Friday we had a change of plans. We were scheduled to go for a White House briefing, but the trip was overbooked. Because all of the Freedom Scholars had just been at the White House for a briefing last summer, we were given free time for the second half of the morning. The International Spy Museum is next door to our hotel, so several us went to there for a few hours.
Since opening in 2002, the Spy Museum has become one of DC’s hottest attractions. It mixes informative exhibits with opportunities for visitors to test their own spy skills. When we entered we each had to memorize a “cover” identity. Later we were given details of a spy mission to memorize. At various points we had to reproduce that information. Even the speed with which we answered the questions figured in to our success. In the end I completed my mission and was able to get out of the country, but because I hesitated in answering a few questions I made the customs official suspicious. The computer indicated that I may have trouble getting back in the country.
In addition to featuring spy methods and gadgets, the museum is full of riveting stories of wartime espionage, double agents, and betrayals. The focus is primarily on the World Wars and Cold War since it is hard to get much info about current espionage techniques. My sense is that the fall of the Soviet Union provided spy enthusiasts with lots of information that would have remained secret for years otherwise.
Not surprisingly, the museum has a large bookstore with lots of tempting books. I didn’t buy any but wrote down several interesting titles.
All photos © Courtesy of the International Spy Museum.