ncsu83

Do you think my 15 year old son and I would prefer the International Spy Museum or the National Museum of Crime & Punishment?

nanabee

Hopefully someone who's been to both will add their thoughts. I've only been to the International Spy Museum (the one in Washington D.C.).

DH and I really enjoyed it and had a lot of fun. They have various rooms (it is well researched) which highlight spies during WWII, back thru the Civil War, Revolutionary War and other interesting historical time frames. They also have fictional spies - such as Nancy Drew, and James Bond. They have the Bond Austin Martin car with the daggers that pop out from the cars wheel rims and some kind of rocket (as I recall). Very cool.

I'm not sure I would like a museum of crime and punishment - not sure how "fun" that would be to be overwhelmed by criminal behaviors and some probably not so fun to learn about.

nanabee

You can get a good idea of the museum from visitor comments on Yelp too. I've check the Crime & Punishment comments and they seem very positive. Both seem to have about the same percentage of positive reviews.

ElendilPickle

We didn't go to both, but my then 16yo son enjoyed the Spy Museum.

Lee Ann

Hobbert

I've been to both and I think a typical teenage boy would enjoy the Spy Museum a bit more but both are fun.

LBloom

We enjoyed the Spy museum. If you go, also be sure to check out the Portrait museum across the street. Your son may not enjoy that, but you will.

obxgirl

I've been to both. I think it's a toss up. The Spy Museum is slightly more cerebral. The Museum of C&P is a little more about the macabre, blood spatters and the like. Both can be overwhelming with crowds on busy days, lots of school groups. Both appear often on Groupon for discount admission.

19Ladybird67

We've only been to the International Spy Museum, but really liked it.

aronwalker

I have been visited spy museum and museum of crime & punishment I have enjoyed spy museum more its been a fun for teenagers

doug_stallings

When I was in line at the National Archives last weekend we were offered discount coupons for the Museum of C&P, so I think I would not go if I had to pay full price. Well I guess since they both cost $22, I wouldn't go to EITHER without a discount coupon.

longhorn55

I've been to both museums and I think most teenagers would prefer the C&P Musuem because there's cool hands-on activities like safecracking, police car driving simulator, firing range simulator, touch-screen quizzes, etc. Also, as stated earlier, the macabre aspect of the museum would appeal to most teens.

I took my 17-year-old son to the Spy Museum and we both found it to be a bit dry--lots of reading and little in the way of hands-on activities.

Finally, the Spy Museum is pretty small and when it's crowded, it's bad. The C&P Museum is much larger--I've been there 3 times and never felt crowded.