Our History

Rochester Makerspace was founded in 2013 with the goal of serving entrepreneurs,
artists, hobbyists, and inventors of all kinds under the same roof. The following year, a
Board of Directors was established and Rochester Makerspace received IRS 501c3 not-for-profit designation. With the help and donations from dozens of founding members, space at 850 St. Paul Street was rented to house the Makerspace. These dedicated individuals set up the facility, in many cases using equipment from their personal workshops. Rochester Makerspace soon began offering unlimited access to members of the public.

Beginning in 2015, Rochester Makerspace expanded its mission to provide classes to our members, engage with the local community, and become a field trip destination.
In the years since, through membership dues, donations, and grants, Rochester
Makerspace has continued to expand its offerings. We have invested in state-of-the art
equipment, including a fully-equipped woodshop and metalshop, CNC machines, 3D
printers, laser cutters, micro-controllers, a stained glass studio, paper arts studio, sewing area, and arts and crafts area. Additionally, several computer workstations and shared work tables provide ample room for prototyping and building. A team of dedicated volunteers serve as area managers to help the Executive Director and Operations Manager keep the space running smoothly.

We hope that you consider joining Rochester Makerspace and volunteering your skills to help with our organization. Our continued success depends on dedicated makers like you.