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 Headquarters Building (OHB )
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.

MEMORIAL 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 HONOR
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.

Visit Central Intelligence Agency: Sites to See Download Page

Read full publication online, or you can download the book in PDF format.

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

CIA SEAL
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.

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