A bit of a hike from DC, this cozy free museum is a must for history and technology buffs. Located, appropriately enough, right next to the heavily secured National Security Agency. Plan on taking an hour, maybe an hour and a half, to leisurely examine the exhibits. Docents are available to answer your questions. I found the exhibits amazing. Walking away from visiting NCM, I have to marvel at how smart and clever humans are. Encryption started way back. The Egyptians were known to encrypt messages. Thomas Jefferson encrypted his sensitive letters. Napoleon was a big fan of encryption. The mechanical encryption devices on display, from World War I on, are fascinating to see with all their bells and whistles. read more

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Brought a group of High School students here for a field trip. The museum is free so you can't beat the price. We had a guided tour. It was very interesting to see all of the history and learn about the science behind all of the exhibits. Some have a little interactive portion as well. The tour lasted about a hour. After it was done the students looked around on their own for a few. Not a bad way to spend a day away from school while still learning something. read more

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A super cool little museum that is probably also vastly overlooked. Lots of actual relics and equipment used over the years for coding/decoding messages during war times and non-war times. A few hands-on activities are available such as writing with invisible ink, entering a message into a coding machine and having it come out deciphered on another. The wall exhibit that went through the stages of the Battle of the Midway was nicely done. Free parking, free admission. read more

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Very interesting and free museum all about the history and importance of cryptology. It essentially is about the development of means for securing communication, through language, math and machines. Includes a collection of artifacts including machines used in WWI and WWII by both sides. Also helps you develop a better appreciation for the people involved in breaking codes, like the Native American Code Talkers and the dedicated employees of the NSA. Staff was very friendly and helpful with answering our questions. read more

On a school trip this was a big learning experience. For any parents with math loving children, this is the place you want to be with them. A very enthusiastic staff ready to introduce us to many tidbits of info from the past. Not only were their relics from past wars but also and engaging test that connected students with some of the technologies that made American great. Looking forward to returning. read more

National Cryptologic Museum - Museums Near Me - Annapolis Junction, Maryland

A hidden gem! The National Cryptologic Museum is packed with fascinating exhibits on codebreaking, espionage, and the evolution of secure communications. You can see real Enigma machines, stories that bring cryptology to life, and rare books. It's educational without being overwhelming, and the staff was knowledgeable. read more

National Cryptologic Museum - Enigma - Museums Near Me - Annapolis Junction, Maryland

This free museum adjacent to NSA Headquarters at Fort Meade really blew me away when we finally visited this weekend. It houses thousands of artifacts relating to the history of the cryptologic profession. So what's cryptology? It's the study of codes and ciphers, making them, breaking them. The museum houses several German Enigma machines (the machines used by the German Army, Navy, and Luftwaffe during WWI), including two that you can test out yourself. It also houses a U.S. Navy Bombe (the machine invented to break Enigma code) and several other historic cryptologic devices. We got really lucky; when we walked in, a tour guide (Greg) was just starting a tour for a DAR group, and we were invited to join the tour. We learned so much from Greg, and we ended up staying almost two hours because the tour was so great. We learned so much more because we were able to tag along on that tour. The museum has lots of information plaques which explain the artifacts, but Greg provided so much more context and information about each artifact (how it worked, who invented it, how well it functioned, etc.). If you can catch a tour when you're visiting, I highly recommend it! A really unique museum - and free to visit to boot. Add it to your bucket list. read more

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In between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore is a small, unique museum about the history of encryption and the people behind it. Going on a Wednesday afternoon in December, I was one of about eight other visitors. There's a large parking lot out front and clear signs to the check-in area. A friendly gentleman greets you and walks you through a map of the one-floor museum. Being run by the government, admission is always free. The museum itself comes with a small gift shop, a library, a memorial hall honoring fallen heroes behind encryption, and several rooms telling the history of encryption and the people behind it. They even have a section honoring women who worked for the NSA. The museum includes artifacts from the Civil War, World War II, and other historical events. For kids, they have a glass box of toys that were used to hide secret messages. Near the restrooms is a small room of free pamphlets about the NSA and how to keep your data safe. They also have a kids activity book for free. Restrooms are kept clean and there's a drinking fountain next to them. read more

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My wife and I stopped at the museum on a Saturday morning on our way to Baltimore. It is easy to get to just off the BW parkway with plenty of signs to guide you to the visitor parking lot. We stayed for 90 minutes and saw and read everything. Admission is free to the museum which is open Tue-Sat 10-4. There were quite a few visitors when we arrived but it didn't feel crowded. The volunteers working there are super nice and helpful. Everything in the museum is the real deal. Nothing is a replica. It is crazy to enter your own message in one enigma machine and decode it in another. 80 years ago this was state of the art and used successfully in WWII. We also wrote a secret message in invisible ink and a few minutes later made it reappear. There are some other hands on exhibits to decode messages using a long piece of leather wrapped around a wooden rod or using a stencil like cutout over a page of text. Lots of different versions of coding devices and stories about the folks in the trade are also on display. I particularly liked the exhibit on the Navajo Code Talkers. read more

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Really cool place to visit for both kids and adults! Small museum but lots of interesting stuff. Parking was free and easy. Highly recommend! read more

Very interesting museum. I was surprised by the importance of cryptography in past conflicts. Don't miss the battle of Midway display! The staff was attentive and passed out fun cryptography activities. read more

The NSA's National Cryptologic Museum is a real gem that's free and open to the public. Our Docent, Steve G, led us on a very enlightening tour about cryptologic history, its artifacts, and the role it played in history. Much of this 'secret squirrel' cryptology is revealed to the American public so we can be proud of these hardworking men and women, who from the shadows, decoded German and Japanese messages in WW2, saving countless lives. These unsung heroes have done, are doing, and will do so much more than we know, to keep America safe and strong! I highly recommend this small but highly impactful museum. read more

Great museum where you can actually use a real Enigma machine to send a message to a friend for them to decode on a different Enigma machine. read more

This free-admission museum is not bad at all. They have some cool spy devices and secret coding typewriters on display and there's enough exhibits to keep your eyes entertained for an hour or so. You could, however, look at everything and read a little bit about what interests you in about 10 minutes, be in and out, and on your way. I see some people here on Yelp think this place is better than the Spy Museum, but I'd have to disagree since the Spy Museum (the updated one at least) has more activities, is more modern, and a lot more art and technology. In terms of fun, the Spy Museum definitely wins. It's sort of small inside with low ceiling and some narrow pathways. I don't know if I'd go out of my way to visit this joint, but if you have business nearby, it's pretty much just something to do. read more

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Bottom Line: An interesting, off-the-beaten-path museum that provides the history of encryption and an appreciation for the master minds that defend this great nation through the science. I've been curious about this museum for a long time and I finally made it there. I thought it was only open Monday through Friday but it turns out it is open the first and third Saturday of each month. My husband and I ventured there on a Saturday and I expected it would be dead but apparently this is a very popular museum! The young man who greeted us was very enthusiastic and friendly and although we didn't partake in the guided tours, I did a little ease dropping and could tell the knowledgeable docents were equally enthusiastic. There is just something fun about ease dropping at a museum about the NSA. :-) I'm a big fan of American history and a bit of a nerd so I already knew some stuff about encryption in the the United States but I still learned so much! Silly me, I didn't realize there were so many different models of the Enigma machine and that breaking the code was a joint effort between several countries. Maybe I don't know that much after all . . . I was fascinated by The Purple cipher machine and how American smarties were basically able to recreate it to break the code, sight unseen. Encryption technologies from the Revolutionary War to modern day are covered at the museum. I am not a math or science person but thank goodness for those brilliant minds who are! This museum does a nice job of representing those individuals who have defended this great nation by using their intellect to encrypt our secrets and more predominantly, decrypt the secrets of the enemy. Thank you super smart STEM citizens! For young developing minds, there are cute exhibits and puzzles geared towards the kiddos. I understand they host field trips too. As mentioned earlier, there are docent led tours but there is an also an audio tour accessible via cell phone which was a nice alternative to all of the reading. In addition to focusing on technology, I appreciate that the museum pays tribute to the individuals that made it happen like women in crypto, African Americans in crypto and the American Indian Code Talkers. The National Cryptological Museum is outside the gates of NSA so its easily accessible. I love that this place used to be a motel. Which way to the pool? read more

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Interesting place I liked looking at the various spy machines that they used and the stories that came out of them really a neat little museum read more

I mean, the hours could be better - but it's an excuse to find yourself in the NSA parking lot, getting your heart rate up as you follow detour signs wondering if you're gonna end up in the wrong place and be arrested or shot. But honestly, it's pretty straight forward, lots of signs.. and if you can't figure it out, what the heck are you doing going to a cryptology museum? This is honestly a top-tier, but relatively small museum. It's run with a lot of care and generally on point (not sure why the mini-theremin was there, but that's the only exception). You can get a view of the importance and wide range use of cryptology. My favorite part, and possibly the center piece of the place, is the huge section on the Enigma Machine. They have two you can use yourself. It's a surprisingly complex, but easy to use machine. I strongly suggest taking the time to head out here - especially with any kids interested in coding or puzzles. It makes a great add on to a weekend involving an escape room as well. read more

This little gem is worth the time! Got lost finding it ... however the guided tour was so informative. I learned a lot and everyone in the group seemed to enjoy it. Request the tour guide ... she even stayed longer for a Q&A. Plus it's free! read more

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Fascinating. So excited to see so many women featured! Learned a lot. Highly recommend (and it's free!)

I admit this museum hits home and has a special place as I feel like I am part of the history of this museum. Some of the events on display are directly related to the job I do today and even some of the equipment on display was something I used to work on back in the day. Yes I am probably showing my age. The museum covers the history of how various forms of cryptography was used by various groups in the United States specifically in the military. I have been here a few times and everytime I go I learn something new. The exhibits range from hidden signals used by slaves escaping to modern day efforts used in today's military. The museum is easily accessible from Route 32 and there is plenty of parking in the front and rear of the building. read more

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The NCM was surprising! We almost couldn't find it but I think that was our fault. To our surprise it was free which is always great. :) We were greeted after walking in and the exhibits were fun! There were many stations where you could try things out and that was different. My wife and I had a good time. There were guided tours but we decided to walk around on our own. However, we did listen to one of the guides and they were very knowledgeable! I am glad we found this museum and I would recommend it to anyone who is into this type of thing! read more

National Cryptologic Museum - Mosaic seal before walking in! - Museums Near Me - Annapolis Junction, Maryland

My brother recommended this FREE museum located near Ft. Meade. We made the 40 minute each way trek from Bel Air and agree it was worth it. We arrived on time to partake in a free group tour (2 hours). My son enjoyed "playing" with the Enigma machines encrypting and decrypting messages. read more

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We enjoyed this small museum! Having been to the Spy Museum in DC, we can tell you that the National Cryptological Museum was much more interesting to us. They even had a couple of actual Enigma machines that you could code on! "At the end of the war, the Germans were just dropping them and running." The price for the museum was right (it's free!) and there were a whole bunch of booklets that were free, as well. The museum staff were friendly and knowledgeable (a little too friendly for my introverted teen). The gift shop had some excellent souvenirs, as well. read more

Incredible! If you like computers, history, crypto, this is it. The retired NSA employees who work here are outstanding in their knowledge of the history, presentation and helpfulness. This is not your normal museum by any means. Some really cool old stuff that previously wasn't allowed to be shown publicly. Make you wonder what we have now. If you don't like video cameras with facial recognition, I wouldn't advise a visit here. read more

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The National Cryptologic Museum is a must see when near Fort Meade, Maryland. Inside you will see the highlights of cryptology, intelligence gathering, code-breaking and code-making and their role in world history, particularly in wartime situations. I stealthily eased in on a guided tour being presented a group of distinguished looking people. The docent was interesting, informative and humorous at times. No worries if you are unable to have the pleasure of a tour; the museum's impressive artifacts have easy to understand descriptions of the item along with information regarding its role in historical events. read more

Today was the second time I visited this Museum. But today a museum docent conducted a tour. The tour felt like a 90 minute College course it was so information filled. There was no other Museum like this in the United States. Go see this Museum and you will learn everything about secret codes and code-breaking in the United States. read more

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It's a well put together museum with interesting exhibits. I haven't been since the renovation, but it was good before that.

An interesting museum on a specific body of knowledge that is a bit out of the way. If you're interested in the Intelligence community it's worth it (especially given that it's free). The exhibits are pretty static so be prepared for a lot of reading and they are a bit haphazard from one to the next. Docents are retired intelligence professionals and clearly have a wealth of knowledge (delivery is a bit dry so just be patient). read more

A hidden gem in the Baltimore-Washington area. Definitely enjoyed my experience there. I look forward to visiting in person again after COVID-19 subsides. Note: DO NOT take the exit on MD-295 to get there! That is the NSA employee entrance, but your GPS probably doesn't know that. Take the exit on MD-32 instead. read more

The Enigma machines are worth the visit! This little museum is tucked away in a one-story, Government-issue building that's on Fort Meade but outside all the fences and guards. I give the museum foundation and the volunteers lots of credit, they have assembled equipment and information that's key history of the battles to keep information secret .. and to decrypt that secret information. When I visited, a museum docent took the time to explain the Enigma and the Bombe displays to me, and he added essential details that weren't shown on any of the displays. Amazing build quality of the Enigma machines, they're still working today, and (unlike nearly every other museum out there) here they encourage you to spin the rotors, reset the plugs and press the keys to encode/decode your own message! That was the highlight for me and I'm no crypto guy. With all that said, the collection is chaotic and somewhat haphazard, all too much of it feels like cast-offs that the NSA retired and basically plopped down here. Like the old Cray equipment. Yes, it's a computer from the 1980s, and I'm sure lots of crypto and anti-crypto was computed on it, and the freon cooling tubes are kinda cool. It just doesn't have the retro appeal of the old analog hardware. Much more fun to see the robotic arm moving around at high speed in the old StorageTek round tape vault. It feels like about 1970 in the museum, just has that dated style, and all the stuff is packed in fairly tightly. The displays are in all different styles of plastic cases, and the signage is usually dense blocks of text, with various details included and other key bits totally absent. The museum also includes a commemoration of the mistaken Israeli attack on the USS Liberty about 1967, not entirely certain how that relates to crypto, but there it is. Definitely not kid friendly, despite their signs that ask kids to decode some fact about the display right in front of them. Price is right (free), hours are limited (basically Government business hours). read more

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Great museum. Wonderful staff. We had them give us a guided tour and it was super informative! I highly reccomend if you have any interested in intelligence or cryptologic history check it out! It's right by the NSA off the 32/295. read more

This place was so cool! My internship set up an event where all of us interns took a trip to this museum. It was amazing. At first you are greeted by very nice people, and some really neat posters, items, and displays. You can either just roam around in the one-story building by yourself, or they gave guided tours. We took the tours. The tour guide took us around the museum and started off with the history of cryptology, beginning from the 16th century all the way through to today. She told many stories about what happened during those times of encrypting and decrypting sensitive information. We were shown the enigma machines that were used to cypher and decipher code. Some of us even got to play with them. We had a wonderful tour guide and she was very knowledgeable of this field. The museum makes great use for the amount of space they have. As a whole, the place was kind of small, but they utilized the space very well. They had a lot of displays, but placed them very orderly around the perimeter of the building as well some parts of the middle. It doesn't feel very crammed, but rather cozy. There's so much history here and you can really learn a lot from just reading the captions of the displays. Or from your tour guide. The price is FREE btw! read more

James Bond, Men in Black, I Spy, Man from U.N.C.L.E., Maxwell Smart, etc. are great entertainment The International Spy Museum is great entertainment and factual as well. But there comes a time when there is just too much Hollywood and your senses need to get a better grip of reality. Smithsonian museums do that. No science fiction writer could ever imagine the enormous complexity and beauty of an SR-71. So in the world of espionage and international intrigue, there is a respite from the glitz and glitter of Hollywood. The National Cryptological Museum Nothing is more sobering than seeing the real McCoy. This is the antithesis of Hollywood. Even finding this place is hard....tucked away behind a gas station. You can feel the enormity of the importance of everything in this museum. Nothing is staged or manufactured here. It's all real. And it's all serious. The museum steps you through history from the perspective of the National Security Agency, the sponsor of this museum. Overall, a very complimentary museum to the International Spy Museum. Best of all, its free. Open to the Public: Monday-Friday 9:00-4:00 1st and 3rd Saturdays 10:00-2:00 Closed Sundays and Federal Holidays 301-688-5849 read more

Really enjoyed our visit to the museum. If you have the time, join a tour. Our docent was really informative and I learned a lot about the history of cryptology in the U.S. You can even touch and try out an actual WWII German Enigma coding machine. read more

The adage is: "The more secret something [in Washington] is, the more is known about it." The cryptological museum is a good example. This is the real deal, not the ersatz Hollywood version. There's lots to know about codes, codebreaking, cryptanalysis and so forth. Some US presidents, notably George H.W. Bush and JFK, found the world of spies and superspies seductive. In fact, I believe that both of them found it too seductive. Espionage can provide an advantage. Usually, it is necessary but not sufficient. It does not replace common sense. And remember.....for the most part, useful intelligence relies on information that is already available in the news media or from other public sources. History teaches us that the nation with the best intelligence agencies doesn't always win. The German Democratic Republic inherited the comprehensive files of the the Hitler regime, and augmented them over a period of what, more than six decades. Eventually, the GDR had files on everybody in the country. Then...what? Collapse. On a similar note.....the Soviet KGB was a fearsome security agency. Nowadays, its successor, the FSB (unless Putin's goons have changed the acronym again), actually run the country. The FSB families have built universities for their kids and actually encourage intermarriage among the Chekist offspring. The FSB is a vast kleptocracy. Their watchword is "Russia must be a very wealthy country, because there is always something left to steal." And what have they built? A nightmarish tyranny with a faltering economy, shrinking population, vulnerable military and mushrooming environmental degradation. Build a wasteland and call it prosperity. Build a guillotine and call it justice. I'm not advocating ignorance. But......the US intelligence agencies have plenty of huge mistakes and cultural failings that they haven't admitted. I fail to see, for example, that they forecast the collapse of the Soviet empire. That wouldn't have been too much to ask, after all, considering the countless billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of American lives that were expended in the mission of containing and analyzing the threat from that country. It's also not clear that the US secret intelligence services had good information about the progress of the Soviet nuclear weapons program. Quite the contrary, according to the scholarly histories on the topic. Of course, those historians may have been misled by a policy of "selective release" of information. In other words, make yourself look stupid to the historians rather than jeopardize the lives of your sources. But...if that were true, what about the undetected traitors like Robert Hansen, Aldrich Ames., Jonathan Pollard, Kim Philby, the Rosenbergs, ..etc....etc... There's a sleeper disaster in the most recent structural reform of the intelligence community (Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act), as well. The law centralized intelligence community control under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Did somebody forget to tell Congress and the White House that since time out of mind, sovereigns have relied on interagency competition to keep their secret intelligence services in check? It looks like trouble coming every day, as Frank Zappa would say.... read more

This place is awesome, a bit small but as our national security is concerned I can see why they keep this stuff under wraps. Meet one of the first computers that took up an entire room, oooooh. read more

It's little, far from DC, and you have to fight traffic to get there, but this place is worth the effort. From the outside it doesn't look like much, but on the inside this place is heaven for history buffs, technology geeks, or anybody who likes being led around a museum by an incredibly knowledgeable docent. The museum is organized into sections by area of history-- there's cryptology books from the 1500s and exhibits from basically every war the U.S. has ever been in. They also have a lot of very impressive exhibits, including a World War II-era German enigma cipher as well as the Bomba, the machine designed to decode it. You can also see of the first super-computers, the hot line to Moscow (it's not a phone), and early spy satellites. Definitely opt for the docent-led tour, and then wander by yourself. Surprisingly, they do allow you to take photos of most exhibits. This museum isn't James-Bond-ified and probably wouldn't be great entertainment for kids, but you won't be bored. What you get is a fantastic (and free!) education on intelligence history. read more

Well worthwhile to stop by when in the area. Learn how and why crypto played an essential part in the war.

This was a great museum. Love the free admission. They have some things that are geared towards kids. I think older kids would enjoy it but those under 10 wouldn't. Good exhibits with lots of background info. I highly recommend this museum. read more

The National Cryptological Museum unilaterally satisfies my intrinsically nerdy desire to solve puzzles with interesting artifacts, American history, and FREE admission. Located adjacent to the impressively imposing NSA complex (no ID required), it's a fun (albeit geeky) way to spend a couple hours of a free afternoon. The museum is not huge but has a generous number of interesting cryptological devices. It begins with cryptology techniques adapted during the American Revolution, including the utilization of invisible ink as well as simplistic letter-scrambling and template application. From there, it chronicles most of the major technological developments through history and how they were used to affect the outcome of strategic points for America. And ENIGMA is there. If you know what that is... this place will rock your world. There is room for improvement. For one, there is no logical flow to the museum, which one would assume to be laid out chronologically. Second, I found deciphering some of the descriptions a bit too involved for the casual browser. The basic questions of "what is this thing and why was it important" were buried in paragraphs of interesting yet unnecessary descriptive information. I frequently wondered "how does this thing work" and "how is it different than the thing right next to it". My advise to the museum staff: more effectively articulate the value of each piece by highlighting it's relevance and function FIRST, followed by the interesting story behind it's development and/or usage. Also, I'm not quite sure what to make of all the child-oriented animated life-size wall stickers throughout the museum. read more