International Spy Museum

The International Spy Museum is a private non-profit museum dedicated to the tradecraft, history and contemporary role of espionage, featuring the largest collection of international espionage artifacts currently on public display. The museum opened in 2002 in the Penn Quarter neighborhood of Washington, D.C., and relocated to L'Enfant Plaza in 2019. 

History

Milton Maltz of The Malrite Company conceptualized the museum in 1996 as a for-profit organization. He was a code-breaker during the Korean War and founded the Malrite Communications Group in 1956, which became The Malrite Company; he was CEO until it was sold in 1998.[4] The original museum facility in the Penn Quarter neighborhood was built by Milton Maltz and The House on F Street, L.L.C. at a cost of approximately US$40 million.[5] It opened to the public in 2002.[6] It is one of the few museums in Washington DC that charges admission fees.

The Malrite Company provided half of the foundation cost of the International Spy Museum; the other $20 million came from the District of Columbia as enterprise zone bonds and TIF bonds. The museum was part of the ongoing rejuvenation of Penn Quarter, kicked off 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.[2] In January 2019, the museum began the process of moving from its previous F Street location to the new $162 million dedicated building at 700 L’Enfant Plaza, and it reopened to the public on May 12, 2019.[9] The new building includes a 145-seat theater, rooftop terrace, and top-floor event space.[10] The move increased the Spy Museum's exhibit space from 19,000 to 32,000 square feet.

Located in: L'Enfant Plaza
Address: 700 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20024, United States
Opened: July 19, 2002
Hours: Closed ⋅ Opens 10AM
Public transit access: L'Enfant Plaza Station
Phone: +1 202-393-7798