MADE Makerspace — Attraction in St. Louis

Potential for Improvement in Accessibility and Cost-Effectiveness

I recently experienced a misunderstanding with my membership and training enrollment at the maker's space, which was promptly resolved through a refund and cancellation - highlighting their efficient customer service.

However, the training costs present a significant barrier for occasional hobbyists like myself. With training priced at $300 per machine and a monthly membership of $100, engaging with the space sporadically becomes prohibitively expensive, easily exceeding $300 for a single visit plus training fees for each machine.

Suggestions for Improvement:

Introduce a Daily Rate: A more flexible pricing option, such as a $100 day rate following complimentary training, could make the space more accessible for those of us looking to use the facilities infrequently.

Adopt Digital Training: Transitioning from live trainers to free, comprehensive training videos could lower entry barriers, making the space more appealing and accessible by automating and potentially eliminating training costs.

These changes could significantly enhance the maker's space's appeal, making it a more inclusive community hub for innovation...

I set out to make a cribbage board and realized my lack of tools would make it very difficult. I knew CNC would give me the best results, but I have no training or experience with it. I reached out to MADE about a custom class, and was introduced to Myles. He was awesome to work with (as was everyone else I interacted with)! We fine tuned the design, and he asked for my input/feedback on several things I hadn't even though about. It turned out great (and much better than if I had tried doing it at home).

Great experience--I definitely plan to go back and will likely become a member later in the year. Shout out to Eugina (initial contact for custom classes/membership) for all of the helpful class/membership info, Paul (facilities manager) for bonus help with my project, and Myles for being a great partner and making it happen!

As a note, any consumable materials have to be supplied (for me that meant buying a CNC bit)--Myles told me exactly what to buy and suggested a store that sells them. The good news? MADE also sells several different bits (and other consumables) for the same price (that's right, no markup for convenience or...

My kids had a great time. The space is all one big room, which is nice because each kid can gravitate to whatever they want to do and I can keep an eye on all of them. They have art stuff, 3D printing, build/shoot paper rockets, stop animation, design a video game, some robotics, legos (but no LEGO robotics), sewing, cricut machine and giant LEGO building blocks. $5 is a fair admission price. There’s no food, and there are signs that say no outside food, but I say several of kids running around with snacks. Most of the things are included in the price of admission, but you can pay to get your clay creation fired, buy a journal/water bottle to cricut,etc. There is a free parking lot as well, so you don’t have to worry about street parking. It’s a cool space;...