Living near Washington D.C., I have some of the nation’s major tourist destinations in my own backyard. My favorites are the museums. In fact, there’s so many that you may not be able to visit all of them during one stay. If you’re ever in D.C. definitely take in the museums of the Smithsonian, but don’t overlook a museum every mystery reader will like, the Spy Museum.
Located a few blocks north of the Mall, the Spy Museum boasts that unlike most museum collections, which are built through donations, their “stuff is mostly stolen.”
I visited a few weeks ago and aside from the overcrowding—which is par for the course in D.C.,’s museums—it was an interesting and enlightening experience. With many interactive exhibits, the Spy Museum concentrates more on real life spying and less on pop culture spies, although there is an Aston Martin for James Bond fans.
The majority of the museum focuses on Cold War Era spying with nods to ancient spies, women spies, and World War II code breaking and the Resistance. Don’t miss the carrier pigeon exhibit. Fascinating stuff! I also learned that several famous writers where prior spies, including Somerset Maugham and Ian Fleming. The museum is a bit pricey, but since most of the other museums in the area are free, save your pennies for this one.
Does anyone else have any other mystery- or writing-related must-sees in their area?
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All we have here in St.Louis is the talented and gorgeous Laura Bradford.
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You know, I don’t think we do. Most stuff in Nashville is related to the music industry in some way, or to the Civil War. Lots of interesting historical things, but not much that’s mystery or writing related. Of course, we’ve got Adams, Tennessee, some 45 minutes or so away: home of the Bell Witch. Elizabeth Peters tackled it in one of her more forgettable books (so forgettable that I can’t remember the title; probably the only one I can’t). We also have a surprising number of published authors for our size, but we’re not exactly on display. Might be a way to earn some extra income, come to think of it…
by JennieB
on August 20th, 2008 at 7:50 am
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Wow, Laura! Pretty impressive–you’re considered a must-see!
by Sara
on August 20th, 2008 at 8:19 am
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Interesting idea, JennyB. Writer sites in a music city. Might make a nice contrast. Maybe the book you’re thinking of was under the Barbara Michaels name?
by Sara
on August 20th, 2008 at 8:23 am
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Not exactly in my area, since it’s on the far north side of Houston, but you don’t want to miss the National Museum of Funeral History (http://www.nmfh.org/).
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Awwwwww.
That was a nice way to start the day, Will.
Now where should I send the check?
by laura
on August 20th, 2008 at 8:37 am
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In a loosely related way to Bill’s suggestion, I think that most older cities will have at least one great place to visit - their older cemeteries. One started in the 1800s should have some readable old stones and perhaps with some newer (pre-WW II) relatives could suggest interesting storylines about a family with a story to tell. Or a single epitaph on an older marker could be intriguing enough to lead to a story idea. If there’s a stone that is very obviously different in type, the difference could be a place to start from.
My friend and I were coming back from a trip to far northwestern Pa. last year when we drove past a little, rather simple cemetery, except for one very grandiose monument, which was so huge I insisted we check it out to see what we could learn. Turned out the man was the most prominent doctor and landowner, who also had been friends with Mark Twain (even traveling overseas with him) - a story waiting to be explored and perhaps a cool springboard to adventure and mystery…..
by Kate Hathway
on August 20th, 2008 at 9:51 am
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I think it goes without saying I love the International Spy Museum! But even more than I love the spy museum, I love the gift shop. All those books about spies, all collected in one place! I love it, love it, love it!
I literally spend an hour in the museum, and then three hours in the gift shop looking at the books. 
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The Spy Museum nudged my present WIP into a different place.
That’s influence.
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The closest thing we have around here is the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum which doesn’t actually have anything to do with mysteries. I must confess I was rather startled when I first learned Ernest Hemingway spent a fair amount of time in NE Arkansas at one time. It’s too bad I don’t care for his books. 
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Ohhh, interesting suggestion, Bill. I had no idea there was a museum of funerary history.
by Sara
on August 20th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
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You’ll have to give us the background on that tidbit when you can, David.
The Spy Museum gift shop goes on and on and on. Very sneaky, too, how they have your exit *through* the gift shop to leave the building.
Hmm…Hemingway and Arkansas aren’t linked in my mind either, Tori. I guess you never know where you’ll find a link to someone famous.
by Sara
on August 20th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
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The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga makes you exit through the gift-shop, too. Twice. Two different buildings, two different gift shops, two chances to pay through the nose.
Yes, Sara, it was a Barbara Michaels. Now I’ve had all day to think about it, I think maybe the title was ‘Different Worlds’, but don’t quote me on that. I haven’t looked it up.
by JennieB
on August 20th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
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No offense to Laura, but St. Louis does have a lot of “mystery” sites. Or at least I think so as an outsider. (No one will read this anyway since I’m so late…)
There’s the cemetary on N. Hanley, the Lemp mansion, Soulard, Jefferson Barricks, the river caves, etc. Now, it’s not like DC where the museum is specifically for spies, but you can find a mystery anywhere, especially in history. And maybe I’m mixing the paranormal with mystery a little. But didn’t Nancy Drew solve a lot of “ghost” stories that were really just mysteries?
by Lynn
on August 23rd, 2008 at 7:43 am
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We have a historic library with a ghost…surely someone could make a good mystery out of that! Willard Library in Evansville, IN. They have a ghost web cam on their web site. Just finished reading “Getting Away Is Deadly”….great!
by Mary
on August 24th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
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