National Cryptologic Museum
National Cryptologic Museum
National Cryptologic Museum
4.5
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
The National Cryptologic Museum houses thousands of artifacts that collectively tell the history of the cryptologic profession. Here visitors catch a glimpse of some of the most dramatic moments in the history of American code making and code breaking: the people who devoted their lives to cryptology and national defense, the machines and devices they developed, the techniques they used, and the places where they worked. The museum library maintains a collection of unclassified and declassified books and documents relating to every aspect of cryptology.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
251 reviews
Excellent
158
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75
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akt85
Madison188 contributions
Oct 2023 • Solo
Second visit to museum. Many exhibits about the history of codebreaking, including a machine where nuclear codes used to be held. Best of all, the museum is free. There is also plenty of free literature available at the museum about the history of codebreaking in America.
Written November 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EDDIE APPLEFELD
Baltimore, MD341 contributions
May 2019
If you are the least bit interested in spies or espionage then you'll want to visit here. On display are all kinds of equipment the U.S. used in various wars. Most of which I'm sure you never heard of or saw. You can request a guide.
Written March 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review. It's important to note that the National Cryptologic Museum does not focus on espionage the way many people think. That is, the history of cryptology is about the history of codemaking and codebreaking, not so much as people working "behind enemy lines" pretending to be the enemy, collecting information, and sneaking it back to those for whom they were spying, That is more what is called human intelligence. Here we have hundreds of artifacts, machines, and devices used to create and break codes and ciphers, the men and women who designed and used these tools, the methods they employed, and their impact on American and world history.
Written March 16, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lutz E
New Hope, PA134 contributions
Mar 2023 • Friends
They did have some very famous artifacts/machines there, and a real Enigma to play with (cool) but… the information for most off them was very sparse (eg no in depth description about the inner workings, if you are really curious to dive deeper). No QR codes for at least SOME of the machines.
You end up having to take pictures as a reminder and then go online to read up on Wikipedia.
All told: all of us (3) were actually underwhelmed and left a bit disappointed.
Sorry, this museum needs a bit modern 21st century TLC…
You end up having to take pictures as a reminder and then go online to read up on Wikipedia.
All told: all of us (3) were actually underwhelmed and left a bit disappointed.
Sorry, this museum needs a bit modern 21st century TLC…
Written March 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hunter A
2 contributions
Mar 2020 • Family
Visited with our two kids (9 and 7) on a weekend. They’re only open the 1st and 3rd Saturday if you can’t make it on a weekday. The kids enjoyed solving the challenges they had laid out and maybe learned a little bit beyond them. A lot of the exhibits were text heavy, so as an adult I only got to read part of them whole the kids were doing the challenges. However the museum was very thorough and covered a lot of interesting stuff. We planned for 45 minutes and ended up staying 1:30.
It would be cool if they had a bit more recent stuff. The exhibition ends with early 2000s technology. Would recommend a visit if you’re in the area.
It would be cool if they had a bit more recent stuff. The exhibition ends with early 2000s technology. Would recommend a visit if you’re in the area.
Written March 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for visiting the museum and for taking the time to comments, which are very important to us. We are happy you enjoyed your visit. Regarding putting more recent stuff on display, virtually all of the artifacts and information on display at the National Cryptologic Museum were once classified. typically for 25 - 50 years after their use. This limits how much we can put on display. Still, wherever possible we do our best to put more recent items on display so that our visitors can gain a deeper understanding of the world of codemaking and codebreaking. Thanks again for visiting!
Written March 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
pat l
Gainesville, GA1,125 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
Our daughter wanted to go visit and I wasn't sure what we'd find, but it was a really interesting little museum. There was no fee and even though she was clearly too old, the worker gave her the little game/quiz/hunt to complete and our daughter enjoyed it. Very interesting history here! Stop by if you are nearby and have an hour to spend.
Written May 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nomad
Lakewood Ranch, FL313 contributions
Sep 2022 • Solo
Take a deep dive in intel. Aside from the excellent ENIGMA display, this place is historically significant in that this is the approximate location where codebreakers quietly and systematically uncovered the extent of communist infiltration in the US existing at the highest levels of US government agencies, the arts, journalism, academia, etc, Known as project VENONA, this blew the lid-off of communist agent infiltration and also exposed the “Cambridge Five” (Kim Philby, Guy Burgess, etc - all communist moles working within the highest levels of British Intel). Was Senator Joseph McCarthy (who died in disgrace) correct all along? Take a look at VENONA and then you decide.
Written July 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Archie
Glenmoore, PA7,941 contributions
Dec 2024 • Family
We enjoyed our visit. This is such a unique museum. Spoke to Vietnamese, German and Japanese wars. The instruments used and scientific research towards decoding. There are puzzles to be solved. Artefacts all around the museum. There is plenty of parking and restrooms onsite
Written December 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
travlure
Arvada, CO36 contributions
Jul 2011 • Business
I spent over two hours at this museum and I enjoyed learning so many new things. I took a tour with a docent and that added immensely to my enjoyment. After the tour, I went back to many areas and spent more time looking at individual displays. Many displays allow you to touch them, such as the Enigma machine. Since most of this information was classified at its time, the details of it were hidden. Now it is fascinating to learn about what went into big victories from behind the scenes. I completely enjoyed this small museum and I will probably go back on a future visit to the area.
Written July 9, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jack-Diane-NewBloom
Ellicott City, MD23 contributions
Apr 2018 • Friends
We visited this hidden gem last Saturday. Hard to find a free activity this good!
Steven was our host and did a superb job of explaining the role cryptology has played in key events in US history. He demonstrated the perfect blend of knowledge and story telling that made our group wishing that our tour could have gone longer. The museum was crowded with a mix of adults and children, all enjoying and interacting with the exhibits. It was great to see the community so engaged with the museum.
The WWI message to the German AMB to US is a must see exhibit.
Steven was our host and did a superb job of explaining the role cryptology has played in key events in US history. He demonstrated the perfect blend of knowledge and story telling that made our group wishing that our tour could have gone longer. The museum was crowded with a mix of adults and children, all enjoying and interacting with the exhibits. It was great to see the community so engaged with the museum.
The WWI message to the German AMB to US is a must see exhibit.
Written April 16, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rich O
Boulder, CO283 contributions
Mar 2016 • Solo
This is a great museum if you are interested in code-breaking. It is not a rip-off for profit trifle like the so-called "Spy Museum" in DC. This is built by, and run by, people with deep knowledge and interest in this topic and is not a money making tourist trap. Highly recommended.
Written February 2, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How do you travel from the Greenbelt Metro Station to the Museum without a car?
Written April 25, 2019
This museum is not downtown, and there is no Metro near this part of Maryland. It is not easily accessible without a car unless there is a group/tour bus going there. If you really want to go to this museum and any other locations outside of the immediate DC suburbs, I recommend getting a zip car or car2go for the day.
Written April 26, 2019
I do not park busses but there seemed to be plenty of parking in their lot. The lot is adjacent to the museum.
Written December 17, 2014
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