The Robot Garage Welcomes Kids of All Ages

Not far from where the Grand Truck Western Railroad once served passengers and carried freight in the 19th century stands a portal into the 21st century: Birmingham's newest specialty shop for kids and adults.

The Robot Garage, 637 S. Eton in Birmingham’s historic Rail District, transports children and adults into the creative world of do-it-yourself robotics. Guests can check out a free tour and robot-build during the opening preview this weekend.

Housed in a silver-painted 4,000-foot converted warehouse with a glass garage door, The Robot Garage is a first-of-its kind in Michigan.

“This is the first location and Michigan's largest dedicated public space to building robotics and Legos,” said Sarah Jacobs who co-founded The Robot Garage with her husband Jonathan.

Four classrooms partitioned by movable walls allow flexibility to create classrooms, larger lecture areas and room for workshops, competitions and special events, like birthday parties. The Robot Garage will also have a help counter and a waiting lounge for parents and siblings.

Jacobs said that they were inspired to create The Robot Garage when attending their daughter’s first Lego robotics competition.  “We were amazed at how much fun the kids were having,” said Jacobs. “We realized there was no place to do this, day in and day out.”

Neither of the Jacobs has a professional background in robotics. Sarah most recently served as the vice president of development for the . She previously held positions in merchandising and brand development in the New York City garment industry. Jonathan is a web developer with a degree in electrical engineering from Brown University.

The Garage’s offerings will provide a hands-on education in science, technology, engineering and math, as well as incorporating collaboration, digital literacy, critical thinking and problem-solving.

“We have been fortunate to be working with exceptional advisors from the educational community all throughout our planning stages,” said Sarah. “We have (future) plans to reach out to the educational community in many ways. For example, The Robot Garage will not have its own competitive robotic teams, but rather will be supporting the existing robotics teams in our schools, as well as providing the educational resources needed for those who want to start their own team.”

The preview weekend will be held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Activities include robotics demonstrations, LEGO displays and complimentary open builds.

Guests can shop in The Robot Garage store where a portion of the proceeds will  benefit the Michigan Engineering Zone, a nonprofit organization that encourages careers in engineering and technology.