A Little History First

For decades, the FBI tour was one of the most popular tourist attractions in DC — starting in 1937 and becoming legendary after J. Edgar Hoover moved operations into the Pennsylvania Avenue building in 1975. At its peak it drew over 500,000 visitors a year. The live shooting gallery, the Ten Most Wanted wall, John Dillinger’s Tommy gun — it was visceral and theatrical and completely unlike anything else in the city.

Then September 11 happened. The tour closed in 2001, a scaled-back Education Center ran from 2008 to 2016, and the current version — rebranded as The FBI Experience — opened in July 2017. The live shooting demonstration is gone. Large tour groups are gone. What replaced them is smaller, more controlled, and in some ways more impressive — because the technology and interactive exhibits are genuinely good.

What You’ll Actually See

• Historical artifacts — the Unabomber’s journal, John Dillinger’s Tommy gun (still there), spy equipment from real operations, a 9/11 memorial gallery with a piece of Pentagon limestone from the attack
• The FBI’s Most Wanted Wall — current fugitives, photos, descriptions
• Bank robbery investigation — study the evidence and identify the suspect
• Computer forensics lab — work through a simulated digital investigation
• Hidden camera room — search for concealed surveillance devices with your phone flashlight
• Shooting range viewing — observe agents training (no photos permitted in this area)
• Real FBI agents on the floor — stationed throughout and will answer questions. This alone sets it apart from any museum-style attraction in the city.

At the end, a quiz tells you which FBI job you’d be best suited for and you leave with a souvenir security badge. Photography is allowed throughout most of the exhibit.

How to Get In

The Process

1. Contact your senator or representative’s office and request an FBI Experience tour. Most offices have a tour request form on their website. Find yours at congress.gov/members.
2. Your congressional office submits the request to the FBI on your behalf.
3. The FBI conducts background checks on all visitors. Not optional, no exceptions.
4. You receive confirmation — or don’t. Capacity is strictly limited. Not every request gets approved.

What to Know Before You Go

• It starts in the gift shop. Seriously — browse before heading into the exhibit.
• Arrive early. Security screening takes time and you don’t want to miss your slot.
• No bags larger than a clutch. That includes backpacks, fanny packs, and diaper bags — leave them at the hotel. Security will turn you away.
• No photos in the shooting range area. Everywhere else is fine — cell phones are permitted but must be on airplane mode during the visit.
• Talk to the agents. They’re approachable and will answer real questions. That’s genuinely the best part of the experience.
• Rejection happens even if you do everything right. Capacity is extremely limited — it’s not a reflection on you.

For Families

This is the DC civics stop kids remember longest. The bank robbery simulation, the hidden camera hunt, the forensics lab — these are hands-on activities that put kids inside the work rather than just observing it. Meeting actual FBI agents who will talk about real cases and real careers leaves an impression no museum exhibit can replicate.

For DC-area families, the lead time requirement is the only real obstacle. Submit the request 3 to 5 months out and let the process work. If it gets approved, protect the afternoon on your calendar.

If You Don’t Get In

• The International Spy Museum on L’Enfant Plaza is the best alternative — paid admission but covers espionage history in a way that overlaps thematically
• The National Archives has FBI-related documents and case files from major historical investigations
• Try again next trip — submit earlier next time

Getting There by Metro

Parking Near the FBI Experience

The FBI Experience is in Penn Quarter — the same garage cluster that serves Capital One Arena. Book ahead, especially on weekdays when commuter lots fill early.

Booking the FBI Experience starts with your congressional office — the same office that can arrange White House tours, Capitol tours, Pentagon visits, and access to the Supreme Court gallery. See our full guide to visiting your senator or representative in DC.