WASHINGTON (AP) — The International Spy Museum, one of the most popular attractions in the nation’s capital over the past decade, is considering a move to a historic library that would give it more space for exhibits and a link to the city’s convention center.

Museum officials told The Associated Press on Monday they will propose a redevelopment of Washington’s historic Carnegie Library with the city’s convention center authority, Events DC. The project would include new 40,000-square-foot underground space for exhibits and a new glass pavilion to house a visitors center, cafe and store.

Peter Earnest, the museum’s executive director and a former CIA agent, said the Spy Museum has outgrown its space since opening in 2002 in downtown Washington.

“We’re looking long term. By moving to a new location, we will get more space,” which is especially needed for temporary and changing exhibits, Earnest said. “That’s actually one of the reasons people go back to museums because there’s an exhibit for usually a limited period of time for something interesting.”

The Spy Museum holds the largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever placed on public display, according to museum officials. It broke the mold for Washington museums by charging admission fees of $19.95 in a city accustomed to free admission at the Smithsonian Institution museums on the National Mall.

Since opening, the Spy Museum has drawn 600,000 to 700,000 visitors per year, with crowds sometimes lining up outside to get a glimpse of spy gear and once-secret stories from the CIA, Russia and elsewhere.

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