What did I want to do on my birthday? Well, I must admit that I wanted to visit the Computer History Museum. Little did I know that I was a cheap date. Admission to the museum is free, so it only cost me the price of fuel. We just happened to visit on the 3rd Saturday of the month, which meant that we got to see the demonstration of the PDP-1 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDP-1 ) which was hosted by Peter Samson ( http://www.computerhistory.org/pdp-1/index.php?f=theme&s=3&ss=10 ) and (I believe) Lyle Bickely photo: ( http://www.computerhistory.org/pdp-1/index.php?f=showitem&id=26.68&popupwin=1). I had a great time learning about the machine and also getting a chance to play the first video game, Spacewar! ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacewar! ). At the moment, the museum also has the Charles Babbage's Difference Engine No. 2, where they give a demonstration on how it works. Unfortunately, this machine is on loan and will be leaving the museum to reside elsewhere (if I heard right). The Visible Storage area was interesting, but I has trouble with the continuity of the exhibit. The layout was a bit off. It was difficult to see the evolution. I was told that taking the guided tour was needed, but because of the time we went, it just was not possible. I think that they need to rearrange this exhibit so that one can take a self guided tour. -1 star for the layout +1 star for the PDP-1 +1 star for the Babbage Engine 3 star baseline read more

Groupon has a deal Almost always for 2/$15, basically 50% off. It's a good geeky kinda place to hang out. Not too big! read more

Ringing in the New Year and for my 200th review: Computer History Museum! Like other Yelpers, I got really lost in the messy, 'arrows on floors direct you to the next location but are pretty much useless' chaos. I ended up going backwards from the end to the beginning, how the heck did that happen?! CHM is a clean-cut, sleek museum that DISPLAYS many Ye Olde Technologies/Computers. It's cute that they start from the beginning of dawn, aka when mathematics and technology were important to standardizing production and for an overall simpler life, from there it takes weird turns to all these crazy machines and whatnot. It's quite overwhelming. It's a little disappointing that they don't include any kid-friendly or interactive exhibits. I'm a major techie but the vast amounts of text thrown at me felt like I was drowning in a college textbook. I'm definitely a more visual, hands-on person so I like to try things out. Their video games section was definitely nostalgic. Ah the original Nintendo games. But like I said just now, they didn't have that many hands-on stuff to try out. Ok, Pong is cool but only one screen? Little kids eat that stuff up and us (not fully mature) grown-ups would've really like to try it out too. read more

The museum is rather small, which is to be expected considering the short span of computer history. Don't miss the demonstration of the Babbage Difference Engine! The museum definitely won't be that interesting if you're not a computer geek, so don't drag your friends and family along if they don't enjoy that kind of stuff. read more

What a great way to spend a Sunday. This is a wonderful place the docents are so very nice and knowledgable also very willing to answer all questions. Great place for people of all ages to gain some knowledge . read more

Amazing things to see here. Lots of wonderful exhibits and really dense things, but still, it's really big and well-organized. You can skip over sections that might not interest you and head toward something more interactive, like the games- where you can play PacMan and Pong, or you know, look at some of the original 16 and 32-bits and old floppies bigger than your face... You get the idea. The space is gorgeous, too. Anyone interested in computers, technology, the history of, etc. should come try this place out. Reasonably priced (I think at $15, too). Really amazing stuff. Truly. A must see, if you can get down to Mountain View. Plus, it's down the street from Google, so that's always worth a drive-by. read more

This place rocks! My husband and I are both into technology and it was amazing to see how far technology has changed rapidly. We really enjoyed the room with the earliest computers, calculators, and the "huge" hard drive! The Atari game console reminded me of my childhood and my husband even recognized an old "Sinclair" he used to own as a kid. It was very informative and can't believe the museum admission was FREE! If you are a computer geek, you will definitely enjoy the experience! Even if you are not, you will still find something neat or interesting in this museum. read more

Amazing place. Lot of things to know and learn. Very friendly people and has an amazing gift shop. guided tours and short videos . For those who do not know , It's free for bank of america card holders. Check the web site , its only for one weekend in every month. read more

In my family, my wife is the geek, and I'm simply interested in having the computer do what I need. But I love having people tell me interesting stories, and the docent-led tour (conducted by James Manley) of the "Visible Storage" displays kept me in rapt fascination (my wife's description) for over two hours. The stories helped humanize the complicated gizmos on display. Instead of just dead relics, they became the results of efforts to solve important problems (naval navigation, census tabulations), quirky personalities, and corporate and governmental politics --constants in our societies, regardless of the technology. It amazed me, for example, to learn that in an effort to improve the accuracy of navigation tables, Charles Babbage conceived the first computer (his Analytical Engine) 80 years before the ability to make it existed. Similarly, I was dumbstruck that the Allied powers were able to monitor the encrypted communications of the Germans because of the inspired (and hurried) work of some Polish mathematicians who just happened to be in the right place after an errant package delivery. The only criticism I have is that the style of docenting is not well-suited for young children, who require more interactivity and more simplicity. I hope the museum adds children-oriented tours in the future. But this is a museum that gives context to the ultra-civilized society and mind-blowing gadgets that surround us today. If you are a geek, go for the tech. If you like understanding where we came from and why, make sure to get a docent-led tour. In both cases, make sure to donate to the museum on its web site. read more

What a fun experience! I'm not really a computer 'geek' but really enjoyed seeing the development of computers. Felt a little old seeing childhood games in a museum. Truly a fun experience from start to finish. Worth the stop. read more

Kudos to this museum, it was pretty neat to learn about the history and making of computers/technology. I gave it 3 stars for the wonderful person at the front desk, her energy was striking. Nicely appointed location, parking was ample, very clean and relaxing atmosphere. It was a given Sunday when I visited (Yesterday), as I was walking from the parking lot to the entrance it reminded me of a mini version of googleplex, somewhat. It's not huge nor small, but there's much to see, read and "oh and aww" about. We arrived just before 3pm, we were aware the museum closed at 5. I read from people that the museum was chronologically arranged but, had my reservations that it was somewhat not in order from previous reviews. I have to agree that it was somewhat scattered mind, similar to the wires inside your old computer, not enough arrows that it made you question the order you were going? I liked the very peaceful energy the place had, it was very neat and modern leather benches here and there in front of the tv's for your quick 5 minutes educational "to know" was a good touch. I did expected the place to be more futuristic, but you can't have it all. The last star was taken away because of the rude person that literally shewed us away. Mind you that after being so excited about learning so many cool stuff that you may loose track of time, and it would have been helpful to hear some type of announcement that the museum will soon be closing. We were at exhibit 15 or so along with a few people that was till enjoying themselves, and next thing I see is some guy (Hispanic male with walkie-talkie) saying to the two men, "Okay let's go," with a stern tone as if he was shewing away teenagers at a mall or something. I looked over and said to my bf, "I guess we have to go, the TV's suddenly turned off." I looked back at the guy and he was tailing us, I looked back to see again if he was still following us and he was!.. by about 2 feet away. Personal space please! I understand that we all have to go home and people have lives, I respect that, but delivery is very important especially when you're dealing with adults/professionals not hoodlums! No, "thank you for coming and sorry but we are now close," type of greeting just a mean faced look that we were being nuisance. As he follows us to the hallway entrance/exit to the exhibits, he slams the gate shut. Enough said, we didn't even get to see the rest of the exhibits, I'm not sure we'd come back to see the rest since we drove from San Francisco, nor would we pay to see 4 of the remaining exhibits by the way we were treated. It was like we wanted more but were left hungry, and then someone spoiled our appetite! Bad costumer service is still the # 1 killer of all businesses. read more

On a visit to the American History Museum at the Smithsonian 10 years ago, I spent a good portion of time in the computer section. This museum is about 100x the coolness of that. I really learned a lot and enjoyed seeing all the artifacts and progressing through the history of technological development. Nice design, great parking lot. I allotted 3 hours and could have used 1 more before they closed. Worth the $15 entry fee. read more

The Computer History Museum is an amazing nonprofit museum and a real thrill for anyone with any nostalgia or interest in the history of these machines which now shape all of our lives. The main exhibit (Revolution) is outstanding, and they also have other fascinating temporary exhibits like the current Babbage Machine--a multi-ton calculator for solving polynomials which you can watch them use by turning a giant crank. They also have a wonderful speaker series including historical figures in computing, best selling authors, etc. The speaker series is free and they even host receptions (free to members and their guests) with hors d'oeuvre and drinks. You can rent out the facility for events, which I've done (both hosting my own events and attending other events) and works OK. They've got an expensive but nice cafe too as well as a decent gift shop. It's in an amazing former SGI building--talk about computer history! In all honesty, I must admit that their staff is not as organized or reliable as one would hope. Trying to renew your membership online is a disaster and they weren't even able to handle it in person last time I went. I gave her my credit card and she spent about 15 minutes trying to renew it herself and then calling a colleague and they couldn't get it to work. "computer problems", they said. LOL! Honestly, I think they're just very well funded and so us small donors aren't a big priority for them. Also, scheduling events there is sort of hit-and-miss. Some of my friends had good experiences and others weren't so pleased. It is true, as other reviewers have noted, that they could use more interactive exhibits. But they have been improving in that respect. And in every respect. I've been going there since it was in a warehouse on Moffett Field and only open for special occasions. And it just keeps getting better and better! Five stars! read more

I thought a museum on computers would be mind numbing boring. I'm very glad that I was proven wrong! The museum has a very easy to follow layout and even if you don't do a tour, it's very interesting. There is a lot more to computer history than I had ever considered. Everyone has something they can remember and it's entertaining to see people point out their first computer. This museum is now in my top 5 of SF Bay Area favorites. read more

This museum is a nerd's paradise. I was impressed by the extensive exhibits and well-thought out layout. The first half of the exhibits was hard for me to relate to, since calculators, hole punch cards, etc. are not my main interests. The second half was more interactive and I especially liked the video games exhibit. The Jeopardy exhibit was cool, with Watson and all. read more

This place is great. I wasn't sure if my kids would like it but they loved it. It was fun for all of us to see the old technology and the self driving car exhibit was truly amazing. I recommend everyone make some time to visit. read more

Love the place....I learned so many things!!!! I spent all day at the Museum...the only downsise is that there were too many people during one of the exhibit/presentation... read more

The Computer History Museum is fantastic. Since Computers have been invented they've become part of almost everything in society. There is no bigger invention than the computer in modern history and therefore there is no museum more important than this one. They have a huge number of artifacts and are always willing to take in new hardware/software/document related donations. The people that work for the Computer History Museum are all very nice, enthusiastic, and very knowledgeable. There are docents who volunteer and all of them are very passionate people who have worked in the computer industry or are just fascinated by modern technology. I volunteer there as a Greeter and miscellaneous helper and I can tell you that its been a great experience so far. I'm always learning new things about the people, places, and things that have helped pave the way to the amazing technology we have today. The museum will be expanding next year and will become more interactive and even more detailed than it already is. I am excited and look forward to seeing the history of computers continually evolve. read more

I've been here twice. Both for company parties. Once for Google and another time for Apple. Can I say this place totally rocks? Where else can you find an Apple 1?Where else can you look at old IBMs and be like "Man I remember when DOS was standard." C-colon-backslash and all my love, and honestly what better venue to have a company party for some of the geekiest companies in the valley? I loved wandering around and reading the history. It was fun to hang out and enjoy company perks as well. read more

A nerd/geek heaven and I mean that in the most respectful way because without this history I wouldn't be able to write this review. I learned a lot of what went into getting to today's amazing tech and got a little nostalgic with the computers and video game systems I played with as a kid. If you love tech, work in tech, or want to know what created our silicon valley...Come here. read more

I was so impressed with how well this place is put together. The volunteers and employees are all so very kind. My friend and I were looking at slide rulers and a volunteer came up to us and spent his (I'm sure very valuable) time explaining and teaching us how they work. He was very passionate about the museum and you could tell he loved working there and interacting with guests. Our tour guide was also very kind and informative. He could answer just about any question anyone in the tour threw at him; ranging from the IBM 1401, to the UNIVAC, or to the Macintosh. After the tour was over we approached him and asked about the acoustic modems we heard that they had. He happily showed us right to them without hesitation. He even showed us the world's first router, which was huge! It's pretty amazing how they preserve so many interesting machines and artifacts, ranging from the extremely obscure to the most popular and mainstream. You MUST check out the presentation of the Babbage Difference Engine while they still have it! It could be sent back to the original owner at any time as they only have it on an indefinite loan. Seriously, make sure you see the presentation! It's one thing to look at it without any explanation, but it's the most phenomenal and mesmerizing machine to see operated. read more

As a museum it works and stuff is there. But I expected it would be more exciting, motivating and introducing people to learning IT, show how powerful IT can be. As a programmer I expected to learn something new from the hardware but for example there were many memory devices but nowhere explained how they worked. Very few interactive items. Most of then are dead old museum items which are historical, yes, but boring themselves. It's dead, like visiting a museum of stuffed animals. The gift shop - I expected to see silicon ingots, keychains with the waffers, clever science gadgets, etc but it was full of tshirts with geek or think text, starwars merchandise, a few boring diy boards. Selling usb cables there, like really?? read more

It sounds boring but it's actually very informative. The museum is very clean and has a gift shop with cute gifts.

A very interesting place, and not just for geeks. Walking among the exhibits I recognized many things from my childhood, which kind of made me feel a little old. read more

Our non-profit organization recently held a 450-person Gala and After Party at the CHM and our experience was fabulous! The price was fair, they allowed us mostly free reign to decorate as we wanted, Poppy and her staff was accommodating and friendly, and it was an easy location to find. Thank you CHM for a wonderful event! read more

I thought this is going to be a short museum but this is long and so many amazing things to see! I would love to go back again.

Excelelnt choice for a offsite meeting. They are perfect for the business focused meetings that dont need the "fluff" of hotels. You can also order your food from whoever you like if you are on a limited budget for your meeting. I know that some companies have parties and receptions there as well. Staff is very helpful! read more

Haven't been to the newest exhibit yet, but I have dropped in in the past before and found it to be pretty neat. This review is for a small, private gathering we had here. It was great, organized, everything went off without a hitch, and all were impressed by the museum they've lived so close to yet never had the chance to see! I think everyone will be back to visit the exhibit sometime soon. read more

a couple of years ago my family fell upon this cute little computer museum- and at the time, it was free! we hit it on our way to, and from san francisco. it had this super cool babbage adding machine, and we watched a docent run it. had never heard of this unsung mathematician, but learned about him later because of this visit, and in the process gained a new appreciation for bill gates, another person i had never paid attention to. i was so impressed by the museum that when my band went to play at warped in mountain view last year, i convinced them to go, and i think they liked it (though the may have ben humoring me) and, yes, still free. and so. today i brought my daughter back, and got hit with the new reality- $15 bucks each. ouch! however, i had made a commitment, and intended to follow through on it....... and i don't regret it a bit. a great deal has changed, including TONS of new stuff, much of it interactive or audio/visual, and every bit as engaging. wow. good job on the remodel! read more

This is a nice place, better than expected. Modern and fascinating, and the staff were great. Plenty of parking, not too far away (Mountain View). A nice way to explore the history of Silicon Valley. read more

A computer geeks haven and plenty of education and nostalgia.

If you are a computer nerd you will love this place. I went for my boyfriend and he loved it! It is very educational and somewhat interesting. You get to sit in a Lexus self driving car on display. Other than that I was not interested but it delivers on what it is. Lots of videos to watch that explains things. I hope I don't have to go back. read more

The newly reopened Computer History Museum is amazing! You don't have to be a geek to enjoy the extensive exhibit, but if you have geek-ish tendencies you will LOVE this place and want to go back again and again. There is everything from ancient abacuses to devices from the 30's & 40's, and everything up to modern day. They do a good job of including the stories behind the things you are seeing and the people who invented them. I'd recommend you plan at least two to three hours or more if you want to see everything. There is a nice cafe (with surprisingly good espresso!) and places to sit outside if you need a break. It is also worth trying to see a demo of the Babbage Engine while you are there, it is pretty incredible in action. I think kids around 9 and up will like this if they are into computers, but it is especially fun for us slightly older folks who remember using a lot of these things. This would also be a great place to take out of town guests, it's right near Shoreline Park, the Google campus and downtown Mountain View where there are a lot of great restaurants. read more

Come here early, there is a lot to see. We got there with 2 hours left and it was no where near enough time, and you will probably want to go more than once to see it all. They have demos of the restored machines, and tours so check the schedule when you plan your trip. They have very knowledgeable docents. The cafe has good food too, regrettably we missed the waffles which smelled amazing. My son loves the shirt, it was worth paying the extra for at the ticket desk. read more

Wow !!! I was impressed. I'm not a BIG computer geek, but I learned a lot. Me and my 15 year old daughter who's not a big computer geek either got there at 1 pm and did not finish looking at everything before they closed at 5pm. Definitely a place to tell folks from out of town. read more

A must see! I went with my friend Dawn today and we oohed and ahhed! So many amazing things to see, read and view! You can totally spend the whole day reading and seeing everything! read more

Fun and geeky! Totally worth the trip and waiting for a guided tour.

I had high hopes for this place but, other than the regular displays, there wasn't much to it. The R|evolution exhibit seemed scattered and my son, 11, had a hard time connecting to what basically became a major part of his life today. read more

This is a very engaging museum even for the least tech savvy people (like me). The guided tour really helped me understand the context of the exhibits and how computers have progressed since the 19th century. The exhibits are really cool and very thought provoking. I spend a fun afternoon here. I recommend it to techie and non-techie people alike. If you use technology at all, then you will probably find something that will interest you here at this museum. You have to be willing to use your brain to process a lot of information while you are here, but I think it's worth it. It's definitely an intellecually stimulating museum experience. Also you can sit in a (stationary) self-driving Google car. How awesome is that? read more

This place is amazing! I love technology and and anything to do with computers, so when I found out about this place I knew I had to visit. And it is truly amazing how many different computers they have on display from many decades ago, all the way up to the recent computers, laptops, and mobile devices. Also the gift shop has lots of "Technology Related" gifts and many things with their logo on it, such ad T-shirts and hats. If you live in the bay area or are visiting there, I would definitely stop by and take the tour! read more