Skip to content
National Cryptologic Museum, Annapolis Junction, MD

Photo: National Cryptologic Museum, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

MuseumsHistory BuffRainy-Day Pick

National Cryptologic Museum

Trace 250 years of American codes and code breaking at the NSA's free public museum next to Fort Meade.

Next to NSA headquarters at Fort Meade, Annapolis Junction, MD · Annapolis Junction, MD

About National Cryptologic Museum

The National Cryptologic Museum was the first public museum of the U.S. intelligence community and opened in 1993 in a former motel two blocks from NSA headquarters at Fort Meade. Exhibits trace codes and code breaking, and the current show Decoding a Nation covers 250 years of American secrets. Admission is free. The museum keeps short hours and closes on all federal holidays, so check before you drive out.

  • #spy history
  • #codebreaking
  • #military history
  • #free museum
  • #nsa

What's around here?

The closest stops to National Cryptologic Museum, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Nightlife
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland

    No admission fee

    Play slots, table games and poker at a casino hotel next to Arundel Mills mall, with restaurants and live music.

    3.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Nightlife

  • Shopping
    Family Favorite

    Arundel Mills

    No admission fee

    Shop outlet and brand stores, catch a movie or play at Dave & Buster's at Maryland's largest mall, next to a casino and hotel complex.

    4.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Sightseeing

    Abraham Hall Historic Site

    Check prices

    A restored 1889 lodge in the Rossville community that once served an African-American benevolent society.

    6.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Museums

    Belair Stable Museum

    No admission fee

    A Bowie museum in a 1907 stable that tells the story of Belair's Thoroughbred horses and farm life.

    10 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums

    Sandy Spring Museum

    No admission fee

    A community-focused museum in Sandy Spring, Maryland, covering regional history, art, and cultural heritage.

    13 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums

    National Capital Trolley Museum

    Under $25

    A transit museum in Montgomery County, Maryland, with indoor exhibits and rides on historic street cars.

    14 mi awayMore like this