A new spy museum, SPYSCAPE, has opened in New York City

Espionage is a booming industry.

From alleged Russian interference in the US election to spy accusations in UK politics, and hackers targeting everything from ATMs to cryptocurrencies, it's the perfect time to get savvy about intelligence.

New York's latest addition to its cultural scene, the SPYSCAPE museum, located in Midtown Manhattan, truly embodies the espionage world.

With its dark concrete walls, polished floors, LED lighting, and high-tech interactive displays, this 60,000-square-foot space exudes a sleek, high-stakes atmosphere, much like 007 slipping into a tuxedo.

Bringing elegance to the world of espionage, the museum was designed by the renowned UK architect David Adjaye and his firm, Adjaye Associates.

Each of the seven themed galleries—covering deception, encryption, surveillance, hacking, intelligence, cyber warfare, and special ops—are entirely custom-built and one-of-a-kind, says Josh Ellman, head of communications at Adjaye Associates, speaking to Dinogo Travel.

And the tailor-made experience doesn’t stop there.

Unleash your inner spy

SPYSCAPE offers more of a stylish, interactive playground than a traditional museum experience.

Upon entry, visitors are given digital wristbands to track their progress as they test their spy abilities through various challenges. In the debriefing room, they will uncover their assigned spy role.

This includes playing both suspect and investigator in the lie detection booth, where you can discover your own tells—watch out for that blinking—and try to catch others in their lies.

Next, there’s the special ops laser tunnel, where you can live out your “Mission Impossible” dreams as you navigate lasers, hit glowing targets, and test your agility and reflexes.

“The surveillance gallery is my personal favorite,” says Ellman. Inside this “dramatic” circular steel chamber, visitors are immersed in a 360-degree projection of live and recorded CCTV footage, “which is completely surprising.” A real-time challenge then tests your observation skills.

In the final gallery, visitors will discover whether they have the potential to be an agent handler, cryptologist, hacker, intelligence analyst, field operative, special ops agent, spycatcher, spymaster, surveillance expert, or technical operations officer.

“We spent a couple of years developing our profiling system with the former head of training at British intelligence, alongside leading industrial psychologists,” explains Shelby Pritchard, SPYSCAPE’s chief of staff, in an interview with Dinogo Travel.

“So, it provides an authentic insight into how the intelligence world views the qualities needed for various spy roles.”

Smoke and mirrors

It’s an enjoyable and impressive outing, but – just like espionage itself – there’s always a bit of illusion and trickery involved.

On one hand, visitors are introduced to the fascinating stories of some of the most renowned and notorious figures in espionage history – from WWII codebreaker Alan Turing to the fearless Virginia Hall and Soviet mole Robert Hanssen – with the chance to see real artifacts, including authentic Nazi Enigma machines.

However, the museum’s educational content feels somewhat lacking in depth.

Pritchard revealed to The Wall Street Journal in October that creating this cutting-edge attraction cost “tens of millions of dollars,” and that hefty investment is reflected in the ticket prices.

Be sure to bring a hefty wallet or – if you’re channeling your inner special ops agent – perhaps a few suction cups for scaling the walls.

SPYSCAPE, located at 928 8th Ave, New York, NY 10019; for inquiries, call +1 212-549-1941