diff --git a/docs/api/cifdump.rst b/docs/api/cifdump.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..52f40503
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/api/cifdump.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+.. _cifdump:
+
+.. autoprogram:: reciprocalspaceship.commandline.cifdump:parse_arguments()
+   :prog: rs.cifdump
diff --git a/docs/api/index.rst b/docs/api/index.rst
index 72258505..dbfcca37 100644
--- a/docs/api/index.rst
+++ b/docs/api/index.rst
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ Commandline tools to support common use cases.
    :hidden:
 
    mtzdump
+   cifdump
 
 .. Manual table for commandline tools
 
@@ -109,5 +110,8 @@ Commandline tools to support common use cases.
 	 <tr class="row-odd"><td><p><a class="reference internal" href="mtzdump.html"><code class="xref py py-obj docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">rs.mtzdump</span></code></a></p></td>
 	 <td><p>Summarize the contents of an MTZ file</p></td>
 	 </tr>
+    <tr class="row-even"><td><p><a class="reference internal" href="cifdump.html"><code class="xref py py-obj docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">rs.cifdump</span></code></a></p></td>
+    <td><p>Summarize the contents of a CIF file</p></td>
+    </tr>
 	 </tbody>
    </table>
diff --git a/reciprocalspaceship/commandline/cifdump.py b/reciprocalspaceship/commandline/cifdump.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3867f0ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/reciprocalspaceship/commandline/cifdump.py
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+"""
+Summarize the contents of a CIF file.
+
+Examples
+--------
+In order to summarize contents of file.cif::
+
+    > rs.cifdump file.cif
+
+If you would like to interactively inspect file.cif in an IPython
+shell, use the "--embed" argument::
+
+    > rs.cifdump file.cif --embed
+
+If multiple CIF files are listed, they will be summarized sequentially,
+and can be accessed in an IPython shell as a dictionary called `cifs`::
+
+    > rs.cifdump file1.cif file2.cif file3.cif --embed
+
+Usage Details
+-------------
+"""
+import argparse
+
+import pandas as pd
+
+import reciprocalspaceship as rs
+
+# If matplotlib is available, use pylab to setup IPython environment
+try:
+    from pylab import *
+except:
+    pass
+
+
+def parse_arguments():
+    """Parse commandline arguments"""
+
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        formatter_class=argparse.RawTextHelpFormatter, description=__doc__
+    )
+
+    # Required arguments
+    parser.add_argument("cif", nargs="+", help="CIF file(s) to summarize")
+
+    # Optional arguments
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--embed",
+        action="store_true",
+        help=(
+            "CIF file(s) will be summarized, and an IPython " "shell will be started"
+        ),
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-p",
+        "--precision",
+        type=int,
+        default=3,
+        help="Number of significant digits to output for floats",
+    )
+
+    return parser
+
+
+def summarize(cif, precision):
+    """Summarize contents of CIF file"""
+    with pd.option_context("display.precision", precision):
+        print(f"Spacegroup: {cif.spacegroup.short_name()}")
+        print(f"Extended Hermann-Mauguin name: {cif.spacegroup.xhm()}")
+        print(
+            (
+                f"Unit cell dimensions: {cif.cell.a:.3f} {cif.cell.b:.3f} {cif.cell.c:.3f} "
+                f"{cif.cell.alpha:.3f} {cif.cell.beta:.3f} {cif.cell.gamma:.3f}"
+            )
+        )
+        print(f"\ncif.head():\n\n{cif.head()}")
+        print(f"\ncif.describe():\n\n{cif.describe()}")
+        print(f"\ncif.dtypes:\n\n{cif.dtypes}")
+    return
+
+
+def main():
+    # Parse commandline arguments
+    parser = parse_arguments()
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    if len(args.cif) == 1:
+        cif = rs.read_cif(args.cif[0])
+        summarize(cif, args.precision)
+    else:
+        cifs = dict(zip(args.cif, map(rs.read_cif, args.cif)))
+        for key, value in cifs.items():
+            print(f"CIF file: {key}\n")
+            summarize(value, args.precision)
+            print(f"{'-'*50}")
+
+    # Begin IPython shell
+    if args.embed:
+        from IPython import embed
+
+        bold = "\033[1m"
+        end = "\033[0m"
+        if "cifs" in locals():
+            header = f"rs.DataSets stored in {bold}cifs{end} dictionary"
+        else:
+            header = f"rs.DataSet stored as {bold}cif{end}"
+        print()
+        embed(colors="neutral", header=header)
+
+    return
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    parser = main()
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index ca31e8c9..277304f9 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ def getVersionNumber():
     entry_points={
         "console_scripts": [
             "rs.mtzdump=reciprocalspaceship.commandline.mtzdump:main",
+            "rs.cifdump=reciprocalspaceship.commandline.cifdump:main"
         ]
     },
     classifiers=[