Aren't we all excited by the very term 'espionage'? Whether it was the spy movies or thriller books, we've all grown up fantasizing about being undercover agents and learning the real facts behind all those mystery veils. Well, the International Spy Museum in Washington DC gives visitors a chance to do that and lots more.

The International Spy Museum was founded in July of the year 2002. It is basically a historic museum that studies and records different aspects of the world of espionage. The museum has been built in the vicinity if the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

The museum is known to be one of the minority museums in the city that have an admission fees associated with them. The museum boasts of 20,000 square feet of space being dedicated to various exhibitions. These house more than 600 relics and objects.

The exhibitions include artifacts from the time of the American Revolutionary War, from the time of the American Civil War as well as the Roman Empire and the Greek Empire. Perhaps the most popular objects are the ones that have the most relation to modern day happenings - those collected from the period of the two World Wars and the period of Cold War that followed them.

The museum is an interesting place because it draws an amusing corollary between the spy worlds and methods witnessed in popular culture with those that have actually been adopted and implemented.

Washington, DC serves as home to the nation's only spy museum - International Spy Museum. Situated within the 1875 Le Droit Building in the Penn Quarter neighborhood of Washington, International Spy Museum is the only public museum in the country dedicated to espionage. It is also the sole one in the world, offering an international perspective on an all-but-invisible profession that has shaped history.

This spy museum takes up over 64,000 square feet, housing the largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever exhibited on public display. Visitors will get access to a wild world of gadgets, weapons, bugs, cameras, vehicles and technologies used for espionage throughout the world.

A highlight of the museum is that in the beginning, guests are given five minutes to memorize details of one of 16 spy profiles and assume them as their cover before they can enter the exhibit area. Each cover is distributed a mission on the plaque bearing the details, but completion is not required. Later, guests may test themselves through the exhibition on various interactive displays on how well they remember the details of the cover agent's identity.

It's funny, isn't it? If you fancy assuming the identity of a covert agent, make sure to visit the International Spy Museum. There is an admission to explore the museum, although most museums in this city are free. The general admission is $18 for children and adults (aged 12 to 64), $17 for seniors (aged 65 and up) and $15 for kids (aged 5 to 11). Children under 5 years old are admitted free.

Please note that the ticket price doesn't include tax. There is a convenience fee of $2 included in the ticket price which is non-refundable. Some special exhibitions at the museum may require a surcharge. To avoid crowding, the museum assigns tickets an entry time. So get in line early and plan the rest of your day on the basis of your assigned time.

Want a museum experience in the highest quality? You will need discount coupons for the museum. These coupons will help you save money on admission while you have the best time of your life. Well, where to find discount coupons for International Spy Museum?

1) Coupon websites would be a great source to get printable coupons for the spy museum. Today, there are a number of coupon websites on the internet. Many of them provide printable coupons for restaurants, hotels and popular attractions including International Spy Museum. For instance, Retail Me Not, Destination Coupons and Tjoos are just three coupon websites offering discounts on admission tickets as well as purchases made on the museum's online store.

International Spy Museum Coupons on Retail Me Not

http://www.retailmenot.com/view/spymuseumstore.org

International Spy Museum Coupons on Tjoos

http://tjoos.be/Coupon/144719/International-Spy-Museum

International Spy Museum Coupons on Destination Coupons

http://www.destinationcoupons.com/district_of_columbia/International-Spy-Museum/international-spy-museum-discounts.asp

2) Printable coupons may also be found on Washington, DC based tourist websites. Savings offered on these websites include dollars off and percentage off.

3) Try your luck in local tourist brochures to grab International Spy Museum coupons. They are usually available from area hotel lobbies, visitor centers around Washington DC or through the local official tourist bureau.

4) There is also a website called Savvy Cities where you can get discount tickets to International Spy Museum. Purchasing at this website, you can get tickets for 50% off the regular price of admission to the museum. Additionally, you don't have to stand in a queue if buying your ticket on this website.

International Spy Museum - 50% Off

http://www.bayareaonthecheap.com/international-spy-museum-discount/

In addition to discount coupons, becoming a member of the museum is also a great way to help you save money on admission, especially if you are frequent museum-goers. To be a museum member, you are entitled to unlimited free admission all year round, plus many other benefits such as discounted purchases in Spy Museum Store and discounted purchases in Spy City Cafe.

International Spy Museum Membership is available in four levels: Agent 001 (individual membership), Double Agent (partner membership), Agents F (family membership) and Agent X (exclusive membership). You can get detailed membership information by call (202-654-0966), email (membership@spymuseum.org) or visiting this page:

International Spy Museum Membership

http://www.spymuseum.org/membership

Every person, from the very childhood is fascinated by spy stories which inspire us to become one of them. Sadly, a few chosen one become lucky enough to fulfill their dreams.

But for the rest of us, we can always visit the International Spy Museum in, and relieve the excitement and thrill. Also, the museum gives an insight into the lifestyle and equipments of real life spies, which is a must see for everyone. Located in Washington, it is an incredible family experience.

Wikipedia link to International Spy Museum

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Spy_Museum

The admission fee for adults is $18 and for Children is $15. There are also interactive experiences like Operation Spy ($14), Spy at Night ($20) and Double Agent ($28). The integrated tour of the Museum called the "Spy City Tours" is a Saturday exclusive at $59.

For Kids, the museum has a special program called Kidspy, which includes code breaking, Demonstrations, Spy Artifacts and Spy Magic.

The Spy Museum also has a historical tour program giving details about real spy operations during Civil War, World Wars and the operational procedures of the FBI. It also has real life accounts that make the tour a one of a kind experience.

The Museum has annual individual membership ($65) providing permanent access to regular events, discounts on every tour and invitations for any special events all round the year. The Partner Membership ($95) and Family Membership ($175) are also great deals. The Premier Membership ($295) has tons of extra facilities like 4 guest passes etc.

Official Site of International Spy Museum

http://www.spymuseum.org/

Review on International Spy Museum

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28970-d254773-Reviews-International_Spy_Museum-Washington_DC_District_of_Columbia.html

Choose family-friendly hotels Nearby

http://www.hotelplanner.com/Hotels/12357-NEAR-International-Spy-Museum

If you want to get up close and personal with the world of espionage, then you will be interested in visiting the International Spy Museum, located in the Penn Quarter Neighborhood (a revitalized arts and entertainment district of Washington DC). Opened on July 19, 2002, International Spy Museum is the first and only public museum in the nation solely dedicated to espionage.

The museum houses extensive exhibits on espionage methods and materials tracing back to the Greek and Roman empires, the British Empire, the American Revolutionary War, the World Wars and the Cold War years. There are also a number of interactive stations specially designed for visitors located throughout the exhibit areas.

These exhibits attract a large number of visitors to the museum each year and the museum can be much crowed, especially in weekends. So the best time to visit this museum is during the weekdays and early in the day. However, no matter when you are going to International Spy Museum, the museum is available, with the exception of Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day, as the museum is closed on these days. The normal hours of the museum in 2011 are:

- May, June, August & October

1 - 31: 9am to 7pm

- July

1 - 5: 9am to 8pm

6 - 31: 9am to 7pm

- September

1 - 5: 9am to 7pm

6 - 30: 10am to 6pm

- November

1 - 23: 10am to 6pm

25 - 26: 10am to 8pm

27 - 30: 10am to 6pm

- December

1 - 23: 10am to 6pm

24: 10am to 4pm

26 - 30: 9am to 8pm

31: 9am to 6pm

To enjoy the International Spy Museum to the fullest extent, don't pass up wonderful events at the museum. Almost each month, there are a variety of fantastic events occurring at the venue. The following are the events taking place at the museum in May and June.

- May, 2011

May12 (6:30pm) - Operation Dark Heart: Spycraft and Special Ops on the Front Lines of Afghanistan (lectures & seminars)

May 18 (6:30pm) - Area 51: An uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base (lectures & seminars)

May 19 (12pm) - Mastermind: The Many Faces of the 9/11 Architect, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (lectures & seminars)

May 22 (1pm) - Spy Fiction Writer's Workshop (kid spy)

May 26 (6:30pm) - Norwegian Ninja (lectures & seminars)

- June, 2011

June 5 (10:30am) - The Magic of Spying: Tradecraft Trickery (kid spy)

June 21 (7pm) - Deception and Spycraft: Military Intelligence in the Civil War (lectures & seminars)

June 23 (6:30pm) - David Wise on Tiger Trar: America's Secret Spy War with China (lectures & seminars)

June 28 (7pm) - An Evening with Jim Woolsey (clandestine rendezvous)

You can find event details and more events at the museum on this page:

International Spy Museum Event Calendar

http://www.spymuseum.org/calendar

For visitors who are planning on a visit to the International Spy Museum, the museum is easily accessible by Metrorail System which offers a few routes to the location. It operates the Red, Yellow and Green lines stopping at Gallery Place / Chinatown station which is close to the museum. Metro Center station is also a nearby station, served by the Orange, Blue and Red lines.

If you prefer to drive to the location, pick up the following driving directions to the museum to make your journey smoother.

1) From the East

If driving from the east via US Route 50, you should take US Route 50 west into Washington DC until it becomes New York Avenue. While on the New York Avenue, drive on and turn left onto 7th Street, NW. Then follow the 7th Street to F Street, NW (about 5 blocks). The museum will be on the left at 800 F Street, NW, between 9th and 8th Streets.

2) From the West

For visitors coming from the west via I-66, it is suggested to travel east on I-66 towards Washington, DC. Follow I-66 crossing the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge to US Route 50 Eastbound / Constitution Avenue, NW. After driving on the Constitution Avenue, bear left onto 12th Street, NW. Following the 12th Street, make a right onto F Street. Then, drive about 3 blocks along F Street to 9th Street. The museum will be found on the right.

3) From the South

If you are traveling from the south via I-95, take I-95 north to I-395 northbound. Follow I-395 and keep in the far right lane, until you cross the 14th Street Bridge into Washington, DC. Afterwards, take the 12th street, SW exit to 12th Street. Follow 12th Street 6 blocks and bear right onto F Street. While on F Street, drive 3 blocks to 9th Street. You can find the museum on the right.

To explore the directions from your location to the museum, check the following page:

Get Driving Directions to International Spy Museum

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=International+Spy+Museum&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

Note: In order to protect exhibits & artifacts and enhance the experience of all guests, visitors should observe the following policies within all museum exhibit areas:

- No photography / videography

- No food, drink or chewing gum

- No smoking

- No use of cellular / mobile telephones

- No strollers

As great alternatives to strollers, baby slings or baby backpacks are the perfect solution for visitors who want to take their babies to the exhibit areas. For visitors who take strollers to the museum, you can store them in the Cloak Room situated in the Museum Lobby before entering the exhibit areas. However, this room has no supervision. And the museum doesn't bear responsibility for any lost or stolen items.

The museum's permanent exhibition, store, all restrooms and dining places in the museum complex are fully wheelchair accessible. A limited number of wheelchairs may be available for free at the Information Desk on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests are required to leave a photo ID when using museum wheelchairs. For more info about accessibility services at the museum, visit this page:

International Spy Museum Accessibility

http://www.spymuseum.org/accessibility

Looking for something unique and special in Washington DC? Oh, forget those convention centers, shopping malls, zoos or public parks! How can you stand a tour as plain as water? Come to International Spy Museum, get yourself immersed in tons of international espionage artifacts and involved in an amazing diversity of interactive exhibitions!

As the sole museum throughout the whole nation dedicated to the field of espionage, International Spy Museum wins the irreplaceable place in the world and showcases a complete and global view on an all-but-invisible profession which has a significant impact on history and international events.

This museum was established in 2002 in Washington DC, just inside the historic 1875 Le Droit Building, and it boasts a 20,000 square-foot exhibition space, housing an extensive collection of over 600 espionage artifacts, many of which are placed on public display for the first time. What's more, visitors to the museum are furnished once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get engaged in an espionage environment and play the roles of covert agents, police, the questioned and much more to fulfill certain missions. Sounds exciting and tempting, right? Take advantage of its official web and learn more about this spine-tingling venue.

International Spy Museum

http://www.spymuseum.org/

In fact, International Spy Museum is one of the few museums in Washington DC that charges admission. Moreover, when it comes to the separate exhibitions, there are additional fees. The general admission to the museum is $18 for visitors aged 12 to 64, $17 for seniors aged 65 and more, as well as military, and $15 for children of 5 to 11 years old. For further info about exhibition rates, please click the link below:

Museum Ticket Prices

http://www.spymuseum.org/tickets

Guess you may think it is a bit expensive for the admission. Here comes our article, which includes an in-depth guide on securing discount tickets for International Spy Museum. Follow our steps and you will get to know there is really no need to worry about the cost!

The easiest and most effective way to save money on admission is being a member of the museum. As a member, you are offered privileges to a number of exclusive events, lectures, screenings, as well as discounts to admission and at gift shop. If you think International Spy Museum deserves your second visit, all right, go ahead with its memberships and enjoy savings for each time.

Memberships

http://www.spymuseum.org/membership

To meet the needs of different visitors, the museum offers four types of memberships, respectively Agent 001, Double Agent, Agent F and Agent X. In order to help you select the right option, we have provided a brief overview on each of them.

- Agent 001: This is a kind of individual membership for single visitors, and the rate is $75 plus tax. Being a Agent 011, visitors can enjoy the unlimited free admission to the museum's permanent exhibits throughout the regular hours of operation, $4 off a guest ticket (effective for 4 guests maximum), one free pass to both Operation Spy and Spy in the City, as well as:

- Discount at Spy City Cafe

- Discount at Spy Museum Store

- Discounted Education Programs

- Discounts for lunch and dinner at Zola Restaurant

- Advance info and member discounts for designated museum programs and events

- Monthly For Your Eyes Only member newsletter

- Personalized membership card and member kit

- Double Agent: This membership provides you and your partner with full privileges of Agent 001, plus an additional benefit - access to exclusive top-secret member events and VIP receptions. The price for this membership is $125 plus tax.

- Agent F: As an Agent F member, you, along with your family, can receive a bundle of benefits, including those of Double Agent, as well as discounted rates on birthday parties, advance notice and member discounts for designated Kid Spy Programs, and a special gift from the Spy Museum Store for each child in your family (please keep in mind that this membership only works for a family with two adults and up to 4 children under 18 years of age). This type of membership is rated at $175 plus tax.

- Agent X: The price for this membership is $275 plus tax. Bet you will get wowed after know the benefits included in it! As an Agent X member, besides all basic benefits of museum's membership, you are privileged to:

- Join the exclusive member cocktail party with real spies

- Enjoy free Zola valet parking

- Get up to 8 free guest passes to the museum's permanent exhibitions

- Receive a secret gift from the museum's gift store

- Have a personal concierge standing by to offer you a personalized spy experience.

If you have any enquiry about International Spy Museum's membership, please call at 202-654-0966, or email to membership@spymuseum.org

Want to lead your students to an in-depth and multi-faceted exploration of the museum? Grab the field trip opportunities and provide your students with a good targeted museum experience! There are 6 kinds of field trips and each kind is packed with a special package, including Minute by Minute, Spy's Eye View, Operation Spy, Operation Code Cracker, Spy in the City, and Spy City Tours. Field trips are your class' last-minute opportunities to a full and discount visit. Listed below are the length and rates:

- Minute by Minute: For students in grade 7 to 12, 75 minutes and $30 per

- Spy's Eye View: For student in grade 5 to 12, 30 minutes and $30 per

- Operation Spy: For students in grade 7 to 12, 90 minutes and $30 per

- Operation Code Cracker: For students in grade 5 to 7, 60 minutes and $30 per

- Spy in the City: $14 per student

- Spy City Tours: 2 hours throughout over 25 most notable espionage sites in Washington

For more details about these packages, please click the link below:

Packages

http://www.spymuseum.org/packages

Another possible way to find out discounts is signup for a museum's newsletter. After being a newsletter, you will be informed of first-hand info about the latest events, programs, news and sources for discounts and special offers. In the same way, you can follow International Spy Museum on Facebook or Twitter, and receive the exclusive news and discounts.

In addition, to discover discounts for International Spy Museum tickets, you are encouraged to search online for coupons, coupon codes and promo codes. There is an array of sources for coupons of hot tourism destinations in America, however, sometimes they are different to find out or may have expired for your visit. Anyway, have a check before your setting out.