About Us

The vintageTEK museum is open one day a week. Our volunteers will be happy to give you a hands-on tour and walk you through our many exhibits and displays. Come learn about the fascinating history of this company and the many leading edge advancements Tektronix contributed to the industry.

We have a conference room for up to 20 and are available to host events. The museum is located on the east side of the Tektronix campus near the intersection of Terman and Karl Braun streets. Some parking is available in front. Additional parking on the east side of the building is accessible from SW Hocken Avenue. Some on-line maps show the address in the wrong location on campus.

Our Charter

vintageTEK is a charitable, educational and scientific museum founded to commemorate the early history of Tektronix, Inc and its role in spawning approximately 300 high technology companies in the 'Silicon Forest' - i.e. the four county, two state metropolitan area of Portland, Oregon.

The museum and website is dedicated to displaying working Tektronix products which enabled generations of scientists, engineers, and technicians create the future and to the memory of those Tektronix employees that created this legacy. Our mission is to encourage the next generation of students to pursue careers in the fields of engineering, science, and technology by sharing this knowledge and history and supporting STEM programs in our community.

The museum operates solely by the support of volunteers, contributions, and modest ebay sales. The museum does not charge for tours or special events.

VintageTEK org is a 501(c)3 charity so all donations are 100% tax deductible under section 170 of the IRS code. We are also qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under section 2055, 2106, or 2522 of the IRS code. Our Federal ID number is available upon request.

We are also registered on Benevity if your company supports workplace giving and matching. Thank you for your generous consideration

Filming and Photography Policy

When you enter the vintageTEK museum, you enter an area where photography and audio and video recording may occur.

By entering the museum premises, you consent to interview(s), photography, audio recording, video recording by the museum and its/their release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction to be used for news, web casts, promotional purposes, telecasts, advertising, inclusion on websites, social media, or any other purpose by the vintageTEK museum.

Images, photos and/or videos may be used to promote similar vintageTEK museum events in the future, highlight the event and exhibit the capabilities of the museum. You release the vintageTEK museum, its officers and volunteers, and each and all persons involved from any liability connected with the taking, recording, digitizing, or publication and use of interviews, photographs, computer images, video and/or or sound recordings.

By entering the event premises, you waive all rights you may have to any claims for payment or royalties in connection with any use, exhibition, streaming, web casting, televising, or other publication of these materials, regardless of the purpose or sponsoring of such use, exhibiting, broadcasting, web casting, or other publication irrespective of whether a fee for admission or sponsorship is charged.

You also waive any right to inspect or approve any photo, video, or audio recording taken by the vintageTEK museum or the person or entity designated to do so by the museum.
You have been fully informed of your consent, waiver of liability, and release before entering the museum.

Visitors may take photographs, audio recordings, and video recordings but must respect the privacy of other visitors and vintageTEK volunteers. Images, photos and/or videos are for personal use only or to promote the vintageTEK museum. The museum reserves the right to restrict any and all photography and audio or video recording inside the museum.

Museum History - The Virtual Presence

A Tektronix Museum was first proposed in 1952 by Miles Tippery, one of the four founders of Tektronix. According to Miles, there was a brief discussion about obtaining back from customers the first manufactured product of each model for the museum. The discussion was sidetracked by the politics of the day and not discussed further. Fast forward 57 years to 209. On June 26, 2009, ex-Tek employees Stan Griffiths and Ed Sinclair incorporated VINTAGETEK ORG as a 501(c)3 charitable, educational and scientific museum. Its first public appearance was the vintagetek.org website which went live on April 30, 2010. Although the museum first appeared on-line, efforts to open a brick and mortar museum were already being laid. Thanks to the wayback machine, here is the initial home page of the museum. Click on the image to view the PDF.

The Physical Beginning

The museum opened on September 16, 2011 on the Beaverton Hillsdale Highway 15 minutes from Tektronix campus thanks to the generosity of Gary Hoselton who provided space for the museum. In the first five years the museum acquired:

A vast number of restored and operating products representing the breadth and depth of Tektronix in a variety of scientific and technical markets.
A large number of early photographs of Tektronix and employees.
Training and demonstration historical films and videos.
Marketing materials, catalogs, and product manuals.

This collection tells the history of this great company and the impact in the community and technical world. The museum is supported through donations and items sold on our web store. Our restoration engineers are available to repair, restore, or assist with your vintage Tektronix product. This February 2013 Tek Retiree News provides more details on the founding of the museum. Click on the image to view the PDF.

The Present Day

The museum is now on the Tektronix campus in Building 13, the former site of the Ceramics operation. We've changed our incorporation to VINTAGETEK MUSEUM. Our new space is larger and includes a classroom which facilitates our community outreach and educational opportunities. We respond to many community and educational requests for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) with tours and hands-on demonstrations and our volunteers have supported a number of efforts.

Grade School and home school `hand-on' science exhibits
Middle School wave class and lab demonstrations including oscilloscope music
Portland MESA (Math, Engineering, Science, Achievement) education and demonstrations
University of Portland and Portland State University student mentoring
Innovate Oregon Dayton school student education and mentoring
Hosting space for lectures for Society of Information Display (SID)
Hosting space for Northwest Vintage Radio Society (NWVRS) meetings
Elektros employee reunion
Leadership Beaverton Class of 2019 sponsored by the Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce

The Museum has a collection of instruments in their Instrument Lending Library which provides high quality instruments to students and local individuals for short term need. In addition, the Museum has assembled instrumentation for classes and donations to local institutions.