Federal Bureau of Investigation

Pros: Very informative, fun gun show, kid-friendly
Cons: Nothing "real"

The FBI tour begins in a dark, foreboding lobby. I asked why the lights are dim--the receptionist did not know. The tour perks up from there, however. The displays are well-designed and our tour guide was knowledgable about the structure, function and...

Pros: Really cool tour that allows you to spy on the FBI...
Cons: You don't do too much but listen and look...

Basically the FBI center turns out to be what you would expect it to be. Very slick, very professional, and very technical. I really enjoyed it and if anyone interested in this field at all I think will enjoy a tour of the facilities.

I...

Pros: Educational
Cons: Waiting

We took our family of three children with us on this trip. They were 8, l3 and l5. We had gotten tickets from our congressman when we arrived there. By the way, we called about a year in advance for these tickets.
They only allow so many from...

Pros: Interesting exhibits, fire arms demonstration
Cons: Possibly a long wait, long tour

I recently went to Washington, D.C. for a week in June with a tour of 30 to 40 people. If possible, I would recommend getting reservations for the FBI Tour if you have a large group. We had to wait about an hour because our group was so large, and...

Pros: Fun, sophisticated tactics, neat place to work.
Cons: long waits, no parking comes cheaply

I recently went to the F.B.I. building in Washington DC. I was given a tour by an FBI intern, and was very impressed by the sophisticated tactics they employed. In the beginning, we were told about the history of the F.B.I. We were then told about some...

Pros: A little interesting in some of the displays.
Cons: Long line, displays more for kids than adults.

So you want a neat place to take the kids. This is it! You'll see mostly static displays on a guided tour about crooks who have become famous and other crime prevention work by the FBI. The kids will love seeing agents fire actual weapons on the indoor target range.

If you are much of a thinking person, you'll probably enjoy other activities more.

As mentioned by others, you'll probably wait in long lines to get inside unless you have early passes. The easiest way to get passes is to contact your congressman months in advance.

I would never rate this as a good adult experience, but it is good for the kids. It's too much of a sales job about the FBI and a little too much like an amusement park sideshow attraction. Guess you might expect that in a building named for a guy who liked to dress as a woman.

I did this tour once. It wasn't the worse thing I'd ever done, but I was glad when it was over. I'd go back again only if I had some kids who really begged to see it.