The Retro Roadshow is a family-run, Bay Area traveling pop-up museum where visitors can play vintage computers and classic video game consoles. Founded by Sarai and Huxley Dunsany, the project brings working machines to public events and builds themed exhibits around the history of games and technology.
What is The Retro Roadshow?
The Retro Roadshow describes itself as a mobile museum of rare and historically significant computers and classic video game consoles. Its exhibits are curated for particular events and audiences, with artifacts the organization says are fully operational and available for hands-on use. Rather than presenting technology only behind glass, it combines access to the machines with presentations about computing and game history. The Retro Roadshow’s official site frames the service as both educational and entertaining.
The idea grew from Huxley Dunsany’s interest in finding, learning about, and preserving older technology. In a 2025 Make: profile, he recalled finding computers and games cheaply at thrift shops and yard sales while growing up. He said, “I quickly learned that older (aka “ancient and obsolete”) computers and video games were cheap and plentiful at thrift shops, yard sales, etc., so I started grabbing them where I could and learning about them as I went.“
How did the family project begin?
The Retro Roadshow dates its first pop-up museum to 2019, after a chance encounter with a coffee shop owner in Alameda, California. The story appears in the project’s 2023 Maker Faire listing, which describes the collection as the result of years spent finding and restoring vintage computers and games.
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Sarai and Huxley co-founded the organization, and their son Rhyal contributes to its family operation. The official About page lists Sarai as CEO, responsible for event production, operations, public relations, design, logistics, and community engagement; Huxley as CTO, leading artifact acquisition, restoration, preservation, and technical research; and Rhyal as a production assistant. Those roles are the organization’s own descriptions. Huxley told Make: that “the business started as a collaboration between husband and wife Huxley and Sarai, and now includes our teenage son Rhyal too.”
What can visitors see and play?
The Roadshow uses themes to connect hands-on play with the evolution of games and technology. Maker Faire listings document a Mario-through-the-ages exhibit in 2023, “Racing Through Time!” in 2024, and “Fly To The Future!” in 2025. The latter two were described as exploring racing and flying games across four decades of consoles and computers. These are the organizers’ exhibit descriptions, not a complete audited inventory of the collection.
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A 2025 Make: profile mentions an Intellivision, NeXT Cube, and Sega 32X, and its captions identify an Apple IIe and an Atari 2600. The examples suggest a collection spanning personal computing and several eras of console gaming; they should not be read as a complete list of what appears at every event. The 2024 Maker Faire listing and the 2025 listing describe their respective themes and play opportunities.
Where can I play vintage computers and classic video games?
The Roadshow appears at selected public events rather than operating as a permanent museum. Its official calendar lists appearances and venues; dates can change, so check it before making plans. For example, the calendar lists a private WorkOS event on October 8, CHM TechFest on October 10, and a California Historical Radio Society event on October 17, 2026. These are scheduled listings, not guarantees that an event will proceed as posted.
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The 2023 Maker Faire listing also says that, by then, “literally tens of thousands” of Bay Area residents had attended over more than five years. That is the project’s self-reported cumulative attendance claim, not an independently verified count. The available sources do not provide a visitor study or measured educational outcomes.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can a school or library host a retro gaming event?
Yes. The organization lists K–12 schools, colleges and universities, and public libraries among its potential hosts. It also names corporate events, conferences and trade shows, fundraisers, community enrichment events, team-building activities, hackathons, anniversaries, product launches, and private events. Hosts can work with the team to curate an exhibit or choose a prepared interactive museum. See the official site’s event information for current booking details.
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The company says its standard package is a flat fee covering transport, logistics, setup and pack-out, customized curation, and an all-day team commitment. It describes that commitment as a 15+ hour day. The site does not state a fee amount, so organizers will need to request a quote for their event.
What makes the Roadshow different from a traditional museum visit?
The practical distinction is format. A fixed museum offers a permanent venue and its own collection; The Retro Roadshow brings a curated selection to a host location. Its described hands-on approach gives visitors a chance to interact with machines, while the themes provide a way to explore how games and technology changed over time. Availability depends on the event or booking: the organization’s descriptions do not establish that every artifact is present or playable at every appearance.
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