International Spy Museum

Infobox Museum
name= International Spy Museum


imagesize= 200
map_type=
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established= July 2002
location= 800 F Street Northwest
Washington, DC
United States
type= History
visitors=
director= Peter Earnest [ [http://www.spymuseum.org/press/about_leadership.php "Press Room: Leadership"] , International Spy Museum]
curator=
publictransit= Gallery Place–Chinatown station (Metrorail)
website= [http://www.spymuseum.org/ www.spymuseum.org] The International Spy Museum is a privately owned museum dedicated to the field of espionage located in the Penn Quarter neighborhood of Washington, D.C., and one block south of the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station.

The museum was built by The Malrite Company at a cost of US$40 million. Despite being one of the few museums in Washington that charges admission fees [ [http://www.spymuseum.org/plan/ticketing.php "Plan a Visit: Ticketing & Admission Rates"] , International Spy Museum] , it has been immensely popular since its opening in July 2002.

Exhibits

The over 600 artifacts in over 20,000 square feet (1900 m²) of exhibition space [ [http://www.spymuseum.org/about/faq.php "About: Frequently Asked Questions"] , International Spy Museum] relate the history of espionage and spies in real-world practice and in popular culture. The museum has extensive exhibits on espionage methods and materials dating from the Greek and Roman empires, the British empire, the American Revolutionary War, the American Civil War, the World Wars, and the Cold War years.

Most of the exhibit areas bring visitors into the era's espionage environment. Numerous visitor-interactive stations are located throughout the exhibit areas. At the terminus of the exhibit area an 8-minute feature film updates and describes how modern technology has changed the face of warfare and terrorism.

Choosing a "cover"

A unique feature of the museum is its controlled entry, where visitors are given 5 minutes to memorize details of one of 16 spy profiles they are to assume (fictitious name, age, place of birth, destination, and so forth) as their "cover" before they are allowed to proceed into the exhibit area. Each "cover" is subtly assigned a mission on the plaque bearing their details, but completion is not required. Later while touring the museum visitors may test themselves at an interactive display on how well they remember the details of their selected spy identity. They may also be stopped occasionally by museum guides acting as "police" and "questioned" about their assumed identity.

"Operation Spy"

The museum also has an interactive exhibition called "Operation Spy", where visitors assume the roles of covert agents and participate in a one-hour Hollywood-style spy simulation, in which they move from area to area and are faced with puzzles, tasks, motion simulators, sound effects, and video messages as they work through a mission involving the interception of a secret arms deal involving a nuclear device. This exhibition has a separate admission fee and separate entrance from the museum's permanent exhibit.

Other features

The museum complex includes an extensive gift shop featuring espionage books, DVDs, clothing, and other "memorabilia"; the "Spy City Cafe" snack shop; and an adjacent upscale restaurant, the "Zola".

Criticism

Critics have noted that several of the museum's board members are former Central Intelligence Agency agents, that it glosses over criticism of the CIA, and generally romanticizes intelligence work. [cite news
last = Kennicott
first = Philip
title = It's No Secret: Spy Museum Welcomes Snoopers
work = The Washington Post
page = C01
date = July 17, 2002] Nevertheless, the collaboration with various members of the intelligence community has imparted authenticity to the exhibits.

ee also

*Defense Intelligence Agency
*Federal Bureau of Investigation
*Imperial War Museum
*KGB
*National Cryptologic Museum
*National Security Agency

External links

* [http://www.spymuseum.org/ International Spy Museum]
* [http://www.zoladc.com/ Zola Restaurant]

References