Soooo...got this on Groupon and really had no idea what to expect. I thought it may be small, or too technical, or just plain boring. Completely wrong on all those. First, it's shockingly easy to find...right off 101. Second, the building outside is very well designed and impressive. Parking is a breeze and there is a nice grass area in the courtyard where you could picnic along with a cafe. Walking in you're greeted by VERY enthusiastic staff who give you the run down of the layout. It's at this point I'm thinking it's going to be bogus because it looks deceivingly small. But we start and are quite blown away. The layout is chronological (mostly) with a spectacular mix of things to read, video clips, and amazingly rare exhibits hundreds of years old. My favorite would of course be the overwhelmingly large layouts of the last 30 years in tech which is what I remember growing up with as a kid. There's even a large video game section with old Atari and Nintendo commercials streaming. Very nice. They also did a great job of laying out the impact Silicon Valley has had on technology and related it well to the community we all live and breathe in. I don't have a technical background, just an educated person. So, the complaint in others' reviews about it being too hard to read through the technical verbiage isn't really that valid. There is plenty to see and read through even for us non geeks. My only minor complaint was the lack of more hands on things to do as well making it relatively boring after an hour or two. read more

I had heard so much about this place, but finally managed to come here for a company event. This place is surprisingly massive, and holds much more historical memories and value than I had previously imagined. They have a large collection of historic pieces in all shapes and sizes. It's a very cool experience to see how much computers have progressed in such a short amount of time. I only had the opportunity to explore the Revolution exhibit, but it's a massive display with a ton to see. As for the event space, they have banquet halls on the second floor (2 from the looks of it, but not sure). Overall a great space with lots of room. So much so, that the event had the typical dinner tables/dance floor, but also a separate lounge like area to the side which was really cool. This museum really rekindled my appreciation for computers, and progress we've made in such a short period. It's really amazing to see how we've grown over the past generations. Bring your kids here and make them appreciate just how good they have it! read more

Went to this museum for the first time today. I had Satur-date with my adult son so we did something I thought he would enjoy---He is into computers. I use computers, obviously,but not a geek about them so I just wanted to be open to the experience and have a good time. The drive over was easy and parking simple and free. As soon as we walked through the door we were warmly greeted and the lay explained to us. Our initial greeter listened carefully to what we were interested in doing and made recommendation. She called over a docent who escorted us over to a demonstration of the Baggage Engine. This demonstration was super appealing to the geeks in the room and several I observed were completely "geeked out". For me, a simple novice, I was engaged and blown away at the size of the engine. I was exciting (in the beginning) to hear about the very detailed explanation of its workings. Now the explanation went on a bit to long for my taste and I was straining to hear speaker (a mic would be a good idea for tours). Finally, we did get to see a demonstration of the engine which was exciting! The food was tasty and yes of course it pricey---its a museum honey and stuff ain't cheap! The cafe setting was pleasant and inviting. The tables were not too close so you are not pulled into other's conversations. They serve a number of cold and hot sandwiches. Another positive note was the rest rooms were clean and easy to find! That is a wonderful gift especially in an active busy environment! The map is very helpful since we decided not to take the guided tour. For me the beginning of computers became uninteresting after a few exhibits. This is probably just the way my brain works...I wanted to know how they were using these first computers but there wasn't a lot of details about that. It was focused more on the cost to build/purchase, size and capacity. I did learn some cool stuff for example a lot the strides in the area of computer development came through the military and during wartime. I started getting really excited and engaged when I saw devices I recognized starting with the pacemaker for the human body and anti-lock brakes for cars. I had never really thought about there connect to computers. Seeing an old floppy disc, and a cassette player brought back a lot of cool memories...yes I still have cassettes to this day---don't judge me. The first ATMs were great to see. I had no idea they were pitching for public use in the 70's I just remember them from the mid 80's. I was able to share with my son that you could get different denominations of bills at that time and not just 20's. Loved the games and the Atari commercials! I don't recall seeing any of those growing up... Good place for families though I wouldn't take children under 10 who are not into computers and history... The bookstore was okay not my favorite place of the museum but at least they have one right? read more

My family and I really enjoyed visiting the museum. There was so many interesting exhibits. I enjoyed seeing the evolution of computers on full display from the first computers to future concepts. Take your kids to see because there is something for everyone. read more

Computer History Museum - Museums Near Me - Mountain View, California

Big collection of computers galore! It's computer history, but it equates a lot to Silicon Valley history as well which is cool and gets me a bit sentimental even. Always knew this was here for years post-SGI, but never made it inside until last night. Highlights: - Our history: I'm not a big history buff, but this struck me on a personal note. Having been around the computer industry all my life with my dad working at IBM for 30+ years and my whole career being at tech companies working on websites, it made me proud--proud to have been part of this history. From the old school video games, to the first Apples we had in grade school, to the crazy calculators we had to get in high school, to OS/2, to Mosaic and the first Netscape Navigator to browse the web, we lived this. I just think that is way cool and even cooler that so much happened right here where we live--in the groundbreaking Silicon Valley. - Staff: knowledgeable and friendly. The guy by the monster calculator machine was happy to explain the contraption in detail and even get it going for us. The lady in the main display room found out my friend (miss new addict Laurie H.) was an ex-SGIer and used to work in the building and proceeded to invite us on a full on backstage tour. She had visit go where her old cube was and everything and take pictures. My friend was full on trippin over the flashbacks going on in her head and it was super cute. Lowlights (my flip side to highlights): - I'm not geeky/computer smart enough to fully appreciate it all. :-O - Seeing all this stuff, made me feel OLD. That crazy hand-drawn arpanet diagram made me think, man, we were around for that time before the internet. Our kids won't even be able to comprehend that--they'll probably look at us like we did at our parents with 8 tracks. Probably more of a one time visit thing, but I hear they are expanding and I'd love to watch some of my hard core computer friends get excited at the collection. read more

The Babbage exhibit is really effin' cool. There wasn't a whole lot to see because it's under construction so I will definitely return once they're all finished with the renovations. I highly recommend all tech/computer geeks see this place at least one time in their life. read more

We happened to find groupon tickets ($14 for 2 people) this place so we came to check it out. Regular price was $17/person. It's a nice museum with lots of things to see and learn. It's amazing to see how far we have come along with our technology. It took us 1.5-2hr to finish this museum. Parking is free but limited spot in the front so be sure to come early. Service was friendly and knowledgeable. Overall we had a nice experience. read more

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This place is AWESOME! I remember attending seminars at the first incarnation, when it was just shelves of stuff. read more

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We originally had the Boston Computer Museum (originally started at DEC) in Boston. Though the Boston-based museum no longer exists, the equipment was moved over to the west coast to what is now the Computer History Museum. The Computer History Museum has a great collection of computing history from the abacus until today. The current space (formerly an old SGI building) is spacious and provides room for growth and managing the collections. Check the website for available times for the free tours. They've been restoring old hardware such as the DEC PDP-1 and IBM 1401. Though you can wander the Visible Storage exhibit by yourself, the docent lead tours are interesting and worth experiencing. The space can also be used for meetings and large events. It's a great place to host an event. read more

Nicely done. Organized, for the most part. Plenty of history, and love the detailing of computer history. I mean, the Babbage engine?!?! Whomever thought that math was useless, *buzzz!* wrong! It's amazing to see how much greatness was achieved by a few simple equations, tools, and years of ingenuity! Hole punches--for data gathering? (Census) Whoa! I was amused, fascinated and perplexed by all of the initial uses and applications for 'computers'. Seeing the Apple MacIntosh, just about had me tearing up, as that's what I used while in elementary school, and then we owned an Apple throughout high school. But once college started, I switched to PC. And I never looked back. I was amused by all of the advertising from competitors (past and present) digging at Apple's innovations. Oh, and old-school video game consoles, including Pac-Man, and TI's Speak and Spell...and some relics of the past that I have never been able to set eyes on. Although, seeing the Fantasia Laser Disc on the wall was hilarious... remember those? Oh and floppy discs?! Yeah, definitely part of my growing up years. No, not the one that look like post-its...the 5 1/4" ones! Oh, and the ZIP drive. Thanks for reminding me.......lmao Seymour Cray--wow. Talk about eccentric and awesome. I mean, really, the 'C' shape? :) Wonder who's ego he was stroking there.... lol The funniest thing, had to be the freakin' Kitchen Computer, that Neiman Marcus was trying to sell in their catalogs and sold exactly, ZERO of. lol "Built-in cutting board" Honeywell 316. Oh and it comes with an apron and books. Hahahaha! Prices = $15 for adults and $12 for students/seniors, and children 12 and under are free! They also have a Total Geek and a Super Geek package. We thought that this would only take an hour at most...it turned out to be about 4 hours, along with the Babbage engine demonstration. They also have a few restoration items there, so they offer demonstrations of an old computer system...but only at a scheduled time, so ask. The only downside for me, I'm terrible at math, so some of the explanations and diagrams, were totally lost to me, and had to be explained further. Yes, I suck at math. I tried to use the slide ruler (decimals), Napier's bones (multiplication/division), and an abacus (Heaven & Earth stones!!) Let's just say, I need to write out my equations....Damn inability to do math in my head. lol Gift shop is nice and reasonably priced. Pricing = easy enough, as it's a private lot. My only minor complaint about this place...they need more docents at the doorways. Some areas get confusing, and some people let their children run rampant on the displays and telephone stands. read more

For context, I am a lifelong geek/techy/you name it. Having grown up in a family rooted very heavily in industrial automation and programming, I've been around every computer and machine you can imagine, and I LOVE it. My family was visiting, and my dad's eyes lit up when we drove past this museum; you don't see that reaction from him often. The Computer History Museum is a Who's Who of tech. The amount of items here, and their historical connections, will blow your mind. Having the privilege of walking through here with a fellow techie who grew up in another country took it up another notch (or ten...thousand). The stories that poured out about the museum pieces, in addition to all the labels, really brought the experience to life for me. I docked a star because I imagined visiting without my dad, and I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. That said, the museum -is- cool. You could hear at least 5-10 different languages going on at any given point. This is a place that appeals to everyone. Thank you to all the previous item-owners who donated their relics! read more

Sick of watching dumb movies at the Century 16 down the street? Take a short detour and drop in to the Computer History Museum instead! You'll learn a ton and enjoy it, whether you're technologically-challenged or a geek. Plan to spend several hours here. It's bigger than it seems and there's a lot to see! The museum is well organized in a single path (you won't get lost!) that traces through rooms of computing history, from the early abacus to punch cards to floppy disks to early video games to artificial intelligence and more. There's tons of old machines to gawk at, and it's really inspiring to see how far we've come. I learned more here than I did in some of my computer science classes in college. Find a Groupon deal so it's cheaper, grab some friends, and come get educated in the heart of Silicon Valley! read more

This museum is fascinating for people of all age groups. For young and old alike, this place enshrines relics from the past from calculators, transistors, microprocessors, semiconductor to gaming consoles and evolution of the internet. Everyone can feast their eyes on the evolution of computers from the 30's to the 90's - large mainframe computers that used to occupy half a whole room! You can even smell the scent of these old PCs. No matter what, we are all awed by how fast technologies have evolved within less than a century. For people who have witnessed the transformation throughout the last several decades, visiting this place can be really fascinating. It really made us realized how far we have come within such a short period of time. Understanding these changes really stir up the imagination and give us a glimpse into what the future may bring. read more

Wow! What a change! I went to the museum about a year ago. It was cool back then, but it's amazing now. The museum is divided into about 15 sections. Here are a few that I remember: AI and robotics, early calculators, video games, early computers, communication. Each section has an abundance of devices to view and read about. There are also many videos. You could spend hours at the museum watching all the videos and reading all the information! My husband and I spent 2 hours here, and a friend of mine spent 7!! One thing that makes this museum great is that is has pretty much every major device in the history of computer, gaming, and robotics. You're bound to find a device that you remember from years gone by, whether you're 20 years old or 60. I was happy to find the Commodore 64. :) Brought back some fond memories. One thing to note: the museum used to be free. This has changed: it costs $15 per adult now. You can also buy a $25 dollar ticket that comes with a t-shirt and pin with CHM spelled in binary. read more

Their cafe sucks so don't bother eating there. Bring your own for a picnic or go somewhere else Five stars for the museum itself. Great museum for all ages and you'll definitely learn a lot at all the different sections even if you're not tech savvy. For people that are interested in video games you'll enjoy the generations of console they have on display. read more

Really cool stuff. Tour was inconvenient because there's a bunch of people standing around and the body heat gets too much. The guide was good, but I felt it could have been sped up. We spent a lot time in one exhibit. Tour only covers small portion of museum. But he was super friendly and knowledgeable. 2 hours should give you enough time to see everything and watch the videos and read the signs. Buy tickets from Groupon, much cheaper than in person! Lots of Nostalgia here! read more

Being a major geek who spent more than half her life studying/working in the field of computer science. Visiting the computer history museum topped the list of my to-dos when I visited the San Francisco/Silicon Valley region. The museum surpassed my expectations in so many ways. The museum is not only technological advanced, but artistically modern. An appreciable mix. The path through the museum is organized by exhibits in a chronological order from abacus to punch cards to enigma machine to the modern state of computers and other electronic devices, at the end of loop, you end up where you began. Don't underestimate the amount of information here, there is a vast amount of displayed models accompanied by detailed descriptions. (Including one of the first google servers, gaming consoles, and personal computers!) There are also large interactive tablet screens, audio and visual devices that helps you dig deeper into the personal side of each exhibit with exclusive interviews from key players in the technology arena. I was glued to the description for every exhibit and couldn't be peeled away from them for many hours. There are immense amount of things to see and information to absorb. The close proximity of the museum to the Google campus makes it a worthy place to visit on a day trip in the Silicon Valley region. The admission fee is $15, which for a geek is well worth the price to see everything in person (or in binary), they also combo the admission ticket with T-shirts for a discounted price. read more

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If you haven't been here and you're from the area you should definitely go. This was a great place to spend a few hours in the afternoon. It was really educational and really well laid out. If you're a student, you get a small discount. I went by myself as unfortunately my significant other left town yesterday and I spent about 3 hours here. It was great, though, at the end I started to get a little bored since I didn't have anyone to discuss with. Their current big exhibit is called Revolution. It is the history of computers over 2000 years. I learned quite a bit more about things I knew of, and for someone in IT, I definitely came out ahead. I would safely wager that even the most experienced IT professionals would learn new things there. They had great displays with authentic, or near authentic, pieces. The only downfall is that some of the lighting is frustrating for taking pictures. Oh, and there are a bunch of children running around. Please watch your children! read more

The Computer History Museum has a great selection showing the evolution of the computer. Interesting for nerds and non-nerds alike. You can take a tour or show yourself around. We did a tour and, honestly, I wish we hadn't - the guide really focused on their personal interests instead of trying to cover the contents of the whole museum (ie we focused only on a couple exhibits in a level of detail which was unnecessary). We ended up going back through at our own pace and that was a much more positive experience. Even though we went on a Saturday, the museum was not overly crowded or noisy like many museums are on weekends. Very pleasant! Be sure to check out the Google self driving car on exhibit. Also, I believe Google employees get free admission, so that's a nice perk for the Googlers. Fantastic way to kill a couple of hours. read more

I've passed this place a million times, on my way to see a movie right across the street. But I never had the pleasure of going inside. Not until Yelp decided to hold it's summer bash here. We didn't stay at the event very long, but we did manage to pick up an informational postcard with the museum hours. Since it was open the next day, my sister and I decided to take two of the kids here. There were less people, and Steve was really helpful in showing us where and what everything was. We made the mistake of bringing our three-year-old nephew, so I didn't really get to enjoy myself because I was holding him the entire time. But my sister and her daughter were able to soak in all the exhibits. And they walked out with tons of posters. It was a fun experience and everyone visiting the Silicon Valley needs to visit this place! read more

Do not bring kids here. The website shows pictures of kids interacting with computers but there is actually no opportunity for that. You can't touch anything. It might as well be a fine art museum. The highlight of our trip was the cafe which did have very good food. read more

This museum has a very impressive collection of early "computers" and machines; everything is displayed nicely along with some facts and demostrations. My main complaint is that it doesn't explain *how* anything actually *works*! For example, there's a whole section about punch cards - you can see the machines, some puppets putting cards in, some punched-cards, etc. But nowhere does it explain how these cards basically worked. If you want to learn that - you'll have to do what I did and read about it on Wikipedia later on... Same thing with vacuum tubes... I heard about these things many times before, but didn't really understand how they worked compared to modern-day computers (I do understand how modern-day computers basically work). I was dissappointed that this museum did not help me understand any of these very basic things. I also thought that the price was too high: $15/person seems steep for what you get. A $5 or $7 fee seems more appropriate for this kind of place. For me, the most interesting section was the one showing very early forms of calculators. The Babbage Difference Machine was also very very cool. Overall, worth a visit, but don't expect to learn much about how stuff works. read more

Super cool! We got here 2 hours before closing and I just barely made it through everything (I rushed a little). I'm a long-session-museum-type-person, and there's plenty to read/watch in this one. The curation of the museum is really good, and they take you on a path through computer history that's so interesting, from abacus to Pixar (I learned to use an abacus!). It's not super interactive, so I'm not sure why there was a fair amount of kids around, but I might just be annoyed by kids. I imagine the museum is more interesting if you're prepared to geek out .. it also probably helps if you've read a little history beforehand, like Gleick's The Information. Then seeing all these machines is sort of surreal and amazing. I'd love to go back one day and take a tour or see some of the machine demonstrations. read more

It was very fascinating to see the evolution of technology. The displays were great and informative. I brought my family and friends with me and everyone in the museum is very accommodating. It was enjoyable especially for the kids. They love playing with the old pong game, the pacman arcade, and seeing the old Nintendo and game of, as well as the very first iPhone! And for the grown ups just seeing how old computers used to take up entire floors and how our current phones are more powerful than those machines. We saw the demonstration of the old IBM machines with the punch cards as well as the museum tour. It was very informative. I will definitely come back to bring family and friends coming from out of state. read more

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Attended the grand opening today, and was very impressed. The displays were very informative, but not overly technical to the point that only in-industry people could understand it. Classic video games like Pong and Adventure were available. I'm absolutely lousy at Pong, and lost about a dozen times in a row. But that's okay, no one was waiting. Though I'd imagine that under more crowded conditions, say once people really start showing up like they should, it'd be hard to get a turn. My one difficulty was figuring out the order of the exhibits; without arrows on the ground or anything directional to guide me to the next chronological exhibit, I got a little turned around. Granted, my sense of direction is weak at best. For $12 admission, this is absolutely worth a visit. Probably not a great place for kids, unless they're geniuses or savants or something, but I believe they get in for free. Side note: the walls have code in varying languages hanging from the ceilings, and since I certainly programmed in the years long after Prolog and Pascal, I had a lot of fun trying to decipher it. They also have a display that shows the evolution of programming languages. My dad used punch cards back in the day. I definitely have to bring him here. So I guess there's some technical stuff, so it's good for everyone. Sorry. Is my nerd showing? read more

I visited this facility for the 2010 Denim to Diamonds fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House in Palo Alto. The place is beautiful and made the event spectacular and memorable. The clean lines and modern design are a perfect backdrop for the computer history theme. It's important to note that I was not there for the computer history items on display. In that sense, I am really not familiar with the museum. But the facility itself is beautiful and makes a visit well worth scheduling. read more

After living a mile from it for over 5 years, this weekend I finally went to the Computer History Museum (thanks to a CouchSurfing visitor - one more reason to love CouchSurfing). And it was simply *fantastic*. I got shivers over and over as I was moving through the exhibits. I must admit I am a computer geek, but I think this will be fascinating to pretty much anyone. There were quite a few kids there and they were watching and listening with eyes wide open. We spent almost three hours there, and could have easily stayed longer if we had the time. The layout was good, the "artifacts" were well arranged and explained, and there were lots of interactive displays, screens with looping videos, magnifying glasses for better views of the small items. etc. Make sure to take one of their free tours - they last about 40 minutes and I was skeptical at first, since ours started a bit slow, but at the end I wished it could have been twice as long. You'll learn things not written on any of the story panels and it's a good way to get introduced to the museum so you can explore more efficiently on your own later. They also have a complete and working specimen of Babbage's Difference Engine No. 2 -- built just recently for the first time ever, using materials and engineering tolerances that would have been available to Babbage at the time -- and they give demonstrations during the tour. Wow! I've added this museum to my "must take visiting friends here" list and I hope to return many times. read more

I came here with very little knowledge of the museum. I worried that the concept was tacky and a waste of the $15 paid for admission. I was expecting some Apple IIe's and Atari game consoles, but it's much more than that. Sure, they have those, but they have just about everything covering hundreds of years of computing. Not just digital silicon computing, but the earliest non-electric calculators and analog computing machines. This is a one-of-a-kind museum. At first glance, the museum seems like a nerdy place, but I didn't feel like a nerd for coming here. Granted, there are plenty of big metal boxes, but the exhibits clearly show the rapid evolution of computing, declining prices, and the influence of corporate needs. The displays focused on hardware - both computing and storage. There was very little about software. The place is big so allow at least two hours to visit. read more

One paragraph in the entire museum about Ada Lovelace. Going to this museum you'd hardly realise women were the first programmers. Where is the history of how women were pushed out of the industry? I found it disappointing. read more

If you have any interest whatsoever in the history of computational devices then this needs to be on your bucket list. Everything from room size computers to handhelds, phones, game consoles, it's all here and well presented. It's an excellent experience. Parking is easy and there are a lot of other interesting attractions in the area. Go drive by the Google campus while there since you are only a block away. read more

Very cool place for all you nerds and geeks out there as well as anybody interested in technology! This place is a walk through the history of computers covering a wide breadth from things like the earliest calculators, robots, the evolution of the internet, weapons guidance systems, to today's self-driving cars. I could have easily spent a few hours here reading every single tidbit of information, fiddling with all the interactive exhibits, and watching the short videos so I definitely recommend setting aside a good chunk of time if you really want to take in all this place has to offer. Every once in a while a Groupon deal pops up for this place so keep a lookout for one if you're trying to save a few bucks. read more

Great fun! Wonderful volunteers - they made it great for me, an ignorant tech-illiterate. Great to wander around the visual storage, I learned quite a bit - very helpful and prolific signage. The highlight was of course the Babbage - we were lucky enough to catch a demonstration - it is truly beautiful to watch. I got a kick out of the Cray supercomputers, too - having read Jurassic Park a few too many times, it was nice to see - although I must have missed the Hood gene sequencers? Hmm..oh, and "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiago" was a nice nostalgia kick. Lots of comfortable chairs in the lobby and Chess areas, fantastic bathrooms (the water fountain is hidden, but it's there). Loved to be able to take pictures, unrestricted. Free museum (donations of course accepted). Gift store is a bit thin, so don't bank on it too much - I got a few postcards and lusted over the abacus (abaci?) - but mainly seemed to be Discovery Store stuff - fun, but not much to choose from. But that's not why to go! Go see the Babbage!! read more

Simply put: If you are reading this on anything but a printout someone physically handed you, you must see this place. If you are reading this on an electronic anything, a visit will explain why you can. read more

It is amazing to see how technology get to where it is today. I graduated from Computer Engineering so I really appreciated for this museum. We attended an event for "A Night with the IBM 1401: Your last chance to punch a punched card"and it was nothing but enjoyable. Staff was very friendly and parking was available which was great. (and free parking). Staff greeted us at the door nicely. Great enjoyable experience, I would definitely recommended for anyone. read more

This place brings back memories of my early career. I should have kept all the computers and devices I had so that they could have been added to the display read more

We visited this museum Saturday and thought the staff and displays were awesome! What isn't awesome is some of the "non-Americans" (you know who I mean) who don't know common manners (such as waiting in lines) or courtesy when visiting public places. read more

We experienced more than we expected, and it was fascinating. Unbelievable that they were able to gather so many important artifacts. The museum's layout is great, but we we ran out of time half way through. We'll definitely go back. Friendly staff! read more

event: Silicon Valley Innovation Summit. The staff was very friendly, organized, helpful & courteous. The place is very clean & spacious. Great place to host an event. I'm not positive the catering company that was used, but it was perfection. Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, happy hour. Everything was delicious! They had a great variety of healthy and filling food. Plus hosted Starbucks coffee & complimentary Coconut water. read more

Came here for RampUp 2013 as part of the LiveRamp Summit last weekend and loved it. It's a very clean and easy to maneauver museum. My personal highlights: -The Google Street Car and a simulation of how it works (you can even sit in it) -Google Bicycle (to do things the old fashioned way) -The patio out back where the event was being held although the caterers were terrible/the food was cold, soggy and bland. Tickets are $15/adult for general admission. Go nerds! read more

The most frustrating museum experience of my life -- because I wanted to view and read the full description of every exhibit, and offspring dragged me through at lighting speed! I was already a fan thanks to the museum's excellent online collection and resources. But there is nothing like seeing objects in the flesh! It's extraordinary to see the devices you've used yourself lined up as historical objects, and seeing how they fall in the overall timeline of computer history gives you fresh perspective on how your personal chronology intersects with the evolution of computing. The exhibits themselves are beautifully curated, arranged in historical order so you really get a sense of how the technologies unfold and relate. There are a range of hands-on displays (learn how a circuit works; try out a classic arcade game) but it's still a museum that is oriented to the look-and-read, so our kids' terrifyingly fast race through the exhibit wasn't a huge surprise. But I would love to have the time to look and read myself! This really is the museum of my dreams, and I can't wait to go back -- without the kids! read more