Multiphoton ionization spectroscopy is a tool for the elucidation of the structure of high-energy states of atoms and molecules. Particularly when used in combination with time-of-flight mass spectrometry and photoelectron spectroscopy, the range of applications include pure spectroscopic studies, the quantum state specific detection of reactants and products and the preparation of quantumstate-selected reactants for chemical reactivity studies. As such, the techniques have become ubiquitous in the field of chemical reaction dynamics. This paper is concerned mainly with the describing the range of these applications and techniques and a selection of typical results.