CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

SITES T O SEE
I ntr o d u cti o n

The Central Intelligence Agency is unlike any other Agency 

in the U.S. Government. Here you can find exhibits, museum 

galleries, statues, and a memorial wall and garden dedicated 

to our remarkable colleagues—men and women from every 

directorate—who have given their lives while advancing our 

Agency’s mission. While CIA Headquarters is accessible only 

to our Agency’s family, this publication will provide you with 

a small window into our hallways in both the Original and 

New Headquarters Buildings and the surrounding campus.

We welcome you to learn about our history and mission.
Original H ea dqu arter s Bu il d ing ( O HB)

In the 1950s, the same firm that designed the United Nations Headquarters 

building also designed OHB to reflect former Director of Central Intelligence 

(DCI) Allen Dulles’s vision of a location where intelligence officers could 

work near the policymakers in a secure and secluded environment. President 

Dwight D. Eisenhower laid the cornerstone on November 3, 1959, and 

construction ended in November 1963. The building consists of 1,400,000 

square feet of space and with the companion New Headquarters Building, 

occupies the 258-acre campus.
MEM O RIAL WALL

With the words that sculptor Harold Vogel inscribed in 

July 1974, “In honor of those members of the Central 

Intelligence Agency who gave their lives in the service 

of their country,”this wall—with one star carved for each 

honored officer—stands as a silent, simple memorial.
Book of Ho n o r

This glass-encased book sits on a marble shelf below the 

Memorial Wall—a small gold star represents each fallen officer. 

Many lines in the book are blank, indicating that even in death 

some names must remain secret. This memorial is a constant 

reminder of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their 

country and of the risks inherent in the intelligence profession.
CIA S EAL

On the floor of the OHB lobby entrance, this 16-foot-diameter inlaid granite 

seal has been the CIA emblem since it was approved by President Harry 

Truman in 1950. The seal has three main features: an American bald eagle, 

our national bird and a symbol of strength and alertness; a shield, the 

standard symbol of defense; and a 16-point compass rose, representing 

intelligence from around the world, converging at a central point.
O f f ice o f Strategic Ser v ice s 

( OSS ) M em o rial

A single star carved into the wall represents the 116 officers 

who lost their lives while serving in the OSS during WWII.

The names of the fallen are listed in the glass-encased OSS 

Book of Honor which sits on a marble pedestal.
D o n o v an Stat u e

During WWII, Major General William J. Donovan directed the OSS, 

the CIA’s predecessor. Although he never officially held the title of 

“Director of Central Intelligence,” the CIA considers him the first DCI 

because of the importance he placed on intelligence. His leadership 

and legacy ensured the US would have an intelligence-gathering 

agency that operated during peacetime as well as war. 
N ew H ea dqu arter s Bu il d ing (NHB)

In the early 1980s, decades after the construction of OHB, the 

Agency’s need for additional office space was clear. NHB was 

designed to expand OHB while blending seamlessly with its structure 

and design. The two six-story office towers, sky-lit lobby, and glasswalled atrium were completed in March 1991.
N ew H ea dqu arter s Bu il d ing Lo bby

The NHB Lobby hosts a collection of sculptures that represent core values to 

motivate, guide, and inspire the CIA workforce. The collection includes: 

The Day the Wall Came Down, Veryl Goodnight’s horses breaking through 

the rubble of the Berlin Wall to freedom. (shown below)
N ew H ea d q u arter s B u il d ing L o bby

Windwalker, Kitty Cantrell’s eagle symbolizing American patriotism. (shown below) 

Sir William Stephenson, Leo Mol’s tribute to the man called “Intrepid.” (not shown)

Peace, Thomas Palmerton’s bronze of Omaha tribesmen riding across the

American plains. (not shown)
N ew H ea dqu arter s Bu il d ing A tri u m

Suspended from the ceiling of NHB’s glass-enclosed atrium are one-sixthscale models of the U-2, A-12, and D-21 photoreconnaissance aircraft. 

CIA developed the U-2 to collect imagery of the former Soviet Union, 

and it remains in operation today. The supersonic A-12, built by CIA 

to replace the U-2, holds speed and altitude records unbroken to this day. 

The D-21 drone extended the A-12’s capabilities into high-threat areas.
O f f ice of Strategic Ser v ice s ( OSS ) 

G allery

This exhibit honors the OSS legacy for all who continue the vital missions 

begun six decades ago by a remarkable organization of extraordinary 

Americans. This extensive collection of OSS tradecraft and memorabilia 

includes personal items from OSS Director William J. Donovan, an Enigma 

machine, artifacts from OSS/Burma’s Detachment 101, communications 

equipment, weapons, and former President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fedora.
On the Fr o nt L ine s—CIA in Af ghani s tan

This newest museum gallery at CIA features artifacts from CIA operations 

in Afghanistan following the September 11th terrorist attacks on the U.S. 

The gallery presents the joint efforts of CIA, the military, and Coalition 

Forces to overthrow the Taliban, kill or capture the al-Qa’ida leadership, 

and deny a major terrorist organization its safe haven. 
C o l d War G allery

This special exhibit features hundreds of rare Soviet and Stasi clandestine 

espionage artifacts from the private collection of H. Keith Melton,

author of “The Ultimate Spy Book.” Miniature cameras, listening devices, 

and concealments are among the extensive array of spy gear presented.
Direct o rate of I ntelligence ( D I) G allery

For over 50 years, the DI has been providing timely, accurate and objective all-source 

intelligence analysis on a full range of national security and foreign policy issues to U.S. 

Government officials. Most importantly, the DI supports the President, the Cabinet, and 

senior policymakers through the production of finished intelligence products. Analysts 

integrate data into a coherent whole, put the evaluated information in context and make 

assessments of events and judgements about the implications of the information for the 

United States. The CIA does not make policy, but rather the intelligence analysis performed 

by CIA analysts helps policymakers make informed decisions.
Direct o rate o f Science & T echn o l o gy

( DS &T) G allery

The DS&T gallery provides a glimpse into the secret world of highly 

innovative technical concepts and devices. The items displayed here were 

designed by some of America’s most advanced thinkers who adapted 

existing technologies or invented new ones. Favorite artifacts in this gallery 

include the insectothopter (a miniature unmanned aerial vehicle) and

Robofish (an unmanned underwater vehicle).
Direct o r s Po rtrait G allery

Displayed in this gallery are official portraits of the former 

Directors of CIA. After each Director leaves office, a portrait is 

painted by an artist of the Director’s choosing.
I ntelligence A rt G allery

A growing collection of mission-related, intelligence-themed 

paintings are displayed in the gallery under the aegis of the 

CIA Museum and the CIA Fine Arts Commission. Each work 

of art depicts a significant event in intelligence history. 
M el z ac A rt Co llecti o n

Displayed throughout Headquarters is a collection of original abstract 

expressionist paintings collected by the late Vincent Melzac, former 

Director of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. The paintings were created 

in the 1950s and 1960s by artists from the Washington Color School 

to study the way the eye perceives color and pattern. 
G e o rge H . W. Bus h Bus t

Vincent Melzac commissioned the bust of George H.W. 

Bush sculpted by Marc Mellon. The CIA Headquarters 

compound was renamed the George Bush Center for 

Intelligence in 1999 in the honor of the only person to 

serve as Director of Central Intelligence and later as 

President of the United States of America.
L ibrary

This valuable resource to the Intelligence Community contains 

approximately 125,000 books, subscribes to about 1,200 

periodicals, and provides on-line access to some 35,000 periodicals. 

The library maintains three collections: Reference, Circulating, 

and Historical Intelligence. New material for these collections is 

selected around current intelligence objectives and priorities.
Krypt os Sc u lpt u re

James Sanborn’s sculpture, Kryptos (meaning “hidden” in Greek), begins at the 

entrance to NHB and continues in the northwest corner of the NHB courtyard. 

Dedicated on November 3, 1990, the theme of this three-part installation is 

“intelligence gathering.” Kryptos incorporates materials native to the United 

States. A piece of petrified wood supports a large S-shaped copper screen 

that looks like a piece of paper coming out of a computer printer. On the 

“paper” is a coded message using the alphabet encoded with frequency tables. 

The sculpture continues to be a source of pleasure and mystery for Agency 

employees, with a few taking the challenge to “break the code.”
N athan H ale Stat u e

This is a replica of an original work created 

for Yale University by Bela Pratt. Nathan 

Hale, a Yale graduate and captain in General 

George Washington’s Army, volunteered to 

collect information on British forces stationed 

on Long Island. On his first and only mission, 

he was captured by the British, found guilty 

of espionage, and executed on September 22, 

1776. Hale was the first American executed 

for spying on behalf of his country. This statue 

captures the spirit of the moment before his 

execution—a 21-year old man prepared to 

meet his death for honor and country, hands 

and feet bound, face resolute, and eyes on 

the horizon. His last words, “I regret that 

I have but one life to lose for my country,” 

circle the base around his feet. 
B erlin W all Mo n u ment

These three sections of reinforced concrete were removed from 

the Berlin Wall near Checkpoint Charlie at Potsdamer Platz in 

November 1989. Dedicated to the CIA in December 1992, the 

monument is oriented as it was in Berlin—the west side painted 

with graffiti, reflecting the color, hope, and optimism of the 

west; in stark contrast to the east side, which is whitewashed, 

plain and devoid of color and life. The monument is located in 

the middle of a path so that it must be confronted directly, just 

as it was for nearly three decades by the citizens of Berlin.
M em o rial G ar d en

Through the quiet beauty of living nature, the garden is a 

memorial to all deceased intelligence officers and contractors 

who served their country. The words, “In remembrance of those 

whose unheralded efforts served a grateful nation,” are cast in 

a brass plaque to ensure the living will not forget the fallen.
H ea dqu arter s Aud it o ri u m

The Headquarters Auditorium is commonly nicknamed “The Bubble” 

because of its bubble or igloo-like shape. Part of the original CIA 

Headquarters design in the mid-1950s, it is equipped with the latest in 

multi-media equipment and can accommodate 470 people. The Bubble 

serves as host to special events, prominent speakers, and conferences.
Scatterg ood-T h o rne Co n f erence

C enter

In the 1950s, the land obtained for the CIA Headquarters compound 

included a private residence known as the Calvert Estate, which came 

with the provision the owners, Margaret Scattergood and Florence Thorne, 

would occupy the property until their deaths. Ms. Scattergood passed in 

1986 and the CIA converted the private residence into a conference center.
A-12 O x cart

Under the highly secret Project 

OXCART, CIA contracted with Lockheed 

to produce the A-12 supersonic 

reconnaissance aircraft as the 

successor to the U-2. Lockheed began 

its design in 1959 and achieved full 

operational readiness in November 

1965. During testing, the A-12 

reached a speed of Mach 3.29 

(over 2,200 mph) and an altitude 

of 90,000 feet. The A-12 flew only 

29 missions before being replaced 

by the U.S. Air Force’s SR-71, a 

modified version of the A-12. Of the 

15 A-12s that were built, only nine 

exist today. The aircraft is displayed 

in our north parking lot for viewing.

A publication of the Central Intelligence Agency.

For additional copies or information on CIA, please write to:

Public Affairs

Central Intelligence Agency

Washington, DC 20505

(703) 482-0623

Or visit our website at: www.cia.gov
THE W O R K OF A NATI O N .

THE CENTER OF INTELLIGENCE.