Missions and Martinis: A Night Out at Spyscape, NYC’s New Spy Museum

Dodge lasers in Special Ops at Spyscape, NYC's new spy museum.
Some posts on this site contain affiliate links, meaning if you book or buy something through one of these links, I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you!). Opinions are always my own and I’ll never promote something I don’t use or believe in.

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

Spyscape, NYC's newest spy museum, is located in Midtown Manhattan.

Can you spot the Spy Museum sign in this photo? Good — you’re on your way to being an elite spy.

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.

Grabbing martinis and feeling like James Bond during Missions and Martinis night at Spyscape, NYC's spy museum.

I mean, you’ve gotta have a martini when you’re at a spy museum!

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…

Grab a martini and channel your inner James Bond at Missions and Martinis nights at Spyscape, NYC's new spy museum.

Our martinis actually *were* shaken, not stirred.

Missions and Martinis night at Spyscape, New York City's spy museum.

Mission: Impossible Not To Have A Martini.

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.

Answer questions to determine your Spy Profile at Spyscape, NYC's new spy museum.

Mr. Five O’Clock answers personality questions to determine his Spy Profile.

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!

Assume the position

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.

The Encryption gallery is one of seven galleries you can visit at Spyscape, NYC's new spy museum.

The Encryption gallery is the first place you’ll encounter.

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!

Encryption Gallery At Spyscape, New York City's spy museum

Left: Movie costumes; Right: Enigma machine

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.

Check out the Deception gallery and test your spy skills at Spyscape, NYC's new spy museum.

Onward to the Deception gallery.

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.

Test your ability to lie and spot liars in the Deception booth at Spyscape, NYC's new spy museum.

Inside the Deception booth, where you can test your lying skills.

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.

Test your spy skills in the Surveillance Room at Spyscape, NYC's new spy museum.

360 degrees of camera footage awaits you in Surveillance.

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.

Test your spy skills in the Surveillance room at Spyscape, NYC's new spy museum.

Mr. Five O’Clock doing the surveillance challenge at Spyscape.

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?!)

Surveillance gallery at Spyscape, NYC's spy museum.

Apparently Edward Snowden recorded a song?

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.

Anonymous masks at the Hacker gallery at Spyscape, NYC's spy museum.

I wouldn’t want to wake up next to these.

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.

Dodge lasers in Special Ops at Spyscape, NYC's new spy museum.

I’m a @#$!ing ninja, y’all.

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.

According to my Spy Profile, I’m an Intelligence Operative.

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.

The staff at Spyscape, NYC's new spy museum, are friendly and professional.

Dan The Man!

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

Buy spy gear like disappearing paper at Spyscape, NYC's new spy museum.

I’m definitely going to write secret messages on this paper — it disappears in water!

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.

The gift shop at Spyscape, NYC's new spy museum, has tons of gear for would-be-spies.

Checking out the gear for my Spy Role as an Intelligence Operative

Check out the cool gadgets in the gift shop at Spyscape, NYC's new spy museum and experience.

I need to get myself an assortment of super secret spy pens.

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!

Official spies.

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.

Essential Info:
Where should you stay in New York City? Check out all options here.
Want a guidebook for New York City? I recommend this guidebook.
What else have I written about New York City? Read my posts on NYC here.
Have questions for me? Hit me up on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Did you like this post? Pin it ↓↓

Grab a martini and channel your inner James Bond during Missions and Martinis nights at Spyscape, New York City's new spy museum. #Spyscape #SpyMuseum #SecretAgent #NYC #NYCmuseum
Test your spy skills and learn about espionage at Spyscape, NYC's new spy museum. #Spyscape #SpyMuseum #NYC #NYCMuseum #Manhattan #spy #espionage

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


15 thoughts on “Missions and Martinis: A Night Out at Spyscape, NYC’s New Spy Museum

  1. Erin | The Epicurean Traveler

    Spyscape seems much more interactive than the spy museum in Washington, D.C. I am definitely making a note to keep this in mind for a future NYC trip. I also love that you can get a martini on Thursday nights, too. That feels very Bond, James Bond.

  2. Taryn

    This sounds like an amazing museum and experience. I wish it had been open during my trip to NYC last fall. The entrance price seems a little steep, but from your review, it also sounds like it was worth the price.

  3. Elaine Masters

    There’s a great Spy experience in Milwaukee but it’s more bar/restaurant than adventure. I’d love to try this next time I’m in Manhattan. Love that they’ve made it into a Thursday night date excursion too.

  4. Janiel Green

    I have always been obsessed with spy’s, covert ops and all things to do with the CIA. Maybe it’s because my grandma had me watch a plethora of WWII movies, lol. This place is right up my alley, and now I’m going to either have to go, or find one near me.

  5. Heather

    Girl, you find the BEST museums! I need to visit you in NYC so you can just take me to fabulous museum after fabulous museum! LOL! I want to do the Missions and Martinis experience!!! It’s killing me that it opened the month I was in NYC (Feb 2018) but I was there in early February and didn’t know about it yet. And according to your map, I walked right by it too! Ugh! So cool that you answer questions, learn about encryption, deception, hacking, debriefing, etc. My Dad would absolutely love this (he wanted to be an FBI agent until he fell in love with my mom who couldn’t handle that kind of lifestyle). I’m a terrible liar so I would like to see if I could get away with anything (not sure what that says about me?) I bet practicing lying mixed with alcohol can get pretty hilarious. They’ve probably heard some good stuff! LOL! This is a really cool find!

  6. Juliann Jones

    This looks like so much fun!! I’d love to visit Spyscape and would love to bring my (grown) kids. They’d love it. My son is in the military and is intrigued with all things Intelligence-related. We have done several escape rooms, but adding laser beams and other challenges would be right up his alley. My score at the end would probably be pitifully low. But maybe that would be my ruse — to make everyone think that I’m not all that great at spying… or am I??? 🙂

  7. Jenn and Ed Coleman

    We are going to New York in January and looking for things to do (indoors where it’s not too cold). The Spy Museum looks pretty cool. I have to say Daniel Craig is the best Bond. Also, the Enigma Machine is one of the best nerd stories of WWII. Go Nerds!

  8. Ann

    Oh, I want to go! This sounds like so much fun 🙂 — I was raised with James Bond, and love spy stories. The level of interactivity at Spyscape is of course, what makes it intriguing. And I definitely like the Missions and Martinis idea. I wish I had more time next weekend in New York! I would be all over this . . . but I think it will have to wait for my next visit. Thanks for posting — will definitely visit.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.