Spark Museum Wins Bellingham 2018 Tourism Business of the Year

Spark Museum of Electrical Invention has won the 2018 Tourism Business of the Year presented by Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism. Spark Museum presents one of the largest exhibits of early electrical apparatus in the world, on display in Bellingham, WA, including many one of a kind pieces such as Thomas Edison’s first successful light bulb, and the telephone used by Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Watson in the first transcontinental telephone line. In 2018, Spark Museum opened a new permanent exhibit titled “The War of the Currents,” featuring rare artifacts that chronicle the epic battle between Thomas Edison, Nicola Tesla and George Westinghouse to determine the standard for America’s electric system. The exhibit includes an actual piece of Edison’s original DC power distribution cable installed in Manhattan in 1883. It was discovered during the excavation of the World Trade Center following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Also on display is the “Line Converter” Westinghouse developed in 1888 to distribute AC power and win the War of the Currents. A major motion picture depicting this classic American saga, Current War, is soon to be released internationally starring Benedict Cumberbatch (as Thomas Edison) and Michal Shannon (as George Westinghouse). Spark Museum consistently ranks on TripAdvisor as the number one museum experience in Bellingham. On an annual basis, 60% of Spark Museum guests travel from farther than 50 miles to Bellingham to view the collection. Each weekend, the Spark Museum electrical show is a crowd pleaser, starring the 9-foot MegaZapper Tesla Coil, emitting 4 million volts toward a human-sized Faraday cage. Spark Museum’s early investment in its downtown Bellingham location has been a solid influence in the revitalization of the City Center and a natural draw for Tourists. “We are honored to have Spark Museum as a key element of the visitor experience in Bellingham. Its unique content and world-class collection are a draw for travelers from across the nation and around the globe,” said Sandy Ward, President and CEO of Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism. Spark Museum is located at 1312 Bay Street, Bellingham, WA. Hours are Wed – Sun 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Details are at sparkmuseum.org. For more information about travel to Bellingham, see Bellingham.org.

We acknowledge that Whatcom County is located on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples. They cared for the lands that included what we’d call the Puget Sound region, Vancouver Island and British Columbia since time immemorial. This gives us the great obligation and opportunity to learn how to care for our surrounding areas and all the natural and human resources we require to live. We express our deepest respect and gratitude for our indigenous neighbors, the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Tribe, for their enduring care and protection of our shared lands and waterways.