Vintage Lasers and Holograms, Tempe

About Vintage Lasers and Holograms

Vintage Lasers and Holograms in Tempe displays the oldest lasers and holograms available to see anywhere in the world. The museum features over 180 lasers, mostly from the earliest decades of laser technology, with many displayed without covers to reveal their inner workings. Visitors can examine a prototype of the Raytheon LH1, the first commercial laser, along with early construction lasers, elaborate glass plasma tubes, and laser pointers from the 1970s. The hologram collection includes the first published hologram from the 1967 World Book Science Year, early educational film samples, life-sized portraits made with pulsed lasers, and animated holograms featured in films like Logan's Run. A working modern holography lab demonstrates current applications. The museum explains how lasers became essential to modern technology and STEAM careers, and how holograms provide three-dimensional imagery for technical and artistic purposes. General admission is free.