International Spy Museum

Location withinWashington, D.C. Show map of Central Washington, D.C. International Spy Museum (the United States) Show map of the United States
Established	July 19, 2002 (2002-07-19)
Location	700 L'Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, D.C. United States
Coordinates	38°53′02″N77°01′34″W / 38.884°N 77.026°W /38.884; -77.026
Type	History
Visitors	Approx. 600,000 annually[1]
Executive director	Christopher P. Costa
President	Tamara Christian
Public transit access	L'Enfant Plaza
Website	www.spymuseum.org

TheInternational Spy Museum is an independent non-profithistorymuseum which documents thetradecraft, history, and contemporary role of theintelligence field andespionage. It holds the largest collection^[2] of international espionage artifacts on public display. The museum opened in 2002 in thePenn Quarter neighborhood ofWashington, D.C., and relocated toL'Enfant Plaza in 2019.^[3][4]

Milton Maltz, a code-breaker during theKorean War and founder of the Malrite Communications Group in 1956 (later The Malrite Company), conceptualized the International Spy Museum in 1996 as a for-profit organization.^[5] The original museum facility in the Penn Quarter neighborhood was built by Milton Maltz and The House on F Street, L.L.C. at a cost of approximatelyUS$40 million.^[6] It opened to the public in 2002.^[7]

The foundation cost of the original museum was half funded by the Malrite Company; the other $20 million came from the District of Columbia through enterprise zone bonds and TIF bonds. The museum was part of the ongoing rejuvenation of Penn Quarter, kicked off in the 1980s by the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation.^[8]

In April 2015, plans were released for a new museum designed byRogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.^[3] In January 2019, the museum began the process of moving from its previous F Street location to the new $162 million dedicated building at 700 L'Enfant Plaza, and it reopened to the public on May 12, 2019.^[9] The 32,000 square foot L'Enfant Plaza building has a 145-seat theater, rooftop terrace, and top-floor event space.^[10] The new museum is a non-profit enterprise.

Educational and cultural programs are offered for students, adults, and families including scholarly lectures, films, book signings, hands-on workshops, and group tour packages. The museum charges admission fees.^[11]

The museum houses more than 7,000 artifacts with around 1,000 on public display, accompanied by historical photographs, interactive displays, film, and video. The permanent collection traces the complete history of espionage, from the Ancient Greeks and the Roman Empire, theMiddle Ages, theRenaissance, theBritish Empire, theAmerican Revolutionary War, theFrench Revolution, theNapoleonic Wars, theAmerican Civil War, bothWorld Wars, theCold War, and through present day espionage activity. Items include:

• A Four Rotor JapaneseEnigma Machine, built by Germany duringWorld War II for its ally, Japan, allowing German and Japanese soldiers to communicate securely with each other.^[12][13]
• The wreckage ofFrancis Gary Powers' U-2 plane.^[14]
• A 1922 Silver Dollar with Suicide Pin that was made by theCIA for the U-2 program.^[15][16]
• ABay of Pigs flag. The2506 Assault Brigade was meant to fly this flag as a symbol of victory following the 1961 invasion attempt.^[17]
• A vial of heavy water produced to commemorate WWII'sOperation Gunnerside.^[18]
• A printing plate used inOperation Bernhard, an exercise by Nazi Germany to forge British bank notes.^[19][20]
• A coat with a buttonhole camera, created by theKGB.^[21]
• A c.1949 Steineck ABC Wristwatch Camera from Germany. The watch allowed an agent to take photographs while pretending to check his or her watch.^[22]
• ALipstick Pistol used byKGB operatives during theCold War.^[23][24]
• A replica of an Aerial SurveillancePigeon Camera fromWorld War I.^[25]
• TheAston Martin DB5 that was used in the movieGoldfinger, the third part of theJames Bond film series.^[26]

In 2011, the museum had an interactive called Spy in the City where visitors were given aGPS-type device and had to find clues near various landmarks in the area surrounding the museum to obtain the password for a secret weapon.^[27]

• CIA Museum
• Imperial War Museum
• National Cryptologic Museum
• Mark Stout
• Vince Houghton

Wikimedia Commons has media related toInternational Spy Museum.

• Official website

• Espionage museums
• History museums in Washington, D.C.
• Industry museums in Washington, D.C.
• Military and war museums in Washington, D.C.
• Museums established in 2002
• 2002 establishments in Washington, D.C.
• Penn Quarter
• Southwest Federal Center
• Law enforcement museums in the United States
• International Spy Museum

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