We recently took our annual spring trip to Washington DC. We love going there because there is so much for a family to do; we can go year after year and each time have a different experience.

This year we decided to visit the International Spy Museum. Being at the prime age for secrecy, codes and clubs, our 11 year old has been dying to go to this museum. We met up with friends and between us had kids who ranged in ages from 5 to 14.

The beginning was a little chaotic; visitors are shuffled into a que and sent to the museum’s second floor via elevator at 60 second intervals. Because of the popularity of the museum and the small entrance way, this beginning felt a little overwhelming. Once we were in the main body of the museum, however, the spaces opened up a bit. Upon entering the exhibit spaces, visitors are asked to choose a “secret identity” (choices are provided) and remember all the facts about your “cover story”, which was a hoot. (Personally I was undercover as a 13 year old named Jane who was traveling abroad to Ireland to learn about Irish history.) There are computer kiosks throughout the museum which let you test your memory, check your cover story and grade you with a “suspicion meter” in case your close to having your cover blown. While this is a great idea and fun for the kids and the grown-ups, they seem somewhat poorly equipped to handle the crowds. 30 people entering the space every 10 minutes or so, with three to four computer stations caused some real crowding and impatience among the visitors.

The museum itself has a lot of cool gadgets and artifacts – listening devices hidden in fake dog poo, lipstick pistols, ties that have cameras and so on, not to mention a fascinating look at world history, politics and espionage. What it lacked were many creative interactive experiences, which might have engaged the younger kids. There’s a fun stretch where kids can crawl through the ducts and spy on the visitors below, and some wandering actors provided bits of entertainment by performing pieces of Shakespeare that pertained to spying, but all in all it’s mainly a “look and read” museum. I definitely would recommend for older kids and adults, but the 8 and under crowd may want to stick to something more engaging.

By the way, I made it all the way through the museum without revealing my assigned “secret identity”.

Perhaps I’ve found another calling.