National Cryptologic Museum Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
National Cryptologic Museum

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Established	1993
Location	8290 Colony Seven Road Annapolis Junction, Maryland 20701 United States of America
Type	History
Visitors	50,000 annually

The National Cryptologic Museum (NCM) is a museum about the secret world of codes and ciphers. It's connected to the National Security Agency (NSA), which is a U.S. government agency that protects information and collects foreign intelligence. The NCM was the first public museum of its kind in the U.S. intelligence community. It's located in Maryland, very close to the NSA headquarters. The museum opened on December 16, 1993. About 50,000 people visit it every year from all over the world.

The NCM is usually open from Tuesday to Saturday. It's closed on Sundays and all federal holidays. The museum also has a gift shop and a library. The library has many interesting files and books about codes and ciphers.

Next to the museum, there used to be the National Vigilance Park. This park displayed three special spy planes. One plane was a Beechcraft RU-8D Seminole from the U.S. Army. It showed the Army's role in collecting secret signals during the Vietnam War. Another plane was a Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport. It was made to look like a spy plane and honored a U.S. Air Force aircraft. This plane was shot down over Soviet Armenia during the Cold War. The park also had a Douglas EA-3B Skywarrior from the U.S. Navy. This plane remembered a mission in the Mediterranean where seven crew members died.

The NCM is open to everyone, and it's free to get in. You can take pictures inside the museum. However, you can't use flash photography. This is because some of the old items are very delicate. The museum closed for a while in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, the museum director, Vince Houghton, had it renovated. It reopened on October 8, 2022.

What You Can See: Museum Collections
Activities and Programs
- Educational Programs for Students
NSA Hall of Honor
Photo gallery
See also

What You Can See: Museum Collections

The NCM has thousands of cool items. These include real World War II German Enigma machines. You can even try out two of them! There's also a special machine called a Navy Bombe. This machine was used to help break the Enigma codes. The museum shows the history of American cryptology, which is the study of codes and ciphers. It also highlights the people,, and methods used in this secret world.

The museum started by showing items to NSA employees. But it quickly grew into a large collection of U.S. cryptologic history. Some items are even older than the American Revolutionary War.

Exhibits on People and Machines

Besides the machines, the museum has exhibits about the people who made a difference in American cryptography.

George Washington used secret messages in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
Native American code talkers used their native languages to send secret messages. They helped protect U.S. communications in both World Wars.
The Navy WAVES were women who operated the Bombe machine. They helped decode German military messages during WWII.

Main Collection Areas

The museum's collections are split into four main groups:

Early Cryptology: This part covers the history of codes and ciphers before the NSA was formed. It has items from the 16th century, like the book Polygraphiae. You can also see items from the Founding Fathers of the United States, the American Civil War, and both World Wars.
Cold War/Information Age: This section looks at codes and code-breaking during the Cold War. It also shows the early days of the NSA and how computers, like supercomputers, became important.
Information Assurance: This area explores how we keep information safe today. It includes satellite technology, secure phone calls, and how we protect against cyberattacks.
Memorial Hall: One side of this hall features the NSA Hall of Honor. The other side honors people who lost their lives in cryptologic missions. This includes those remembered by the planes at National Vigilance Park.

Throughout the museum, there are also special displays. These displays highlight the roles of women and African-Americans in cryptologic history. They also show the many different languages used around the world.

The NCM Library

The NCM has a library with books and papers about the history of codes and ciphers. You can't borrow books from the library. However, you can make copies or take pictures. If you need to do a lot of research, you can make an appointment with the librarian. The library's collection grew a lot when historian David Kahn donated his large collection of materials.

Activities and Programs

The museum offers tours for visitors. These tours explain how codes and ciphers have changed history. They also talk about jobs in this field. Retired NSA employees lead these tours. If you have a group of six or more people, it's a good idea to contact the museum ahead of time to schedule a tour.

Educational Programs for Students

The NCM also has special programs for students. They offer field trips, talks, and interactive activities for kids as young as nine. There are also programs for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. These programs help scouts earn badges and meet requirements. Teachers and scout leaders can contact the museum for more details.

NSA Hall of Honor

The NSA Hall of Honor is a special place that honors people who have done amazing things for American cryptology. It was created in 1999. The people chosen for this honor are innovators. They showed incredible skill throughout their careers. They also made huge contributions to how American cryptology works.