Enthusiasts puzzle over how to save Oregon’s museum of gaming

Bryan Fosmire used to be a regular at Oregon’s Interactive Museum of Gaming and Puzzlery. Today the 28-year-old mechanical engineer plays games like “Terraforming Mars” at his dining room table in Dundee. But the museum gave him a different, richer place to indulge his love of games.

“The first thing you’d probably notice going is the giant wall, full of shelves of games, at the back,” he said.

When it was open between 2010 and 2020, the Washington County museum had a collection of about 9,000 games. Its mission was to educate people and make the games accessible.

“They actually did have exhibits around the room as well. Even going back so far as ancient games like where the first dice came from and how they would use bones before that,” Fosmire said.