From spies to space
A car used by one of the villains in the “James Bond” film series is on display at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.
An Enigma encoding machine used by the Nazis during World War II to send secret messages
The International Spy Museum, which opened in 2002 and hosts 600,000 visitors annually, is already outgrowing its current home on F Street NW. A new, larger home for the museum is under construction in L’Enfant Plaza on 10th Street SW to accommodate more than 5,000 new spy artifacts recently donated by Keith Melton, a former Navy officer who has been collecting intelligence-related devices since the 1970s.
A display on drones and other aerial surveillance technology at the International Spy Museum
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, which dropped the first atomic bomb during World War II, is on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.
The Concorde, the first supersonic commercial airliner, is on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
The Observation Tower at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
Our nation’s Capitol is renowned for its collection of museums. If you’ve already toured the National Museum of Natural History, National Gallery of Art and others on the National Mall, two more museums are definitely a bit different and worth exploring during your next trip to Washington, D.C.
All is not what it seems. That’s the theme at the International Spy Museum, where they say there’s something for the spy in all of us. Anyone with a sense of curiosity, love of history or even a good sense of humor will thoroughly enjoy a trip through the world’s largest collection of international espionage artifacts.
What makes this experience even more interesting is that many of the exhibits are interactive with audiovisual effects, films and hands-on components, such as a chance to decode messages while learning about the Enigma machine the Nazi’s used to encode messages during World War II. You’ll learn to hone your covert surveillance skills, create disguises and search for listening devices through the entertaining and educational tour of spy exploits throughout history.
Permanent displays here include hundreds of tools of the spy trade, ranging from tiny cameras disguised as lipstick cases and lapel pins to real-life spy tools, such as bugs used during covert operations by the CIA, KGB and Stasi. Special rotating exhibits focus on fun spy facts and even fictional spies.
During our visit this summer, the villains of the “James Bond” books and films, plus their evil schemes and lavish lairs, took the spotlight in an extra display. The International Spy Museum, which opened in 2002 and hosts 600,000 visitors annually, is already outgrowing its current home on F Street NW. A new, larger home for the museum is under construction in L’Enfant Plaza on 10th Street SW, with plans to open next year.
They’ll need that space to house the more than 5,000 new spy artifacts recently donated by Keith Melton, a former Navy officer who made his fortune as a successful McDonald’s franchisee and who has been collecting intelligence-related devices since the 1970s. His is the largest private spy collection in the world and includes a piece of the U-2 spy plane flown by Gary Powers that was shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960, as well as the ax used to kill Marxist revolutionary Leon Trotsky.
After you delve into intrigue of international espionage, it’s time to take flight at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. This sprawling complex is the companion facility to the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall.
That location’s size limitations forced thousands of artifacts to remain in storage until the Udvar-Hazy Center opened near Washington Dulles International Airport in 2003. The annex was renamed for its major donor, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy, who contributed $65 million for its construction. With an average of one million visitors per year, it has since become the most-visited museum in Virginia.
When you walk in, you’ll be overwhelmed by its size and scope. The center has two huge hangars – the Boeing Aviation Hangar and the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar – where there are thousands of aviation and space artifacts. You’ll find everything from rockets to biplanes to helicopters and space capsules in a treasure trove for anyone with a love of aviation and flying.
Highlights include a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, which is the fastest jet ever flown; the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, which dropped the first atomic bomb during World War II; and the Concorde, the first supersonic commercial airliner.
As if that weren’t impressive enough, the centerpiece of the collection will stun you: the Space Shuttle Discovery. Merely approaching this massive craft humbles you as its size staggers the imagination.
You can take your time strolling around the exhibits on your own, or sign up for a walking tour that includes an impressive lesson on Discovery, its crews and its accomplishments.
You can lose yourself for hours wandering in the 10-story-high hangars full of planes, satellites and space suits, but don’t forget to save some time to climb to the observation tower with a 360-degree bird’s-eye view of nearby Dulles Airport and its takeoffs and landings. The center also offers an IMAX Theater, and kids will enjoy the many interactive displays and simulators that can take them on journeys both in the air and into outer space.
International Spy Museum
Address: 800 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
Website: www.spymuseum.org
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Admission: $21.95 (Discounts are available for senior citizens and children younger than 12.)
Tip: Buy tickets online to avoid waiting in long lines.
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
Address: 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, Va.
Website: www.airandspace.si.edu
Hours: 10 am. to 5:30 p.m. daily
Admission: Free
Parking: $15
Tip: Don’t miss the Observation Tower, with an exhibit about air-traffic control, plus views of airplanes landing next door at Washington Dulles International Airport.