[5] The original museum facility in the Penn Quarter neighborhood was built by Milton Maltz and The House on F Street, L.L.C.

The museum was part of the ongoing rejuvenation of Penn Quarter, kicked off in the 1980s by the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation.

[3] In January 2019, the museum began the process of moving from its previous F Street location to the new $162 million dedicated building at 700 L'Enfant Plaza, and it reopened to the public on May 12, 2019.

Educational and cultural programs are offered for students, adults, and families including scholarly lectures, films, book signings, hands-on workshops, and group tour packages.

In the "Stealing Secrets" gallery, visitors learn about spies and spymasters, gadget makers, scientists, and engineers from past and present.

In the "Covert Action" gallery, visitors discover the age-old techniques leaders use to secretly influence events abroad.

Visitors explore stories from the American Revolution to 21st century cyberwarfare and hear what intelligence officers think about on-screen spies.