WASHINGTON, US
The International Spy Museum, an independent non-profit history museum, offers an unparalleled immersion into the clandestine world of intelligence and espionage. It holds the largest collection of international espionage artifacts on public display, tracing the complete history of the field from th
e Ancient Greeks and the Roman Empire, through the Middle Ages, Renaissance, British Empire, American Revolutionary War, French Revolution, Napoleonic Wars, American Civil War, both World Wars, the Cold War, to present-day activities. The museum's permanent collection houses more than 7,000 artifacts, with around 1,000 on public display, accompanied by historical photographs, interactive displays, film, and video. Founded by Milton Maltz, a code-breaker during the Korean War and founder of the Malrite Communications Group, the museum was conceptualized in 1996 as a for-profit organization. The original facility in the Penn Quarter neighborhood was built by Maltz and The House on F Street, L.L.C. at a cost of approximately US$40 million, opening to the public in 2002. The foundation cost 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, initiated in the 1980s by the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation. In April 2015, plans were released for a new museum designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. In January 2019, the mu
Listen to the audio guide for INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off