What's going on at SPARK?
Having just passed the one year anniversary of when we shut our doors due to COVID-19, we, like much of the world, have found ourselves looking back on the last year reminiscing and remembering. We are so grateful to still be here serving our community and we are humbled as we remember those who have not been so fortunate. The …
When Alexander Graham Bell first introduced his telephone in 1879, he predicted it would one day be accepted into every American home and business like gas and water. But to establish a telephone network that would someday reach homes all across the Nation—just like gas and water—there had to be an effective and affordable distribution system, a way to connect …
“It’s a good thing Thomas Edison was born,” someone once proclaimed. “Or we never would have had the lightbulb.” Upon hearing the comment, John Jenkins, SPARK Museum president & CEO, smiled and added, “If Thomas Edison had never been born, we wouldn’t have had a lightbulb for another week.” It’s amazing how many of us assume history’s greatest discoveries …
This past year, SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention’s co-founder and CEO, John Jenkins, has led his small team through a pandemic that shuttered the Museum for almost all of the past nine months. Below, John shares his thoughts on what 2020 was like for SPARK Museum and what he’s looking forward to in 2021. Q: Since March 2020, the COVID-19 …
You have probably heard that SPARK Museum has closed again temporarily, pursuant to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s Nov. 15 mandate. More than ever, memberships are invaluable in supporting the work that SPARK does in the community. A membership is one of the best ways you can support SPARK Museum right now, because that money goes straight to supporting online education …
In her book “Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus,” published in 1818, author Mary Shelley was riffing on one of the profound questions of the time: “Is electricity the spark of life?” In her book, as you know, Shelley writes of a doctor — Victor Frankenstein — who becomes horrified at the creature he’s cobbled together from old body parts and …
Looking to get out of the house? Why not explore a road trip through the Pacific Northwest to some of our state’s many interesting museums? Below is a sample trip. There are many museums that wouldn’t fit into this list, so feel free to replace any of them or create your own list from scratch! Before you visit any of …
SPARK is re-opening!!! After 6 long months of being closed due to COVID-19, we are so excited to welcome you all back on September 9th! Here are a few things to know before you come: Per Washington State Guidelines, all visitors, volunteers, and staff must wear a mask. Don’t have one? Don’t worry! We have disposable ones you can use …
Do you have any tattoos? If so, you can probably thank Thomas Edison. In 1875, Edison and his team invented a device that was the first practical application of the electric motor. His portable copy machine never was a huge success, but it did have long-lasting implications. How did it work? What was its history? And what does any of …
In his two decades at the SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention in downtown Bellingham, Tana Granack has had the opportunity to interact with thousands of visitors, of all ages and from all walks of life — tourists, collectors, toddlers, seniors, educators, students on field trips, teenagers on first dates and more. “I feel like I’ve been part of a 20-year …
