International Spy Museum

About International Spy Museum

The International Spy Museum houses the largest collection of international espionage artifacts on public display, from Enigma machines to concealment devices and spy gadgets used throughout history. Visitors take on a cover identity at the start of their visit and can test spy skills at digital interactives scattered through the galleries. The museum, located near L'Enfant Plaza on the National Mall's western edge, moved into its current purpose-built home in 2019. In addition to its main collection, it hosts rotating special exhibitions such as "Camouflage: Designed to Deceive." Because it is a privately operated for-profit museum, admission is ticketed and pricing varies by date under a dynamic "plan-ahead" model, with advance booking recommended, especially in spring and summer.

Location

700 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20024

Nearby attractions

• 

  National Mall

  A vast open-air national park stretching between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, lined with iconic monuments and Smithsonian museums.

• 

  Washington Monument

  A 555-foot marble obelisk honoring George Washington, offering sweeping views of DC from its observation level.

• 

  Thomas Jefferson Memorial

  A domed neoclassical monument on the Tidal Basin honoring Thomas Jefferson, surrounded by famous cherry blossom trees.

• 

  Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

  A granite memorial on the Tidal Basin featuring a colossal carved likeness of Dr. King emerging from a 'Stone of Hope.'

• 

  Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

  A sprawling outdoor memorial along the Tidal Basin divided into four outdoor 'rooms' representing FDR's four terms in office.

• 

  Vietnam Veterans Memorial

  A stark black granite wall inscribed with the names of more than 58,000 U.S. service members who died or went missing in the Vietnam War.

Nearby restaurants

• Zaytinya

  Mediterranean · $$$ · Downtown / Penn Quarter

• Ben's Chili Bowl

  American / Comfort Food · $ · U Street

• Mi Vida

  Mexican · $$ · Navy Yard / Waterfront

• Ambar Capitol Hill

  Balkan · $$ · Capitol Hill

• Centrolina

  Italian · $$$ · Downtown / Penn Quarter

• Maketto

  Cambodian / Taiwanese · $$ · Capitol Hill