The International Spy Museum

The first time I tried to go to the spy museum tickets were sold out for the day until 5 or 6 pm--meaning that we'd only get a few hours to look around, so we passed that time. Second time I tried to go to the spy museum, we got there early and got in without a problem. I thought overall the museum was fun and entertaining. I especially liked the "training" area at the beginning. The end of the exhibit though, tended to give off a propaganda-ish vibe which made me feel a little uncomfortable. All and all though, a good place to visit that is worth the admission!

The International Spy Museum provides an interesting and interactive museum experience. For a reasonable price (though not as cheap as the FREE museums on the Mall), you can learn so much about one of the most secretive jobs in the world--espionage! The exhibits are well layed out, though there are always crowds, so that can make it hard to move around. And while at other museums you're often just staring at things, here there are a lot of interactive programs where you can experience spy life first-hand. Particularly interesting is all the WWII/Cold War history--surprising stuff! Don't miss this if you're visiting DC!

This is one unique, relatively inexpensive ($14/adult) museum that showcases international espionnage. Its most recent feature is a simulated atom bomb that counts down from ten to one, then causes the whole ground to shake. The experience was really scary, but it made me appreciate the military for protecting our country. Another scary moment is the headphone room, which picks up on conversations captured at various places in the museum - a perfectly legal concept. Anyway, this is a very cool place to learn about espionnage and tactics we have to counter it.

PROS: Very unique
CONS: Lines can be long; purchase passes ahead of time!

This newest musuem to the DC scene is a sweetheart. It does cost $14 to get in, which seems steep when all the Smithsonians around the city are free, but it offers something you can't find anywhere else. The exhibits themselves are compelling, and many of them are interactive, which is fun. you are asked to assuem a secret identity when you enter, and they test you on it upon exit. The one big downside is the crowds. When we were there you could barely move around, and we had to skip several exhibits 9such as the fake tunnels and enigma machine) because they were just too crowded. tey a weekday, maybe.

The International Spy Museum could be DC's most entertaining museum. The museum is sprawling and takes about four hours to get through, filled with gadgets, stories and presentations. Special exhibits also pass through, and tend to be equally impressive.

PROS: pretty much everything
CONS: takes two days to see everything, is crowded