National Electronics Museum

National Electronics Museum Open for tours by Appointment Only. Visit our website to schedule.

From telegraph and radio to radar and satellites, the National Electronics Museum offers visitors access to the electronic marvels that have helped to shape our country and our world.

Vietnam War aircrew lifeline: the AN/PRC-90 survival radio.⁠⁠This compact UHF transceiver was a critical tool for downed...
04/10/2026

Vietnam War aircrew lifeline: the AN/PRC-90 survival radio.⁠
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This compact UHF transceiver was a critical tool for downed pilots, transmitting on 243.0 MHz (military emergency) and 282.8 MHz (SAR-specific), both in AM. It featured voice, Morse code, and an automatic distress beacon, ensuring multiple ways to call for help. Later upgraded as the AN/PRC-90-1 and -2, it remained essential survival tech for decades.⁠
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If history fascinates you, follow our page!

In our latest spotlight, we’re honoring a Maryland legend who turned vacuum tubes into tactical data. During WWII, Bet...
04/06/2026

In our latest spotlight, we’re honoring a Maryland legend who turned vacuum tubes into tactical data. During WWII, Betty worked as a "human computer," calculating the physics of artillery fire for the Army.⁠
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Her expertise led her to become one of the first operators of the ENIAC—a room-sized electronic system containing nearly 18,000 vacuum tubes. While the machine was born in Philadelphia, its success led to its permanent home at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) right here in Maryland in 1947.⁠
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Betty’s Maryland legacy continued for decades, from her leadership at the David Taylor Model Basin in Potomac to her work at NIST in Gaithersburg, where she helped set the global standards for modern digital defense. 📡📊⁠
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Museum on the Move: 📦🛰️⁠
We are currently relocating the National Electronics Museum to our new home in Middle River! As we pack our collection of early logic circuits and vacuum tube technology, we’re celebrating the Maryland innovators like Betty who turned raw electricity into mission-critical information.⁠
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Bring the Science to You:⁠
Our gallery is temporarily closed for the move, but our offsite STEAM workshops are open! We bring the history of electronics, radar, and communications directly to your school or group.⁠
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Check the link in our bio to book a "Museum on the Move" session! 👇⁠
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⚡🔌 This Women's History Month, we're shining a light on Maryland's own Edith Clarke! ⁠⁠Edith Clarke, an Ellicott City re...
04/06/2026

⚡🔌 This Women's History Month, we're shining a light on Maryland's own Edith Clarke! ⁠
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Edith Clarke, an Ellicott City resident, became the first woman in the U.S. to become a professional electrical engineer and the first female MIT graduate in her field!⁠
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In 1921, Edith invented the Clarke Calculator, a graphical calculator that simplified complex electrical circuit analysis. Her calculator lit cities and dramatically impacted the power industry for decades. 🌍💡

Happy Birthday to the 'Lady of the Keys'! ⁠Born today in 1838, Louisa Volker proved that when the stakes are highest, co...
04/06/2026

Happy Birthday to the 'Lady of the Keys'! ⁠Born today in 1838, Louisa Volker proved that when the stakes are highest, courage is the only thing that matters. While others fled to the woods to avoid capture, Louisa reached for her telegraph key. 🛡️📟⁠
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If you’ve taken our "Tragedies and Triumphs" tour, you know her name. In September 1864, during a massive Confederate raid on her station in Mineral Point, Missouri, 26-year-old Louisa became the "mission-critical" heartbeat of the Union Army.⁠
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As enemy scouts burned bridges and cut lines around her, Louisa refused to leave her post. She stayed at her instrument for 48 hours straight without sleep, transmitting vital troop movements that saved a train full of refugees from a rebel ambush.⁠
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✨Keep up with the move: We are currently relocating the National Electronics Museum to our new home in Middle River! While our gallery is temporarily closed, we are taking our mission on the road with offsite STEAM workshops at YOUR location.⁠
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Follow us to keep up with our move and for more highlights on the legendary women in tech who held the line.

Radar: The Navy’s Secret Advantage⁠⁠In 1942, the U.S. Navy launched a massive recruitment effort for the "Radio Technici...
04/06/2026

Radar: The Navy’s Secret Advantage⁠
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In 1942, the U.S. Navy launched a massive recruitment effort for the "Radio Technician" program to master the war’s most critical technical advancement: Radar. ⁠
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To secure the nation's sharpest minds, the Navy offered an unprecedented $5,000 training package (the equivalent of over $90,000 today). Candidates required no prior technical experience—only a mastery of high school math and physics and a passing score on the rigorous Eddy Aptitude Test.⁠
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Following nine months of intensive training, these technicians emerged as Petty Officers, ready to deploy the technology that would define modern warfare. Post-war, many of these specialists transitioned to Westinghouse’s defense division in Baltimore, where their expertise laid the groundwork for the modern electronics industry.⁠
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Who is excited to see our radar display at our new location? 📡✨

Did you know radio networks started with a phone call? 📞⁠⁠On November 11, 1921, the nation honored the first Unknown Sol...
04/06/2026

Did you know radio networks started with a phone call? 📞⁠
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On November 11, 1921, the nation honored the first Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. To make this tribute a shared national experience, AT&T conducted a high-stakes experiment to broadcast President Harding’s voice coast-to-coast.⁠
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Instead of picking up a phone, crowds of over 150,000 gathered at public address stations in Arlington, NYC, and San Francisco to hear the speech through massive loudspeakers! 📢⁠
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How did they do it?⁠
Harding spoke into a carbon microphone > Voice passed over phone lines > Boosted by powerful amplifiers at repeater stations along the way. 🎙️➡️⚡➡️🔊⁠
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This success proved that distance was no longer a barrier to shared experience, leading to the birth of the very first radio networks. 📻📡

The world knows her for the code that sent us to the Moon, but at the National Electronics Museum, we celebrate Margaret...
03/12/2026

The world knows her for the code that sent us to the Moon, but at the National Electronics Museum, we celebrate Margaret Hamilton’s role in a different kind of mission-critical frontier: The SAGE Project.⁠
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Between 1961 and 1963, Hamilton was at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, tackling one of the most complex challenges of the Cold War. She wrote the code for the AN/FSQ-7—the massive "brain" of the U.S. air defense system.⁠
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Why her work on SAGE changed the world of defense electronics:⁠
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- The Digital Shield: The AN/FSQ-7 had to process massive amounts of real-time radar data to identify and track potential enemy aircraft. Hamilton’s team ensured the software was as rugged as the hardware.⁠
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- Defining "Software Engineering": It was during these years—managing 50,000+ vacuum tubes and 250 tons of electronics—that the discipline of software engineering was truly forged.⁠
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- Reliability Under Pressure: The error-detection logic she developed for the SAGE "XD-1" prototype became the foundation for the fault-tolerant systems that later saved the Apollo 11 mission.⁠
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Follow our page to learn more about Women in Stem during omen's History Month (and beyond!).⁠
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📡 National Electronics Museum ️⁠
⚡️ Inspiring the next generation STEAM workforce by exploring innovations that changed the world, with exhibits on radar, underwater electronics, satellites, and more!⚡⁠
📍 Coming Soon to Middle River, MD.⁠
☎️ (443) 345-1390⁠
❤️ 501(C)3 non profit

Happy Women's History Month! 💜 ⁠⁠Honoring the women who shaped technology and innovation, paving the way for the future....
03/02/2026

Happy Women's History Month! 💜 ⁠
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Honoring the women who shaped technology and innovation, paving the way for the future. Follow our page for more! ⁠
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📡 National Electronics Museum ️⁠
⚡️ Inspiring the next generation STEAM workforce by exploring innovations that changed the world, with exhibits on radar, underwater electronics, satellites, and more!⚡⁠
📍 Coming soon to Middle River, MD⁠
📅 Tours will resume in 2026⁠
☎️ (443) 345-1390⁠
❤️ 501(C)3 non profit

🚀 Big Things are Happening at NEM! Here’s What You Need to Know⁠⁠Exciting changes are underway as we prepare for our new...
01/17/2026

🚀 Big Things are Happening at NEM! Here’s What You Need to Know⁠
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Exciting changes are underway as we prepare for our new chapter! While we get ready for our future home, here are a few important updates:⁠
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🏛️ Visit Us While You Can: Tours and field trips are available by appointment at our current location through January 30, 2026. Workshops in Hunt Valley run until February 20th. Since we require two weeks to make sure we acquire enough materials for the workshop, the last day to book a workshop in Hunt Valley is February 6th. Book your group now!
https://www.nationalelectronicsmuseum.org/visitor-info/hours-admission/
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🚌 We Come to You: Can't make it to us? Our team is bringing on-site workshops and programs directly to schools, libraries, and community centers during our transition.⁠
https://www.nationalelectronicsmuseum.org/visitor-info/tours-workshops/
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🚧 Exclusive Hard Hat Tours: Donors and sponsors can get a sneak peek at our future galleries!

🎉 Grand Opening: Stay tuned! We plan to announce our official opening date at the end of February 2026.⁠
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Your support helps us cross the finish line! Thank you for being part of our journey.⁠

To donate, follow this link for directions: https://www.nationalelectronicsmuseum.org/get-involved/donations/

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Book tours, field trips and workshops through our linkin.bio⁠
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📡 National Electronics Museum ️⁠
⚡️ Inspiring the next generation STEAM workforce by exploring innovations that changed the world, with exhibits on radar, underwater electronics, satellites, and more!⚡⁠
⚡ Available for Field Trips, Tours and Workshops⁠
📍 338 Clubhouse Rd, Hunt Valley, MD 21031⁠
📅 Tours by appointment only ⁠
☎️ (443) 345-1390⁠
❤️ 501(C)3 non profit

Happy New Year from The National Electronics Museum! ⁠⁠Here’s to a 2025 filled with innovation, discovery, and endless p...
01/01/2026

Happy New Year from The National Electronics Museum! ⁠
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Here’s to a 2025 filled with innovation, discovery, and endless possibilities. Wishing you a fantastic year ahead! 🎉✨⁠
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Book tours, field trips and workshops through our linkin.bio⁠
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—⁠
📡 National Electronics Museum ️⁠
⚡️ Inspiring the next generation STEAM workforce by exploring innovations that changed the world, with exhibits on radar, underwater electronics, satellites, and more!⚡⁠
⚡ Available for Field Trips, Tours and Workshops⁠
📍 338 Clubhouse Rd, Hunt Valley, MD 21031⁠
📅 Tours by appointment only ⁠
☎️ (443) 345-1390⁠
❤️ 501(C)3 non profit

12/26/2025

Step into the past and explore the building blocks of early electronics – vacuum tubes! 🌟 These incredible components powered everything from radios to the first computers, shaping the technology we rely on today. 🔌💻⁠
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Curious to see how it all started? Visit us at the National Electronics Museum and check out our amazing vacuum tube collection! 🛠️✨⁠
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It’s a tech lover’s dream!⁠
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Tours are by appointment only, to book, fill out the form on our website⁠
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Book tours, field trips and workshops through our linkin.bio⁠
⁠
—⁠
📡 National Electronics Museum ️⁠
⚡️ Inspiring the next generation STEAM workforce by exploring innovations that changed the world, with exhibits on radar, underwater electronics, satellites, and more!⚡⁠
⚡ Available for Field Trips, Tours and Workshops⁠
📍 338 Clubhouse Rd, Hunt Valley, MD 21031⁠
📅 Tours by appointment only ⁠
☎️ (443) 345-1390⁠
❤️ 501(C)3 non profit⁠
⁠
⁠

Address

2323 Eastern Boulevard
Middle River, MD
21220

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 2pm

Telephone

+14433451390

Website

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