I’ve always secretly wanted to be a spy. (Guess it’s not so secret any more, right, Internet?) Given the nature of blogging, though — I’m sharing my experiences for the whole darn world to read — I’m guessing I won’t be on any intelligence agency’s shortlist when it comes time to recruit new secret agents.

Still, I’ve done my fair share of reciting lines from James Bond films, examining John le Carré novels, binge-watching The Americans, and stealing French fries from my mom when she isn’t looking. Which, of course, means I’ve got a few spy skills up my sleeve.

So when I heard that a new spy museum called Spyscape was opening in Manhattan, my ears perked up. And when I learned that Spyscape hosts a special “Missions and Martinis” experience on Thursday nights, I was sold. Here’s the inside scoop on Spyscape, NYC’s new 60,000-square-foot spy museum and experience.

What is Spyscape?

Spyscape, which opened in February 2018, isn’t your ordinary, run-of-the-mill museum; it’s an interactive experience. Not only will you learn about famous spies and tinker with gadgets, but you’ll have a chance to crack codes and dodge lasers like your life depends on it. (Because hey, maybe it does.)

In fact, completing these spy challenges will determine which of 10 Spy Roles you’re best suited to, from Intelligence Analyst to Agent Handler. You’ll also receive your Spy Profile, which was actually developed by top psychologists and a former Head of Training at British Intelligence.

So your mission — should you choose to accept it — is to grab a martini, channel your inner 007, and find out what kind of spy you really are!

Where is Spyscape?

Since we don’t want to make finding the museum part of your secret mission, we’ll go ahead and make it easy for you. Spyscape is located at 928 8th Avenue in Manhattan (that’s 8th Ave between West 54th and West 55th Street).

Spyscape Review: Missions and Martinis

Upon check in at Spyscape, we received a special wristband which we were told would track our progress throughout the experience. There’s also free lockers if you want to store your bags, though we elected not to use them.

After being herded with a large group into an elevator — apparently called The Briefing Lift — we ascended for three minutes up to the museum’s main level, and it was time to begin our adventure.

But First: Grabbing A Martini (Shaken, Not Stirred)

What makes the “Missions and Martinis” experience extra fun is that you get a complimentary drink and unlimited bar snacks in addition to admission to the museum.

Though probably ill-advised, we decided to have our martinis and food first before entering the exhibits. Jesús was behind the bar the night we went, and he made some fabulous martinis.

We gorged ourselves on charcuterie and cheese (hey, NYC is damn expensive), and sipped our martinis as Sam Smith’s “Writing’s on the Wall” and Adele’s “Skyfall” played in the background. Note that you can choose between white wine and martinis at the bar, but when in Rome…

Answer Me These Questions Three

With our arms and legs more limber, we left the bar and headed to the question stations. We tapped our wristbands on the screen, and presto! Time to answer a bunch of questions and puzzles, all of which tested personality, risk, and brainpower.

“I get stressed easily” — yes, more than I’d like. “I’ll say anything to get what I want” — uhhh, probably not. Should I take the money now or keep pumping that darn balloon?! Every response we entered went into calculating our Spy Profile at the end.

These stations are scattered throughout the museum, so be sure to complete all of the exercises. Beware that there are screens for all heights — good if you have a child in tow, not so good if your knees are creaky. I wound up challenging my mental and physical abilities simultaneously a few times — take that, Bond!

Encryption

After warming up our fingers and brains at the question stations, we headed into the Encryption zone. It’s one of seven galleries you’ll explore at this immersive museum.

Each gallery features the story of real-life spies. In the Encryption area, we learned about Alan Turing and Joan Clarke, cryptologists who were essential in bringing down Hitler in World War II.

We got up close and personal with Keira Knightley and Benedict Cumberbatch’s costumes from The Imitation Game, the 2014 film about Turing and Clarke, as well as a real-life Enigma machine (which the Nazis used to send coded messages during the war). There’s an encryption challenge here, too, but we won’t spoil it!

Deception

Next up was the Deception zone, where we learned about notorious double agent Robert Hanssen. Hanssen, a former FBI agent who is still serving a life sentence for his crimes, spied for the Soviets, and later the Russians, against the U.S. from 1979 to 2001.

After reading about Hanssen, we were tasked with spotting liars and seeing if we could get away with lying ourselves. Inside a small dark booth, we learned telltale signs of lying and watched videos of a woman to determine if she was telling the truth. We also lied as a computer monitored us.

Both Mr. Five O’Clock and I got perfect scores… I’m not quite sure what that says about us. I guess if you ask me if I want some ice cream and I say “no,” you can assume I’m just being a really good liar.

Surveillance

The Surveillance area asks museum goers, “How much privacy should we trade for security?” It’s a thought-provoking question, and one that stayed with us long after our time at Spyscape.

The spy challenge here is a bit tricky; you have to answer questions based on the cameras in the room.

You’re given some guidance at first — e.g., “Look in Zone B” — but after a while, all bets are off as you spin 360 degrees in an attempt to analyze all cameras and answer the questions.

As a general note, be sure to pause and read the exhibits around you. Although it may be tempting, don’t just jet around between the interactive spy challenges. You might miss some interesting tidbits, like how Edward Snowden can add “techno song” to his resume. (What?!)

Hacking

In the Hacking gallery, we were fascinated by Stuxnet — a virus designed to attack Iran’s nuclear program — in addition to other hackers and their impact. The Guy Fawkes masks worn by the hacking group Anonymous are certainly hard to miss, too.

Special Ops

Undoubtedly the most popular area at Spyscape was Special Ops, which had a queue going outside its doors. It’s a Mission:Impossible kind of dream come true — enter the small, dark room; avoid touching any lasers; and hit as many lit up buttons as possible.

A couple of dudes took this part reeeeeally seriously. During the bonus stage, when the lasers disappear and you hit as many buttons as you can, these guys legit slammed into the wall and rolled around, determined to beat their previous high score. Thanks, but I’m not going home with bruises tonight.

Debriefing

With all of our challenges completed, we were ushered into the Debriefing Room, where our Spy Roles were identified. I’m an Intelligence Operative, and Mr. Five O’Clock is a Technical Operations Officer (“a person who gathers intelligence by tapping phones, breaking into buildings, planting cameras, and other means”). Cool, huh?

Be sure to enter your e-mail address, as you’ll get a more detailed Spy Profile that you can access online at home.

Exit Through The Gift Shop

After our debriefing self-destructed — just kidding — we popped by the gift shop and were greeted by friendly staff (shout out to Judith in security and Dan in the gift shop). Staff on site were professional, helpful, and entertaining.

Dan entertained us with demonstrations of spy gear, like this disappearing paper. (Which I purchased, because it was just too cool.)

The gift shop is well stocked with supplies for spies-in-training. It’s cleverly organized in sections by spy role, so once you get your role in your debriefing, you can head over and see what gadgets you’ll need to become a super spy.

Spyscape: Overall Impressions

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Spyscape. The museum was well done, highly interactive, and geared toward adults; we felt challenged, both mentally and physically, during our time there.

While we’ve been to the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., we found Spyscape’s interactive experiences to be much more interesting and realistic than D.C.’s Operation Spy (though that *may* have to do with the fact that some of Operation Spy’s machines broke down when we went). D.C.’s museum dives deeper into certain aspects of espionage, though, so it depends on what you want to see.

Nevertheless, our time at Spyscape encouraged us to think more deeply about the world around us — who’s watching us and why, for example — and to have these conversations while having fun at the same time. I don’t think 007 could have asked for anything better!

Spyscape: Practical Info

Address: 928 8th Avenue, New York, NY (entrance is on the southeast corner of 55th Street)
Phone: 212-549-1941
Website: https://spyscape.com/

Current Hours

• Regular Museum Hours
  • Monday to Friday, 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM (Last entry at 7:30 PM)
  • Saturday & Sunday, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM (Last entry at 7:30 PM)
• Missions & Martinis
  • Every Thursday evening; bar open from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
  • Last entry at 8:00 PM. Be sure to visit Spyscape’s website for confirmation of hours.

Ticket Prices

• • General Admission is $39 for adults and $32 for children; if you purchase two weeks in advance, a free Spyscape logo hat is included. Seniors (65+) and US military and law enforcement pay $30.
  • Missions & Martinis is $45 and includes a complimentary drink and free bar snacks. Be sure to visit Spyscape’s website for up-to-date ticket prices.

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All costs were paid for by me, and all opinions are my own.