Address
700 L’Enfant Plaza,
SW Washington DC 20024
United States
Directions: Google Maps
Support
Phone: 202-393-7798 (general)
Phone: 202-654-0991 (tickets)
Email: info@spymuseum.org (general)
Email: events@spymuseum.org (special events)
Email: membership@spymuseum.org (membership queries)
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About International Spy Museum
Located in Washington DC at the Southwest waterfront, the International Spy Museum is the storehouse of spying artifacts, gadgets, and is the only museum in the entire world, dedicated to spying, surveillance, and undercover activities. The collections include espionage from Roman and Greek empires, and extensively stores spy-related exhibits from the cold war & civil war. It is a spectacular museum, revealing the behind-the-scenes of international spying agents, during various world events, throughout history.
Established in 2002, the museum is privately owned, with more than 1000 permanent collections of spy and espionage related artifacts, on a 140,000 square feet of display space. The museum completes 16 years in 2019, attracting visitors from around the world, for its state-of-the-art collectibles, dating from the 1950s to the present times. Some of the all-time favorites include, the covert audio systems, invisible letters, Morse code devices, concealed weapons, small scale-cameras, and the incredible replica of a tunnel, and many more international espionage from Asia, Middle East, and European countries.
The museum showcases spy gadgets from 39 countries, on 8 floor levels, and the permanent exhibit of the spy gadgets are on display at the 4th and 5th floor. There is a theatre and rotating exhibit space of 5,500 square feet on the 3rd floor, learning center on the 2nd floor, and the lobby on the 1st floor. On the 7th and 8th floor, the museum has its private event spaces, with garden roof terrace, and a ballroom.
Visitors can participate in a fun and interesting under-cover mission, thus enabling them to have a better understanding about the significance of these spy gadgets. The spy gadgets are chronologically displayed, and with a detailed explanation about its purpose, and usage. Most of the collections on display are donated by Keith Milton, an avid collector of spy gadgets. The museum educates visitors to learn about the different spy operations, used throughout history, and to create a general awareness about the evolution of espionage over the years.
Open on all days of the week, from 10am-6pm, the museum remains closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas day. The entrance tickets cost $24.95 for adults (13-64), and $14.95 for youth (7-12), and is free for children under 6. Group tours are available on request, and the best time to visit would be the weekdays. All tours of the spy museum are self-guided, and visitors may typically spend around 2 hours to explore the gadgets on display, enjoy the interactive spy-games, organized by the museum.
You can keep a track of the events and special exhibits on the website. Tickets also can be purchased online using Visa or MasterCard. Become a member of the Inner Circle to get unlimited access to the museum and discounts at the spy store. For complaints or queries on tickets, events, cancellation, photography, career, or others, reach the International Spy Museum support.
