Without crime and punishment, handcuff manufacturers would be shamefully forced to go into business as manufacturers of wristwatches, parakeet leashes, or Buddy Bands. Celebrate the ongoing need for shackles with today's Groupon to the National Museum of Crime & Punishment, located in Washington, D.C.

Choose from four options:

• For $10, you get one adult museum admission (a $21.15 value).

• For $30, you get one adult museum admission and one exclusive ticket to view the America's Most Wanted call center (a $74.50 value). Choose from three dates:

• Saturday, March 19, at 9 p.m.

• Saturday, April 2, at 9 p.m.
• Saturday, April 30, at 9 p.m. (call center viewing has been canceled for this date)

The National Museum of Crime & Punishment explores Dostoevsky-approved lawbreakers and court-ordered consequences through more than 100 interactive exhibits spread throughout 25,000 square feet of space. With a ticket, museum-goers can round up the usual suspects for the exhibit A Notorious History of American Crime, which explores our nation's nefarious ne'er-do-wells, complete with a Wild West shooting gallery, a pillory photo opportunity, and a computer-hacking simulation, as well as the "death car" from the 1967 musical Bonnie and Clyde. Do time in the Punishment: The Consequence of Crime exhibit, with an interactive lie-detector test and artifacts such as a guillotine, an electric chair, and Al Capone's jail cell, and step into the world of television without undergoing the painful procedure of reality-show casting calls with the CSI Exhibit, which details how forensic-science technology helps catch crooks.

Real crime raconteurs can also nab a look inside the inner workings of criminal collaring during a taping of the long-running Fox series America's Most Wanted and a behind-the-scenes look at the America's Most Wanted studio. During a 60-minute observation session, guests monitor the America's Most Wanted call center, watching John Walsh's crime crusaders scoop up leads on hardened criminals, fleeing fugitives, and Waldo sightings. Groupon holders will also receive admission to the museum, allowing them to wander the exhibitorium before the screening. The museum will stay open until 10 p.m. to allow customers to view the AMW call center.

Reviews

Although a few customers complain about the price of admission, visitors to the National Museum of Crime & Punishment rave about the experience. TripAdvisors give the museum an average of 4.5 owl eyes, and more than 75 Yelpers give it an average of 3.5 stars.

• This museum is mind-blowing. Very comprehensive and lengthy, so if you really want your money's worth, allow several hours to visit it. I actually spent 6 hours there, which would be too much for many people, but it was just that fascinating. – whitneywh, TripAdvisor
• This museum is awesome. You can break out of prison, defuse a bomb, work in a crime lab, get fingerprinted and solve a crime. The information is displayed in a very interesting yet informative manner. – Chris R., Yelp, 5/2/09