On our recent trip to Washington DC we decided to pay a visit to the International Spy Museum. If you’ve never heard of it, the Spy Museum is pure spy fun. You can go on a self-guided tour to learn about all aspects of being a spy from taking on a cover identity to learning about special training to the history of spies and also learning all about James Bond in a special exhibit. If you're in the mood for even more spy adventures, the museum offers Interactive Spy Experiences with one taking you on a GPS guided spy tour of DC!
Upon our arrival we were given a Top Secret Family Mission to help enhance our spy experience. The family mission was a lot of fun to follow because it gave the kids something to do and things to search for as we walked through the exhibits. One of the first things we had to do was take on our cover identities. There is a room filled with different covers and we were asked to pick one and memorize it. Ryan is pictured below with his secret identity. {I’d tell you mine but I don’t want to comprise any future missions I may go on.}
Our kids particularly enjoyed practicing surveillance skills in the air ducts {seriously, how often do spies do this in movies and here you can do it for real!}
The kids also liked seeing some of the spy gadgets like this umbrella gun and car with hidden compartments pictured here.
Along the way as we traveled through the museum we also learned some tips on code breaking and using something called the Pig Pen Cipher. Very important tools for little boys to master!
All in all the International Spy Museum was a huge hit with our family and I highly recommend a visit there on your next trip to DC. The museum really encourages your visit to be a family experience and they have many programs geared just toward kids. You can see the museum's calendar of upcoming events here
A couple upcoming and noteworthy events include~
Spy Camp –
BRIEFING: Somewhere deep inside the Museum an elite group of recruits is lurking in the shadows preparing to take on top secret missions. No one really knows who they are, or for that matter, what they’re really up to. Now it’s your turn to join their ranks. Each day at Spy Camp is filled with top secret briefings and activities that will put spy skills and street smarts to the test. Aspiring KidSpy® recruits will hone their tradecraft, learn from real spies, and hit the streets to run training missions. Develop a disguise for cover, make and break codes, discover escape and evasion techniques, create and use spy gadgets, uncover the science behind spying—all of this and more awaits young recruits! Ages: 10 - 13
Spy Camp –
BRIEFING: Somewhere deep inside the Museum an elite group of recruits is lurking in the shadows preparing to take on top secret missions. No one really knows who they are, or for that matter, what they’re really up to. Now it’s your turn to join their ranks. Each day at Spy Camp is filled with top secret briefings and activities that will put spy skills and street smarts to the test. Aspiring KidSpy® recruits will hone their tradecraft, learn from real spies, and hit the streets to run training missions. Develop a disguise for cover, make and break codes, discover escape and evasion techniques, create and use spy gadgets, uncover the science behind spying—all of this and more awaits young recruits! Ages: 10 - 13
There are two week-long sessions scheduled for this summer:
Session 1: July 28 – August 1, and Session 2: August 4 – August 8; Each day at Spy Camp is 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Session 1: July 28 – August 1, and Session 2: August 4 – August 8; Each day at Spy Camp is 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
KidSpy Overnight: Operation Secret Slumber – the next ‘Operation’ with open availability left is scheduled for November 8-9, Saturday into Sunday, starting at 7:00 pm and going into the mid-morning the next day. It is a great immersive spy experience right within the general collection at night with the best spy gadgetry you can find.
When the lights go down, the adventure begins! The Museum doors have been locked for the night, but in the shadows a group of exclusive recruits stand ready to begin a night of top-secret KidSpy® training. This could be you! Perfect your alias and cover-story, check in at “Border Patrol,” and prepare for a night of intrigue and adventure. As a spy school recruit, your mission begins with taking on a secret identity and gathering intelligence about real spy skills. During the night, you will transform yourself through disguise, make and break secret codes, uncover important secrets, interrogate real spies, and hunt for a mole within your ranks! At the same time, the adults lurking nearby will be kept on their toes with their own super-clandestine mission. As day breaks, enemy agents will be exposed in a dramatic finale, KidSpy agents and adults will reclaim their “real” (how do we know you are who you say you are?) identities and this adventure-filled mission will be accomplished.
Pricing and further info can be found on our site by clicking here.
*Operation Secret Slumber is designed for kids age 9-13.
My family received complimentary passes for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
