The International Spy Museum

The International Spy Museum (http://www.spymuseum.org/) has been, from the beginning of this project, one of the museums that I was most excited to see. Opened in July 2002, it is a privately owned museum dedicated to espionage throughout the ages.  They even have a former CIA agent as museum director.

Brandon and I went on a Monday to avoid the throngs of tourists who descend upon the museum every weekend. Before entering the museum you are asked to assume a secret identity, memorizing facts that you will be quizzed on later in the visit. Oddly, Brandon and I both, independently chose Greta, a 33 year old astronomer from Germany. The top floor of the museum was hands down my favorite. It contained interactive exhibits where you learn what makes a good blind drop site (e.g. a hole under a tree root, an empty coke can), how to pick up on suspicious behavior and what innocent looking things in your environment could actually be signals from a spy. This is also the floor with all of the James Bond-esque spy gear that you never believed could actually exist….buttonhole camera on a trench coat, lipstick gun, umbrella poison dart shooter. It took me back to 6th grade, wanting to be Agent 99 on Get Smart. They even have James Bond’s Aston Martin.

From spy gear, the exhibits turn to real life spies spanning the centuries. From Mata Hari (more legend than real spy) to the spies you never knew (Josephine Baker smuggled important documents for the US out of Europe in her sheet music!), the museum walks you through famous spies from the ancient world to the present day (Aldrich Ames..Robert Hanssen).

Josephine Baker

The bulk of the bottom two floors covers espionage during World War II and the Cold War after. The artifacts and period photographs were wonderful. My only complaint is that the amount of information provided was overwhelming. As confused as I was just reading about the spy rings post hoc, I can’t imagine how anyone could have pieced together who was on what side at the time.

The museum is well worth the price of admission, especially for history buffs. My only advice - eat your Wheaties.