SICM beta - A possible space for the Seattle retro computing community
Rik Lambey
Hello fellow SRCS friends,
We need your input on a possible new space for the retro computer community—3 minutes [SICM beta Survey].
I'm writing on behalf of the Seattle Interactive Computer Museum (SICM) team to share an opportunity for the retro-computing community in Seattle and ask for your feedback on whether to pursue it.
Background
In late 2025 we hosted events regarding the SICM project to open a computer museum and education program in the Seattle area. In early 2026, our board and community members met and further defined direction for the coming year: find a small, dedicated space for the community to use as a hang-out, gathering space, active project workspace, educational space, and small rotating display showcase.
The Space
We’ve found a strong candidate: roughly 3,750 square feet of office space in an industrial building in Ballard (1140 NW 46th St). Full details: sicm.io/1140
Budget & Funding
The annual lease runs about $56,000, plus roughly $24,000/year for utilities and operations—about $80,000/year, or $6,700 per month.
This could be funded through recurring member support at a few levels:
|
Monthly Support |
People needed |
|
$50 |
135 |
|
$100 |
67 |
|
$150 |
45 |
(or any mix in between).
Right now, 7 people have committed to support at the $100/month level, so we have a start. Finding 60-130 people is a tall order, and it really comes down to the overall interest level within the community.
Upcoming Events
· Saturday, Oct 10, 11AM-4PM—Space tour & Swap Meet.
Open to the whole retro community. We’ll have concepts laid out to help visualize the space, coinciding with Mike Begley’s annual community swap meet, hosted at the prospective location this year—free for buyers and sellers.
· Saturday, Oct 3, 11AM-1PM—Preparation Meeting for Tour & Swap Meet
A working session to prep for the swap meet & tour, get your questions answered, and sign up to help.
We need your input
Please take three minutes to fill out this form even if— especially if— you’re not personally interested [SICM beta Survey].
More on what SICM beta would offer
We’ve struggled to name this effort—for now we’re calling it SICM beta: a rough, a little unfinished, welcoming hangout space and place to grow the larger SICM dream.
For members:
· Space to meet-up and work on projects, solo, with a friend or mentor, or in groups
o Keycard or App access to the space
o Extended hours access to work in the evenings and weekends
o Individual storage space for active projects so projects in work don’t have to be carried in and out every visit
o Shared tools
· Member-focused events, training, workshops (e.g. soldering class, power supply rebuild workshops, brand specific restoration, etc.)
· Opportunities to exhibit elements of member collections in rotation to the public in the museum
For the public (including members):
· An interactive computer museum offering hands on experiences with historic computing technology
· A K12 educational program teaching STEM concepts to students featuring historic computing
· Event Space for
o Vintage Computing Meetups, special interest groups
o Hosting related community events, such as SRCS meetings
o Movie nights of old films featuring computer history technology, and/or science fiction retro-futuristic
o And so much more we will figure out together.
Thanks so much for your time. Again, we really need your input. The form is located at [SICM beta Survey].
Hope you have a great day and keep your vintage computers running!
-Rik
PS Do you have questions about SICM? Curious about our name and how we relate to other similarly named organizations? Check out our FAQ.