Retro tech museum finds new home in Penn Hills
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The Bloop Museum will have retro gaming consoles, computers, TVs and more. Photo: Courtesy of the Bloop Museum
A former municipal building in Penn Hills is rebooting as a museum celebrating the legacy of retro electronics.
Why it matters: The Bloop Museum will turn a long-vacant property in Allegheny County's largest, but fastest-shrinking, suburb into a free educational hub for families.
Driving the news: Museum founder Brendan Becker, a video game composer, plans to fill the 40,000-square-foot building at 12245 Frankstown Road with vintage gaming consoles, arcade machines, computers, TVs and other throwback gadgets.
Zoom in: Visitors can expect immersive exhibits styled like 1970s and '80s living rooms, complete with flickering tube TVs, whirring VCRs and other electronics that stir nostalgia.
- Exhibits will explore decades of gaming history through 15,000 titles and fully functional setups, from "Duck Hunt" on an original NES to rare systems seldom seen beyond collectors' circles.
- It will showcase early computing giants, from the UNIVAC era to landmark machines from IBM and Apple.
What they're saying: "Tech is moving faster than anything else right now — why not have a place where you can get the skinny, learn the history and play games?" Becker tells Axios.
Catch up quick: After two years of online fundraising, the nonprofit museum amassed nearly $245,000 to help buy the former municipal building for $370,000, per county records.
- The building, empty since 2018, served for decades as the headquarters for township staff, police and EMS before operations moved to a new complex on Duff Road.
- The Bloop Museum spent seven years inside Maryland's System Source Computer Museum before it outgrew the space and launched a search for a permanent home.
Between the lines: Becker says he chose the site for its rare blend of size and affordability and its proximity to a mid-size city.
- He plans to preserve much of the interior's original character as he renovates, saying the wood-paneled walls and faded civic art will add more authenticity to the aesthetic.
What's next: The fundraiser helped cover the cost of securing the building and early renovations, but Becker says the organization will rely on more donations to expand exhibits, events and educational programs.
- He hopes to open limited exhibits by this fall.