Tune in for the history of radio in Asheville

Learn about the history of radio in WNC and get your hands on some old tech at these special upcoming events.

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There’s plenty of vintage technology to explore at the Asheville Radio Museum.

Photo via Stuart Smolkin

It’s time to tune in for some local history. Tuesday, July 23, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Pack Memorial Library, curator of the Asheville Radio Museum, Stuart Smolkin will present “When Radio Came to Asheville,” sharing the 828’s on-air history, beginning in the 1920s.

If you want to get on Smolkin’s wavelength, you can visit the museum on Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to explore some cool offerings like a restored 1946 Rock-Ola jukebox and the incredibly rare 1935 Zenith radio. Bonus: The museum, located inside A-B Tech, now has a bigger room to show off its equipment.

Then on Friday, July 26, you can head back to Pack Memorial Library from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. for a hands-on education at Retro Technology Discovery Day. The Asheville Radio Museum will have some special items on display, plus, you can transform some old tech into art with the help of the Asheville Museum of Science.