Talks and tours
Book your place to join us at The National Archives, Kew or live online for exciting MI5-related events.
Exhibition
MI5: Official Secrets
A free, groundbreaking exhibition – visit now
5 April to 28 September 2025
Free
About MI5: Official Secrets
Step inside the hidden world of MI5 and explore the extraordinary stories behind the security of a nation.
For the first time, MI5’s history is now on display to the public in a major new exhibition, made possible through an unprecedented partnership between the Security Service and The National Archives.
Explore the ever-changing world of espionage and security threats through original case files, photographs and papers, alongside the real equipment used by spies and spy-catchers over MI5’s 115-year history.
From counter-espionage and daring double-agents during the world wars, to chilling Cold War confessions and the counter-terrorism of recent times, this historic exhibition takes you behind the scenes of one of Britain’s most iconic institutions.
Please note:
- We are currently experiencing a high volume of visitors to this exhibition
- There may be a wait to enter the gallery, especially at weekends
- Evening visits tend to be quieter – we are open every Tuesday and Thursday until 19:00.
In partnership with MI5.
Review from The Daily Telegraph
5 stars
Richly detailed and wholly fascinating
The Daily Telegraph
Exhibition highlights
In pictures
Take a sneak peek at the exhibition and some of the nearly one hundred items on display:
Image 1 of 6
Immerse yourself in authentic spy records from both famous and lesser-known espionage cases.
Image 2 of 6
Take a look at MI5's first camera, a pocket-sized 'Ensignette' made by Houghton Ltd, from 1910. On loan from the Security Service
Image 3 of 6
Browse facsimile copies of previously top-secret MI5 files, including spies and double agents.
Image 4 of 6
See the evidence that Josef Jakobs, the last person executed at the Tower of London, was a German spy. Catalogue reference: KV 2/27
Image 5 of 6
See the advanced radio equipment found buried in the garden of Soviet spies Helen and Peter Kroger in the 1960s. On loan from GCHQ
Image 6 of 6
Examine notorious spy Guy Burgess' dispatch case, which contained letters, papers and photographs. On loan from the Security Service
Plan your visit
What is The National Archives?
The National Archives is the official archive of the UK government, and England and Wales. We are the guardians of over 1,000 years of iconic national documents.
Everyone is welcome to visit our headquarters in Kew. We put on exhibitions, events and displays and offer reading rooms giving access to our collections there.
Getting here
The National Archives is located by the River Thames in Kew, 30 minutes from Central London. We offer advice on travelling to us by car, bike, train or bus.
Opening times
MI5: Official Secrets is open at the following times:
- Monday: CLOSED
- Tuesday: 09:00 to 19:00
- Wednesday: 09:00 to 17:00
- Thursday: 09:00 to 19:00
- Friday: 09:00 to 17:00
- Saturday: 09:00 to 17:00
- Sunday: 11:00 to 16:00
Last entry to the exhibition is one hour before it closes.
It will be open for shorter hours on some bank holiday weekend dates. Check our full Opening times for details.
Bag checks
We check everyone's bags, containers and other belongings when you enter our building, for items that might pose a risk to visitors, staff or our collections.
We recommend that you only bring what you need with you – the fewer items you have in your bag, the quicker it will be for us to check it when you arrive.
Accessibility
Everyone is welcome to visit MI5: Official Secrets.
- There is step-free level access throughout all areas
- The exhibition has low lighting levels
- It includes pictures, audio, information boards, televisions/screens and interactive exhibits at a suitable height for a wheelchair user
- Large print guides will be available soon
Children and families
We provide a warm welcome to visitors of all ages, including children and family groups.
- Explore the exhibition together with our MI5: Official Secrets family trail, for ages 8+, and decode a secret message
- Free activity sheets (for ages 1+) are available from the Time Travel Club trolley in our entrance hall
- Our café is child-friendly and there are picnic benches outside
- Prams and buggies are welcome, and we have a buggy park
- Baby changing facilities are located by our entrance hall, at the top of the main stairs, and in the library
- Emergency supplies of nappies and wipes are available
Eat and drink
We have a café and coffee bar provided by Maids of Honour, a historic local tea room and bakery. It has spacious indoor and outside seating and a soft play area.
On the menu is a variety of high-quality lunchtime meals, sandwiches, snacks, soft drinks, tea and coffee. Vegetarians, vegans and other dietary requirements are all catered to.
Events
Dig deeper into the world of spycraft with our range of in-person and online events.
Family events and activities
Discover spy-themed activities for children and families – and more – at the National Archives.
Spy stories
Keen to explore espionage right now? Read articles on the exhibition’s themes.
The story of
Karl Muller and the fatal lemon
When can a lemon have fatal consequences? If it proves you are, in fact, a wartime spy…
The story of
Anthony Blunt's confession
Security Service files paint a vivid picture of what happened when Anthony Blunt – then employed in the royal household – admitted spying for the Soviet Union.
The story of
The double agent who hid D-Day from the Nazis: Elvira Chaudoir
Learn how a daring spy played a cunning role in the Allied invasion of Normandy.
Confessions from the Cambridge Five: a file release from MI5
Discover fresh perspectives found in the latest MI5 documents to be released, in this blog from exhibition curator Mark Dunton.
Shop
Browse the very best books about spy history and more...
