Washington, D.C. is famous for its museums. Many of these are affiliated with the government functions of the municipality, or are parts of the monuments themselves. Students on the Covering the Inauguration trip have seen their fair share of museums. Still, a number of less traditional museums are also on the itinerary. One of these focuses on the people who are trained to overlook nothing.
Spies.
At the International Spy Museum, tourists can delve into the professional tactics and history of spies from all parts of the world. Featuring everything from movie personalities like Austin Powers to the KGB, the museum explores fact and fiction surrounding undercover agents.
Upon entering, guests are whisked away to the third floor by elevator, where a guide debriefs them on their mission as spies. After watching a short film, they are ordered memorize a list of biographical information: this is their secret identity. From there they are on their own, their mission: knowledge.
The first exhibit is called “spy school.” Here, visitors learn the basics of being a spy, with the help of interactive screens. They are even given the opportunity to practice crawling through an air duct. There is training in lock-picking, reconnaissance and bugs. Visitors can even try out the use of some of these bugs for themselves.
Another display is dedicated to the art of concealed weapons. These science fiction-like devices range from umbrella guns to rings that can shoot tiny bullets. Other artifacts are included in the historical segments of the museum. Cold War devices from both Russians and Americans are the most plentiful, but the museum demonstrates how every war in American history relied on undercover agents—even the Revolutionary War.
Upon leaving, guests can peruse a gift shop with a selection of trinkets as broad as those held in the museum itself. Leaving the museum, though, there seemed to be only one thing on students’ minds.
Anyone could be a spy.
