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Washington, D.C.

Spy Kids: Sleuths & Secrets With Your Grandchild

Program No. 23214RJ

Decode D.C.’s history of espionage with your spy kid grandchild, as you visit the city’s most notorious spy sites and learn about investigative gadgets from former CIA and NSA agents.

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6 days

5 nights

13 meals

5B 4L 4D

Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner

Washington, DC

National Cryptologic Museum, D.C. Highlights

Washington, DC

Mount Vernon, Spying & The Revolutionary War

Washington, DC

International Spy Museum, Free Time

Washington, DC

Udvar-Hazy Center Military Aviation, Spy Craft

Washington, DC

Program Concludes

Washington, DC

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At a Glance

Invite your grandchild to join the ranks of Harriet the Spy, Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and Encyclopedia Brown as they transform into student sleuths and spy kids during a week of mysterious adventure. Together, you’ll investigate Washington D.C.’s cryptic history during visits to the city’s most notorious spy sites, as well as the International Spy Museum and the Cryptologic Museum at the NSA Headquarters. Meet former CIA agents, and learn about different spying devices and decoding tactics on this covert adventure!

Activity Level

Keep the Pace

Program involves walking up to two full miles each day, taking Washington, D.C. public transportation, and getting on/off motor coach.

Best of all, you’ll…

Enjoy a private, hands-on presentation on the art of espionage from a former intelligence officer.
View rare spy artifacts and learn all about the art of espionage at the International Spy Museum.
Decode D.C.’s history of espionage at Mount Vernon as you learn about the Culper Ring, America’s first network of spies, coordinated by George Washington himself.

Featured Expert

All trip experts

Christi Pancoast

Christi Pancoast is originally from Ohio and has been a teacher in Richmond, Virginia for over two decades. She is a self-proclaimed travel junkie, lifelong learner, and people enthusiast. In her free time, she enjoys Zumba, yoga, and being with her friends.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Christi Pancoast View biography

Ira Deutsch View biography

Ira Deutsch was born and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. At age 20, he moved to Israel and joined the Israeli military, retiring with the rank of LTC after 26 years of military service. His service included international affairs, coordinating relationships with multiple countries including the United States military. Ira’s last assignment before retiring was as a Foreign Liaison Officer to the U.S. National Guard and FEMA, stationed in Washington, DC. His coordinating experience makes him uniquely qualified to serve as a Group Leader.

Brian Hilton View biography

Brian Hilton was a guide and researcher at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate for 10 years, and has portrayed George Washington as a historical interpreter since 2007. He was selected as the James Madison Fellow for the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2021-2022, and currently is the official George Washington for the City of Alexandria, Virginia. He is, first and foremost, an educator and academic portraying Washington with the goal and intention of informing, inspiring and interacting with audiences across the country and around the world.

Dennis Diggins View biography

Dennis Diggins is a passionate exploration leader dedicated to connecting people through shared experiences. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he earned a B.A. in history from San Jose State University. His love for storytelling has taken him across America’s iconic cities and breathtaking national parks. Whether leading tours through New England’s vibrant fall foliage or the majestic landscapes of the West, he finds joy in fostering meaningful connections. An avid reader and traveler, Dennis believes the heart of every journey lies in its people.

Suggested Reading List (5 books)

Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop

You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.

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Spy Kids: Sleuths & Secrets With Your Grandchild

Program Number: 23214

Spy Science: 40 Secret-Sleuthing, Code-Cracking, Spy-Catching Activities for Kids

by Jim Wiese

Discover how spies use science to keep--or uncover--top secrets.Learn how to go under cover, master Morse code, and even build devices to see and hear through walls! These and dozens of other fun-filled activities give you an inside look at the science behind spy gadgets and tricks of the trade. All the activities are completely safe and can be done with everyday stuff from around the house.

Cast No Shadow: The Life of the American Spy Who Changed the Course of World War II

by Lovell, Mary S.

A biography of one of the most successful spies in World War II tells how she used international, high-ranking trysts to pry top-secret information from the enemy and put it into the hands of Allied forces.

Capturing Jonathan Pollard

by Olive, Ronald J.

Jonathan Pollard, an intelligence analyst working in the U.S. Naval Investigative Service's Anti-Terrorist Alert Center, systematically stole highly sensitive secrets from almost every major intelligence agency in the United States. In just eighteen months he sold more than one million pages of classified material to Israel. No other spy in U.S. history has stolen so many secrets, so highly classified, in such a short period of time. Author Ronald Olive was in charge of counterintelligence in the Washington office of the Naval Investigative Service that investigated Pollard and garnered the confession that led to his arrest in 1985 and eventual life sentence. His book reveals details of Pollard's confession, his interaction with the author when suspicion was mounting, and countless other details never before made public. Olive points to mistaken assumptions and leadership failures that allowed Pollard to ransack America's defense intelligence long after he should have been caught.

Spy on History: Mary Bowser and the Civil War Spy Ring

by Enigma Alberti & Tony Cliff

Meet Mary Bowser, an African American spy who was able to infiltrate the Confederate leadership at the highest level. Enigma Alberti dramatizes Mary Bowser’s suspenseful story—how she pretended to be illiterate, how she masterfully evaded detection, how she used her photographic memory to “copy” critical documents. Using spycraft materials included in a sealed envelope inside the book, a canny reader will be able to discover and unravel clues embedded in the text and illustrations, and solve the book’s ultimate mystery: Where did Mary hide her secret diary?

Of Spies and Lies

by Sullivan, John

Any serious study of the Vietnam War would be less than complete without accounting for the CIA's role in that conflict-a role that increased dramatically after the Tet offensive in 1968. We know most of the details of military engagement in Vietnam, given its greater visibility, but until recently clandestine operations have remained shrouded in secrecy.

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Spy Kids: Sleuths & Secrets With Your Grandchild

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At a Glance

Best of all, you’ll…

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