Washington, D.C.

Come in from the Cold at the International Spy Museum

Day Trip Destination: Washington, D.C.

The District of Columbia has more spies than any city on Earth, so it should come as no surprise that it plays host to the museum with the most international espionage artifacts.

The International Spy Museum, located in the city’s Penn Quarter, offers the visitor an opportunity to trace the evolution of espionage through audiovisual displays, interactive exhibits and even role playing. The stylish 20,000-square-foot building may be big on glitz and glamour, but it makes every attempt to give an accurate look behind the scenes of an industry that is typically cloaked in secrecy.

An orientation film in the briefing room describes techniques and tools of the trade, as well as insight on the motivation for making this clandestine career choice. Visitors separate fact from fiction, and common misconceptions are dismissed as the real world of espionage comes into focus.

Ever want to work under cover? Break a code? Sniff out the spies among us? It’s all in a day’s work at the International Spy Museum. The first order of business is to choose a new identity from among 16 spy profiles and memorize the details as if your life depended on it. In the everyday life of a spy, it would.

If you don’t have a lot of experience in the practice of deception, The Tricks of the Trade is a veritable school for spies. This exhibit explains how agents are recruited and trained and shows the nifty gadgets they’ve used – called tradecraft – to carry out their missions.

Secret writing detection kits, hidden photography and listening devices and concealment containers such as the doggie doo safe are featured. The fine art of disguise is described, with hints on how you can do this at home. Squint an eye and furrow your brow for a different look, and throw a pebble in one shoe to create a limp. Ingenuity is crucial to survival in the life of a spy.

Kids can crawl through overhead ductwork and hear recordings of private conversations among aids to Fidel Castro – a sobering reminder that you’re not backstage at “Get Smart,” and this is not a game. Because America does, however, love a good espionage flick, you will see several exhibits devoted to spy noir.

And who best personifies our obsession with the worldly, bullet-dodging spy? Bond. James Bond. The museum’s Aston Martin DB5, used to promote the 1964 movie Goldfinger, draws in viewers with its sexy lines and promises of escape.

Bond author Ian Fleming is featured in The Secret History of History, a gallery that reveals the role that intelligence has played in shaping world events. Fleming knew of which he wrote, having been a British Navy intelligence officer with a penchant for fast cars, fast women and games of chance.

America’s first president was also its first spymaster, and it is fascinating to learn how George Washington built an intelligence network and passed along disinformation to the Redcoats. When the Revolutionary War was over, Britain’s spymaster in America complained that “Washington did not really outfight the British, he simply outspied us!”

Displays about the famous Mata Hari, exotic dancer turned WWI spy, as well as Josephine Baker and Julia Child, remind the visitor that espionage is not an all-boys club. Women spies were so prevalent during WWII that propaganda posters warned men to avoid pillow talk.

The museum’s collection of cryptology equipment is understandably extensive. Breaking the Code includes a Jeffersonian cipher device, a message scrambler used by the Confederate army, and the infamous German cipher machine from WWII. Interactive activities and exhibits allow you to try your hand at code breaking.

Perhaps the most impressive gallery in the International Spy Museum is Behind Enemy Lines, devoted to the Cold War – most of which was fought by spies in clandestine struggles throughout the world.

Since Berlin was the capital of the Cold War, it makes an appropriate backdrop for exhibits on the topic. And its city café – complete with tables and chairs – is the perfect place to temporarily recover from sensory overload. A replica of the tunnel beneath the border of the American and Soviet sectors of Berlin further lends a feeling of authenticity.

The Wilderness of Mirrors, featuring real-life spies of the late 20th century – Aldrich Ames, John Walker, Anthony Blunt and Robert Philip Hanssen – is a reminder of cases that dominated our headlines not that long ago. The 12-minute film, “Cat and Mouse,” is worth watching for its insight on the apprehension of both Ames and Hanssen by the agents who were hot on their trails.

The tour ends with the new Weapons of Mass Disruption gallery, and the final film, Ground Truth, warns of the challenges facing intelligence professionals in their mission to protect our county and its infrastructure in the Digital Age.

The 5,000 –square-foot store offers an amazing selection of souvenirs, including recording devices, spy apparel, code kits, invisible ink pens and concealment devices, as well as the usual tee shirts, key chains and postcards. Hands down, this is one of the best museum gift shops in the city.

When you go…

• The museum is open from 9:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. daily.
• Tickets may be purchased online or at the museum: $18 for adults, $17 for seniors and military and $15 for children ages 5-11.
• There is wheelchair access into and throughout the building.
• Strollers, food, drinks and photography are not allowed.
• The nearest Metro station is Gallery Place/Chinatown.
• The Spy City Café serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Information about programs including Operation Spy, Spy at Night and Spy in the City can be found at www.spymuseum.org.