy Museum
Formerly a fixture in DC’s Downtown neighborhood, the International Spy Museum has moved to a new facility in L’Enfant Plaza, located in the Southwest Waterfront. The state-of-the-art museum offers enough spy-related intrigue and interactive fun to fill an entire day. The museum is open from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., Monday through Sunday. Read on for more reasons why you should visit the re-imagined attraction that will help the entire family discover the fascinating world of espionage.
1. The museum has doubled in size.
With its move to L’Enfant Plaza, the International Spy Museum has increased its total square footage to 140,000, doubling its footprint from the F Street location and allowing for a more in-depth experience. In addition to the expanded exhibition space and interactive elements, the new-look museum will now also offer 5,500 square feet of rotating exhibit space on its third floor.
2. Exhibits are now more international and comprehensive.
In total, 39 countries are featured in the museum, with spies from Asia, Europe and the Middle East all showcased. New exhibits also go into much deeper detail regarding the science, technology and analysis used in spycraft. Controversial topics, including the use of torture and secret surveillance, are also covered, with multiple perspectives shared that inspire rumination and debate.
3. You can embark on your own Undercover Mission throughout your visit.
The museum gives its guest a chance to be a spy for a day. While you are visiting the museum, kiosks throughout the exhibit rooms will give you challenges. You have to keep yourself in cover, find & contact sources, collect intel at dead drop sites and much more. Your skills are monitored and you can access a personal score sheet online. In addition to your Undercover Mission, there’s also Mind Games, which showcases the mental patterns and biases that can foil intelligence operations
4. You will learn about important spies and espionage operations throughout history.
On the museum’s fifth floor, you can immerse yourself in the stories of spies that date all the way back to the 16th century. For the most part, these fascinating adventures are detailed through first-person video accounts by actors playing the spies.
5. The museum contains thousands of espionage artifacts.
Thanks to the immense donation of collector H. Keith Milton, who contributed thousands of items, the new Spy Museum’s collection of spy gadgets and tools is more robust than ever before. Highlights include a coat fitted with a buttonhole camera (from Russia), a 1922 silver dollar equipped with a suicide pin (from the U.S.) and a Steineck ABC Wristwatch featuring a tiny camera (from Germany).
6. Films will showcase fascinating stories and elements of spycraft.
The Briefing Theater includes a film that guides you through the experience of being a spy, including dead drops, disguises and deceit. Real Spies, Real Stories dives deep into real-life spy operations from the actual participants, providing insight into the trade that you can’t get anywhere else.
7. Covert actions from around the world are highlighted.
Clandestine operations going as far back as the Trojan Horse are exhibited at the new Spy Museum, illuminating the fact that covert actions have been a part of warfare for ages. You’ll encounter sections on illusory magic, ninjas and propaganda, among many others.
8. You’ll see ways in which spies have been depicted in popular culture.
The fourth-floor features License to Thrill: Our Favorite Spies, where visitors can watch clips from famous spy films and television shows, including The Americans, Salt and the Jason Bourne series. The gallery also includes testimonials from actual spies, who reveal the realism of these films and shows and discuss which spy stories impacted their work, as well as a wide range of artifacts that touches both The Avengers and Game of Thrones.
9. The gift shop is chock full of exciting, spy-related items.
Before you depart the new Spy Museum, a stop by its gift shop is a must-do. The variety of gifts is truly stunning, from secret flasks, disguised as soda cans and peanut butter jars to games, books, shirts and hats.
