National Cryptologic Museum

Once Secret Coded Messages and War-time Artifacts Reveal Keys to America’s Victorious Past

(Photo: Courtesy of National Cryptologic Museum)

In 1982, an eye-opening book about the ultra-secret National Security Agency was published. The author, James Bamford, a former Naval Security Group clerk-turned lawyer-turned writer, sought to uncloak the inner workings of the agency that he contended had “carte blanche” to surveil telephone calls in the United States with little or no oversight, according to the Evening Sun.

At the time when The Puzzle Palace was published, agency employees often demurred when asked where they worked, and when pressed, often said they worked for the government or the Department of Defense.

Information about the agency, often jokingly referred to as “No Such Agency,” has never been easy to obtain, thanks to the need for silence to be successful, the oaths taken by agency personnel to the United States Constitution, and to a lifelong obligation of current and former employees to guard the agency’s secrets.

The work of the NSA—decrypting and encrypting information—has been so vital to the safety and security of the United States and for that of our men and women deployed or working overseas, that employees take the adage “loose lips sink ships” to heart, even with Bamford’s assertions.

So when the National Cryptologic Museum opened in 1993, in a former motel and conference center on land adjacent to NSA, it was a distinct departure for the spotlight-averse agency. It was a big step toward offering the public a glimpse of what the secretive agency does through the window of the past.

The first step involved a 1979 public display at the Smithsonian Institution, authorized by Adm. Bobby Inman, NSA Director. The Associated Press wrote in 1994, “The super secret National Security Agency, the Department of Defense outfit responsible for code making and code breaking, has opened the National Cryptologic Museum to pay homage to the agency’s rich but hidden past.”

Using stories and artifacts of past cryptologic military successes and those of cautionary tales, all of which have been declassified, the museum presents exhibits that show the public the enormity of the role cryptology has played in winning wars and keeping freedoms Americans enjoy today.   

The fascinating history of cryptology, the making and breaking codes, goes back centuries. Many books have been written on the subject. However, many of the most brilliant cryptologists were unknown to the outside world, as were their accomplishments.

As former museum curator Patrick Weadon told APG News in 2015, “When you succeed in the world of cryptology, you have to be very, very quiet. If you even begin to celebrate or advertise your success, you put yourself out of business.”

He further indicated that, “This museum is about educating people, not just on the mission of the National Security Agency, but on the importance of cryptology to preserving freedom throughout the generations.”

Adopting a slightly more public-facing stance opens the world of cryptology to everyone. It certainly aids the agency in recruiting and hiring talented linguists, mathematicians, computer scientists, and others to do the work that continues to keep the United States safe.

The museum looks at the cryptologic past with artifacts, such as books from long, long ago to the present time and the more recent tools, like a supercomputer that can crunch 65 billion calculations per second, according to Weadon.

Exhibits highlight the wins against America’s enemies of the past, including Union soldiers breaking the Confederates’ codes in the Civil War, and cryptologic victories the U.S. and Allied nations had in WWII. The names of those working to break enemy codes are also acknowledged and credited for their important work.

Hitler’s Enigma cipher machine, a wall-mounted substitution cypher, and book shelves in the National Cryptologic Museum’s library. (Photos by Angie Latham Kozlowski)

Two huge cryptologic triumphs in WWII were the breaking of what Nazi Germany believed to be their “unbreakable” code, which was generated by the Enigma machine. The Enigma cipher machine is often cited as a top exhibit for museum goers. Another is the breaking of the Japanese diplomatic cipher known as Purple. These key successes amount to a victory lap our nation can take many years after they happened.

In addition to the interesting technical exhibits, the museum houses an incredible library with over 3,000 books on or related to cryptology. Museum Librarian Robert Simpson gets research requests from all over the country. He hears from authors who write fiction and nonfiction, students doing History Day school projects, and family members in search of information about family connections to NSA, primarily. While the library has a plethora of interesting books, none are available to use off-site.

Curator Deana Bowles highlighted the temporary exhibits that reflect cryptology in real life. Currently, the museum has an exhibit that looks at codes in popular music. IYKYK, AMIRITE, Swifties?

The need for secure communications between space and ground operations has led to the on-going important relationship between NSA and NASA. This relationship is explored in a short film and an exhibit of artifacts related to this mission-critical connection.

The National Cryptologic Museum has proven a popular destination receiving one hundred visitors a day. Pre-Covid, the daily visitors numbered 150, according to press reports. On a cold, winter day in February, the museum had a stream of visitors. The gift shop, which opened in May of 1997, also had a few shoppers and folks looking for must-have NSA-themed items.

Silence to be successful still applies today, but the days of “No Such Agency” are over. And thanks to the National Cryptologic Museum, the code-making and code-breaking brilliance of past cryptologists and their war-time contributions can be celebrated and appreciated by the public.

The National Cryptologic Museum is located at 8290 Colony Seven Rd, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701 and is open Monday through Saturday, 10 AM–4 PM.

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Angie Latham Kozlowski is a staff writer and member of the Board of Directors for the Laurel History Boys. In addition to her investigative reporting, her articles frequently spotlight Howard County.