The Bodgery is part of a growing movement of people gathering together to make, build, hack, create, and repair things. Often known as makerspaces or hackerspaces, they’re like a community workshop. You may not personally have an enormous workshop filled with amazing tools…but at The Bodgery you do! You can stop by and use most of our tools for free, twice a week on our Open Shop nights (more info below).
And … imagine the freedom and power of getting your very own key for 24/7 access whenever you feel like making something! Just $50/month for membership and the world is your oyster.
Our members and guests arrive with all levels of skills and experience in making things. Some pick up a tool for the first time, others run businesses making things. They’re engineers and stay-at-home parents, kitchen-table tinkerers and entrepreneurs, artists, gear-heads, and crafters. We strive to be a welcoming and friendly place for anyone to learn, make, and create.
Visit
Every Monday (6-8pm) and Friday night (7-10pm) we hold Open Shops where the public is welcome to visit, tour the shop, bring stuff to work on, and use most of the tools in our shop. We also host regular workshops on things like Welding, Laser Cutting/Engraving, and Woodworking. In addition, we run meetups for people with shared interests, where you can drop by for free, and work alongside others doing similar things. Check our Events page for more info.
Our Model
We are a nonprofit that was created to get more people involved in making things together. Guests are welcome to use the space and most tools for free, as long as a member is present. No pressure to join, ever.
That said, there are advantages to membership! Bodgery members pay $50/month and receive 24/7 access, plus storage space, workshop discounts, voting rights, etc. Voting rights because we’re member-run, with a board of rotating volunteers. We’re not only building stuff, we’re also building a makerspace and community! Feedback and ideas are always welcome, although we’ll warn you, we might just congratulate you on your great idea and ask when you plan on getting started!
History
March 2013: The MadCity Makers was founded – a social club for makers, creators, and hackers. The group met to share knowledge, skills, and our passion for making. We taught workshops and held regular meet-ups in libraries and garages around Madison.
June 1, 2014: We opened our first physical workshop in the Evolution Arts Co-op’s warehouse, turning it into a makerspace, pooling together our personal tools and sharing skills with anyone interested. We (continue to) invite the public twice a week for open workshop nights.
July 2015: We moved to larger space on Robertson Rd. to accommodate our growing membership, the expanding array of new tools, and our busy Open Shop nights.
June 2019: After again outgrowing our work space, we opened a 14,000 square foot makerspace in the former Oscar Mayer warehouse. Shop areas were expanded, and new areas added! Bodgery 3.0 is an amazing place.
Accomplishments
- We’ve welcomed hundreds of guests from across the country (map below).
- We’ve held 485 Open Shop nights, serving 8,100 community members to date.
- Hosted 800+ workshops and meet-ups to train people in specific skills and tools!
