Antique Radio Museum: Preserving Radio History in Bellingham

In the early days of broadcasting, radio was the heart of family life, a hub for news, entertainment, and sports, much like television today. But as TV gained prominence, radio’s role shifted to a more specialized medium. Jonathan Winter remembers radio’s golden age through shows like The Shadow, The Green Hornet, and The Thin Man. To honor that era, he established a museum in Bellingham dedicated to antique radios and classic radio shows.

“Radio was vital to people of older generations—it was a mental exercise,” says Winter, 56. “The technology of transmitting voices over the airwaves is fascinating.” Located 90 miles north of Seattle, Winter’s Antique Radio Museum showcases the evolution of wireless technology, capturing radio’s influence on 20th-century American culture. It houses over 1,000 items, primarily from radio’s early years up to the 1940s.

Unlike most museums, Winter’s collection invites visitors to interact with the exhibits. Roughly 90 percent of the radios are in working order, each restored by Winter himself. “Bringing these pieces back to life is part of the joy,” he explains. Among the museum’s many treasures are recordings of classic radio shows, from Amos and Andy to Walter Winchell, and Winter even broadcasts vintage programs on a low-power station from within the museum.

With an eye toward education, Winter lends radios to local schools and has created a website that becomes particularly popular following student visits, reaching 800-900 hits per hour. Winter recalls how, as a child, he would salvage discarded radios from trucks to tinker with them. His fascination grew as he taught himself how to fix them, a skill he continued to develop over the years.

Originally intending to pursue jewelry making, Winter studied art at the University of California, but his love for radios remained. Moving to Bellingham in the 1970s with his wife, he soon found himself drawn back to electronics, building satellite systems and working on radios. His daughter’s friends showed such interest in his collection that Winter decided others might, too. So in 1988, he opened the Antique Radio Museum, funding it out of pocket. The museum moved to its current 1,000-square-foot Railroad Avenue location in 1993 and now operates as a nonprofit, with funding from donations and an occasional city grant.

The Antique Radio Museum, located at 1315 Railroad Ave., Bellingham, invites visitors to explore the rich history of radio. It’s open from noon to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, offering an engaging experience that preserves radio’s legacy for generations to come.