SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention facts for kids

Street view of the Spark Museum of Electrical Invention

Thomas Edison lightbulbs, 1879 and 1880

The SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention is an exciting museum in Bellingham, Washington, USA. It helps people of all ages learn about electricity, radio, and amazing inventions. These inventions completely changed human history! The museum has a huge collection of items showing how people created new things from the 1580s all the way to the 1950s.

Museum History: How SPARK Began

Spark Museum Light Bulbs

Spark Museum AC DC Exhibit

The museum started in 1985. A resident of Bellingham, Jonathan Winter, had a large collection of old radios, parts, and magazines. His collection kept growing!

From Collection to Museum

By 1998, Winter's collection became the Bellingham Antique Radio Museum. It had over 800 radios. In 2001, the museum moved to a bigger building. It was then renamed the "American Museum of Radio and Electricity." John Jenkins, who used to work at Microsoft, joined as a co-curator. He added his own large collection. This included early wireless devices and rare books from the 1560s. These books were written by famous scientists like Michael Faraday and Benjamin Franklin.

Becoming the SPARK Museum

In 2012, the "American Museum of Radio and Electricity" changed its name one last time. It became the Spark Museum of Electrical Invention.

Collections: Exploring Electrical History

Spark Museum Early Automated Musical Instruments

The museum has different collections that show how electrical inventions developed over time. These include:

• Dawn of the Electrical Age (1600–1800)
• Electricity Sparks Invention (1800–1900)
• The Beginning of Radio and the Wireless Era (1863–1920)
• Radio Enters the Home (1920–1927)
• The Golden Age of Radio (1928–1950)

Notable Exhibits: What You Can See

Spark Museum Theremin

Spark Museum Radios and Visionola Entertainment Console

Spark Museum Telegraph

The museum has many cool exhibits. Here are some highlights:

• War of the Currents: This exhibit shows the famous competition between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. It even has a working copy of Tesla's "Egg of Columbus" invention.
• Titanic Radio Room: You can see a copy of the radio room from the Titanic. It has real Marconi wireless equipment.
• Early Music Machines: Discover old musical instruments from the 1850s. These machines played music without needing someone to play them. You can also see early phonographs.
• Play a Theremin: Try playing a working 1929 theremin. This is a musical instrument you play without touching it!
• Spartin Visionola: See a rare Spartin Visionola. This old home entertainment system had a radio and a movie projector. It played movies with sound from a record.
• 19th Century Inventions: Explore a large collection of early electrical devices. These include telegraphs, telephones, motors, and induction coils.
• Edison's Lightbulbs: Look at electric lights and related equipment. This includes several lamps from Thomas Edison's own laboratory.
• MegaZapper Tesla Coils: Watch demonstrations with huge Tesla coils. The "MegaZapper" is 8 feet tall! It creates amazing electrical sparks in the museum's Electrical Show.

Science Education Program: Learning at SPARK

Spark Museum Electromagnetic Radiation

The museum offers many ways to learn about science. Its education program works with schools and the community.

Programs for Schools

The museum visits public schools, private schools, and home-school groups in Western Washington. They offer assemblies, science classes, and special tours. These programs add to what students learn in their regular science classes.

Community Learning

The museum also has "Science Saturday" classes, summer camps, and special events. These teach about radio, electricity, and physics. Kids can join hands-on classes about static electricity, magnetism, motors, circuits, and crystal radios. In 2018, almost 2,000 students took part in SPARK's education programs.

Events: Fun at the Museum

Spark Museum Megazapper demonstration

Spark Museum Tesla Demonstration

Spark Museum Auditorium

The museum hosts various events. Some past events include:

• The Chuckanut Radio Hour
• Midnight Mystery Players
• Art Of Jazz Series
• Sustainable Connections
• LinuxFest Northwest
• Bellingham Robot Festival
• An Evening with Benjamin Franklin
• Lectures by Museum President John Jenkins on topics like "The roots of radio" and "The war of the currents."

See also

• 20th Century Technology Museum
• Museum of Radio and Technology
• Museum of Broadcast Communications
• National Radio Hall of Fame

Images for kids

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  Spark Museum Radio Living Room

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  Spark Museum Static Lab

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  Spark Museum Antique Static Equipment