Motorola Museum Updates

[WB6NVH]

Many of you may know that the Motorola Museum has fallen on, well, let's say "hard times" of late. A friend inquired what's going on and this is what the museum director told him:

The former Galvin Center space that housed the 20,000 sq. ft. Motorola Museum is now occupied by the Motorola Innovations Center. The display cases that were housed within the museum location have been distributed throughout the Galvin Center hallways, starting the chronology at the entry with the '1928' exhibit, and ending at the Mezzanine area where 16 show cases are displayed, ending in '2006/2007' exhibits.

Many photo images and paper documents (hopefully only copies) are on display, embedded under clear acrylic on the nineteen table tops of the 50's/60's section of the Galvin Center Cafeteria (!). The Motorola Archive is still alive and well, and is managed by Sue Topp (847-538-5571).

Sharon Darling is the Director of the Innovations Center. She has tremendous museum management experience. 'Some' unidentified display items were 'disposed of'. The good news is the classic 1929 Oldsmobile is on display in the lobby (1928 exhibit). Many unused museum items were given to Sci-Tech, a technically oriented museum in Aurora, Illinois ( http://scitech.mus.il.us/home.htm ) . There is no public access (or school tours) at this time. As the Museum has only been open as reconfigured since September 19, these events are not yet supported.

I wonder when the museum will be outsourced to Mexico...

[Bruce1807]

Anyone doing any training can have a good look.
I was there when they moved the car!

[fogster]

A museum that's not open to the public? No wonder it's "fallen on hard times"

Seems like it'd have been a great place to stop by if I were ever in IL.

[Jason]

When it was open to the public in the latter years, there was a $85 "tour" fee, and you had to have a guided tour, no self guides. No wonder no one went, Baa... Some of the MOTO volunteers (retirees) that did the tours were neat folks. The stories of days gone by are great!

In it's heyday, the museum was cool. Functioning CCII console system w/ a repeater (MSF Limited) and portables that school kids could play with. I guess that kind of stuff isn't so cool in the age of cameraphones, etc.

The center is not near what it was since the remodel, but it still represents a company that has not forgotten it's roots, unlike many others.

Worth a stroll thru if you're there for a class.

It's also crazy there isnt a company store anymore!