National Electronics Museum, Maryland

This remarkable and singular museum is located in an office park next to BWI airport, and tells the story of military radar and electronic warfare systems. It was founded by former workers of the Westinghouse Defense and Electronics Center, which was located nearby (and was purchased by Northrop Grumman in 1996). The museum was officially established in 1980, and was relocated here in 1992. In 1999 it was modernized and expanded, and now has more than 20,000 square feet of space, mostly full of displays of actual radar and related military electronics artifacts, many of which have their origins at companies in the area, including Northrop Grumman, which supports the museum. The museum is across the street from the National Security Agency’s Friendship Annex, a remote site for the NSA, which is based nearby.