Burning Question: Is the intelligence museum project still happening? I just drove through the Kincora area and did not see any signs or construction. — M. S.
Great question. The official answer is yes, the National Museum of Intelligence and Special Operations is still moving forward and continues to be in the planning stages.
The museum would primarily focus on the history of the Office of Strategic Services, the intelligence agency that preceded the CIA and was active during World War II.
According to the museum’s Facebook page, the most recent development happened in late 2022 when legislation was included in the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2023 that would declare the museum a “national” museum upon its completion.
This is reportedly an honorific title sometimes given to private museums recognizing them for their national importance.
In January, Charles Pinck — the president of The Office of Strategic Services Society — told The Military Times newspaper that they hoped to break ground on the new museum in July 2025 with a target for opening in late 2027.
Often times, plans for museums and monuments are announced with great fan fare. Then the real work begins of raising funds and finding individual and corporate donors to underwrite the costs of bringing the idea to fruition.
This part of the process — the fundraising — can often take years. Many projects make it to the finish line, while others may not.
According to The Military Times, the National Museum of Intelligence and Special Operations is expected to cost roughly $125 million.
It will be built on an approximately 8.5-acre parcel of land at Kincora, which is off Russell Branch Parkway near the intersection of Route 7 and State Road 28.
Plans call for a 60,000 s.f. museum shaped like the tip of a spear — meant to indicate those individuals first entering the fight to protect the United States. It’s an expression still used today by members of the special forces community.
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