What's going on at SPARK?
Have you heard our parody song “Down on Bay Street”? It’s great background music for reading this post. Check it out: Bellingham is well-known among travelers for its incredible setting and lively, college-town vibe. Delicious restaurants pepper the downtown district, and it’s hard to beat the views of the waterfront from along Chuckanut Drive or the walking trail between Bellingham …
After more than a decade of broadcasting from the SPARK Museum in Bellingham, Washington, KMRE 102.3 FM is looking for a new place to call home. The station, which launched in 2005, is one of the few independent nonprofit community stations on the local FM dial. According to SPARK Museum’s President and CEO, John Jenkins, there are some fundamental reasons …
Alessandro Volta. Heinrich Hertz. Guglielmo Marconi. William Gilbert. Benjamin Franklin. Undoubtedly, at least some of these names are familiar. After all, these luminaries are among the most famous names in the development of radio and electricity. Believe it or not, the SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention in Bellingham houses original books or scientific papers by each of these men, in …
This October, the SPARK Museum is thrilled to be a Presenting Sponsor for five films in the Doctober lineup at the Pickford Film Center! Every October the Pickford Film Center presents Doctober, a month long event during which they present a diverse range of fascinating documentaries. This year, with over 50 documentaries in their lineup there truly is something for everyone! …
Halloween is an exciting time at SPARK. It’s a chance to get goofy and a little bit spooky! This year we have several opportunities for Halloween themed fun! This year SPARK is thrilled and chilled to be involved as the last stop on the Gore & Lore tours through Downtown Bellingham’s haunting history. The Good Time Girls’ Gore & Lore …
On Saturday, May 27, the SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention presents the Zapheads, an Elite Team of highly trained and overly decorated Mad Scientists dedicated to the proposition that everybody should get excited about science! Founded in 1600 (and headquartered at the SPARK Museum on Bay Street since 1999), the Zapheads celebrate the history of critical thinking and all the …
Did you ever think we could use thread and sequins for an electronics class? If the thread is stainless steel and the sequins are LEDs, then add a power source and take a few stitches to create a sewable circuit. These circuits are just what they sound like and have opened a whole new world for learning about science, technology, …
By Amy Mulligan Doctor Who is a well-known Sci-Fi show that has been running for over 50 years. Its theme song is just as famous and has its own unique history. The well-known eerie composition was originally composed by Ron Grainer in 1963. Since then it has been altered and remastered almost as often as the doctor has regenerated. After …
Before the Spark museum was even an idea, there was a little store front on Railroad Avenue known as the Bellingham Antique Radio Museum. Joe Yaver, with characteristic determination and heart, was seminal in getting that collection its non-profit status, and setting in motion a chain of events that turned a private collection into a community treasure. Joe was part …
When our Museum first opened its doors to the public some 15 years ago, the few visitors we attracted were mostly instrument collectors, radio hobbyists and electrical engineer-types. Nearly everyone who chose to visit had a background or history in radio and electronics. Which, looking back made complete sense as the Museum didn’t start out with any completed exhibits or …
