ETF - The Museum

The Museum

Location: 5396 Franklin Street, Hilliard, Ohio (a suburb northwest of Columbus). For maps, click here.

Hours: Saturdays from 10 to 6, Sundays from noon to 5, and during the week by appointment.

Admission Charge: There is no admission charge for individuals and non-profit groups, though we suggest a donation of $5 for adults and $2 for children over 6.

Contact Us: (614) 771-0510. info@earlytelevision.org. Mailing address 5396 Franklin Street, Hilliard, Ohio 43026.

The Early Television Museum is located at the beginning of the Heritage Rail Trail bike and hiking path that connects to another park a few miles away. Eventually the trail will be extended to a total length of about 30 miles.

Over 150 TV sets are on display in a 4200 square foot area. Displays include mechanical TVs from the 1920s and 30s; prewar British sets from 1936-39; prewar American sets from 1939-41; postwar sets from1945-58; and early color sets from 1953-57. Many of these sets are working.

The Dave Johnson collection of early television picture tubes is also on display, along with early TV studio equipment.

We also have a working 60 line flying spot scanner TV camera. Visitors can see their friends as they would have appeared on mechanical television in 1930.

Some of the prewar, rare postwar, and early color sets can be operated by visitors using pushbuttons located throughout the museum:

The museum is a non-profit foundation, and depends on contributions for its funding. Please consider becoming a Friend of the Museum

American Prewar

British Prewar

Mechanical Sets

A portion of the new 2200 square foot postwar display area.