I was so happy to learn that this museum is so close to the Century theater in Mountain View. I had a few more hours to kill before picking up the wife after catching Man from U.N.C.L.E. The museum is great for anyone interested in the evolution of computers, mobile devices, and the internet. I thought their layout was brilliant - starting with the early, ancient mechanical calculators (abacus, slide rule), then working up to those clunky early machines (Eniac, Cray) before going into the rise of Apple, Microsoft, and Google. Exhibits had plenty of text and short videos to explain the history. A few interactive demos too. I also enjoyed some nostalgia from seeing devices I grew up with - which brought back fond memories of long gaming sessions with friends and relatives. I mean, when's the last time anyone seen an Atari 2600 or Commodore 64? And who can forget those handheld football games (Coleco!). Other cool things at the museum: food stand (Cloud Cafe), huge parking lot (with many Tesla charging stations), and a pretty cool gift shop. Darn - I knew I should have bought one of those cute, stuffed androids. read more

See all

I absolutely LOVED this museum and if you are into the history of computers, this is a MUST see place. There is all sorts of cool displays all the way back from 2,000 BC to the mainframes of the 1960s, Cray supercomputers, to the early Altair 8800, and even an original Apple 1. I spent a few hours here and this place is beautiful. However, if you are not into computers or history, I am sure this place will not impress you at all, but if you are a computer nerd - this place is Nirvana. read more

Computer History Museum - The computer that inspired Bill Gates to start Microsoft - Museums Near Me - Mountain View, California

See all

Visit the first weekend of the month if you are a Bank of America card holder for free admission. Otherwise, admission is $15 for adults. The staff was really friendly at the front desk. He handed us a map and explained the routing we could take and where all the exhibitions were. They conduct free tours, though we explored ourselves on this visit. Do start at the Orientation Theater to watch the short video. The exhibits are labeled 1-20, so keep an eye out for the numbers and wander in chronological order, as the technology will make much more sense that way. Everything was informative and intriguing, though I enjoyed the gaming and robot exhibitions the most! These were more relatable for millennial me, as well as more interactive. I do wish they had more hands-on things to play with throughout! Also, make sure to venture to the opposite side of the first floor, after the 20 exhibits, to check out the 2 demo labs and the self-driving Google car. We spent 3 hours overall, but didn't have time to check out the gift shop or cafe since they were closing. I'd predict the entire visit would be ideal at 3-5 hours. Plentiful free parking in the lots, and you can probably ride the Google bikes outside to check out the Google campus, since it is only a little ways away. Definitely worth visiting the Computer History Museum once in your life! read more

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

See all

The computer history museum is extremely well curated! The exhibits are incredibly interesting and there's an excellent chronologic progression of tech developments over the years as you advance through the museum. Even if you don't have a lot of background on techs, the exhibits have great explanations along the way. You could easily spend 2-3 hours here. We had such a nice time and we got hungry midway, so we stopped at the zareens within walking distance before coming back to the museum This is a true gem of a museum and well worth a visit! read more

Bought a Groupon deal where I paid $15 for two admissions. (It's $15 for adults at the door!) Pretty simple to redeem; tell the person at the counter your Groupon voucher number and then to mark you Groupon as redeemed. The boyfriend and I went over the weekend and spent around 3 hours there. For an average computer user, I would say it felt nearly overwhelming to be surrounded by so much history. With 20 exhibits, there was a LOT of information to go through,with a majority in which I did not fully understand. The boyfriend and I went around mostly viewing the historic relics and occasionally reading what there was to offer. However, I went home with the ability to recount what I had seen, so I guess it was more successful than I thought! My favorite parts were being able to see old gaming systems and the initial Apple products I had read about in Steve Jobs' biography. There were even some prototypes for different products on display as well, which we thought were pretty neat. Additionally, behind the front counter, you can check out Google Earth on a huge display and there's a Google car to sit in as well. Super awesome! There's only a few hands-on displays (mostly in the gaming exhibit), so I'm not sure how much fun young kids would have here. Lots of "do not touch" signs everywhere that only made me want to touch things even more when there was no glass to protect a display. As others had mentioned, the setup for the exhibits is a bit of a maze. There's signs on the floor that are supposed to guide you in the right direction, but the boyfriend and I still managed to loop around the "wrong" way. Overall, I think it's a great value, especially if you can get in for $7.50! read more

See all

I thought this place was pretty rad and I'm not even a tech geek! Prepare to experience nostalgia and awe as you walk through the different exhibits that celebrate computer history. The large collection of computing artifacts is surely fascinating. I particularly enjoyed these exhibits: Revolution and Where To? (Self-driving car). These were the coolest ones, IMO. The rest of the exhibits were a little over my head, leaving me yearning for a catnap...zZzZ. + Museum admission not required to visit the Cloud Bistro inside + Grab a gift for your fave tech geek friend at the gift shop + No bags, backpacks, beverages, or food allowed in the exhibits read more

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

Decent museum and appropriately placed right in the middle of Silicon Valley. It has a lot of old computer hardware and explains the history and development of computers. It's mainly focused on the pc. I would have liked to see more on Apple production but that's ok. Pretty good museum. read more

The fact is children vaccine is optional in US, but this museum does not allow children without Covid vaccination coming.

Went here for free because I had been a long time Bank of America customer. My experience here was great. It brought back lots of memories on the gadgets I used to own. This reminded me how old I was already! LOL... Highly recommended to people who have never been here before. read more

You know what I wish there were fewer of in the world? People like ME who look past all the amazing museums that are around them. You see, I consider myself a fairly thrifty individual; rarely will I ever make a purchase unless I know that there's a high likelihood for a decent rate of return. For some reason, I always overlook museums because I have some preconceived notion that the experience won't match the $$ I pay for admission. But ironically I'm always proven wrong. The Computer History Museum is the perfect example. I always postponed visiting this place since I THOUGHT it'd be a waste of time, but NOPE! I recently took my friends here and we LOVED IT! The Computer History Museum is located on the always-popular Shoreline Blvd in Mountain View, California (a.k.a. Google Headquarters). I really like this spot for a couple reasons. First off, it's like RIGHT NEXT to multiple freeways (i.e. Freeways 85/101), and so transportation is 10/10 easy. Second, there's SO MANY ATTRACTIONS in this area such as Google, Shoreline Amphitheater, and Century 16 Theater; the museum is the PERFECT place to go if you're touring the area since it's totally not out of the way. If you plan on coming, note that the price of admission is $17.5 for adults and $13.5 for students/seniors/military members (children get in free!). Furthermore, the museum is free every first weekend of the month for Bank of America cardholders! The place is also open every day of the week EXCEPT Monday and Tuesday. I wouldn't worry too much about parking since there's plenty of space (plus several EV pumps). My friends and I came around 1pm on a Sunday and there were a number of spots left. Whether you are a computer/tech geek like me, or are just interested in history, Computer History Museum is a MUST-VISIT. Here's why: -MAKE SOFTWARE: I didn't know what to expect from "Make Software," the first exhibit that we visited at the museum. But when I saw a GIGANTIC figurine of a WOW (World of Warcraft) character, I knew that it was going to be TOTALLY AWESOME. And indeed it was! This exhibit was basically a glimpse into how software development has evolved over the past two decades. Here, you'll find out how Wikipedia started, get a tutorial on basic programming, AND check out the history of car tech/car safety. -WHERE TO: As the name suggests, this exhibit shows visitors where the future of technology is headed. When my friends and I stopped by, we experienced first-hand what it was like to be inside a self-driving car. Man, I can now tell people what a Waymo car looks/feels like! -DEMO LABS: If you want to know more about the first computers, the "Demo Labs" are FOR YOU! We totally geeked out after seeing one room full of one of the EARLIEST computers (SO BIG!) + old printouts of code, and another room showing Spacewar (a.k.a. like the first ever playable game). -REVOLUTION: The best exhibit at the Computer History Museum is HANDS DOWN BAR NONE "Revolution." Here, you get to go back in time and experience the transformation of computers, tech, software development, as well as calculators. This exhibit will definitely resonate with millennials because a lot of the tech you will find here are probably stuff you grew up with as a kid. Yes, it's cool but also sad since it means you're old. JK, but seriously "Revolution" shows how quickly the world of computers has changed in the past 10-20 years. My favorite spot in this exhibit has to be the evolution of computer games. Of course they have the old gameboy classics! -GIFT SHOP: Why highlight the gift shop? Unlike most museums, the Computer History Museum has a little gift shop that's a MUST SEE. The shop has so many things that you won't find anywhere else such as mugs that "change" with heat, as well as giant Android squishables! Prices aren't bad either. For example, my best friend got a shirt that spelled "cutiepie" as "Cu Ti " for only $10. When you are visiting Silicon Valley for the first time, I HIGHLY recommend the Computer History Museum. This place has such a treasure trove of knowledge that EVERYONE should come by to learn a thing or two. I'm so glad I came here with my friends because, if anything, the museum was a nostalgic trip to the past. The only downsides about this place are that 1. I think $17.5 for full admission price is a bit high and 2. The place is actually quite small. But all in all, I give this place a "nice-su, you can take your parents here and they'll be happy" rating! Have fun, educate yo self, and prosper, read more

See all

My husband absolutely loves this museum and whenever we're in the area while traveling California it's a must stop and see for him. However after Covid-19 they do require all guests to have had the Covid-19 Vaccination and show proof before entering. My 5 year old and I have not had the vaccine so we just went to the movie theater near by and watched a movie as it does take him about 2 hours to explore and look at things. He has been a few times so he starts with any old exhibits he may want to re-read or refresh his memory and then straight to any new area or items added since his last visit. So for the computer and electronic geek this is sorta like a big ball of heaven rolled into one spot for you to enjoy the history behind the computer/phone/electronics industries. I said maybe because if your traveling all the way there and aren't vaccinated it may be disappointing but we are always flexible and have alternate plans for the what if's and we knew the movie theater was near so it worked out perfectly. He got his geek itch to see it scratched off his list and we got to see the new Sonic 2 movie which was awesome. read more

Upgraded to family membership. Great deal, you and 3 guests have access to unlimited # visits and members receptions. Great option for entertaining visitors but basic memberships with free admission start at $60. https://computerhistory.org/join/. Recent event featured panel of investigative journalist, director and producer of The Great Hack. Event was free but members enjoyed catered reception which they offer for some events. read more

Computer History Museum - Interview with John Doerr and Lee brothers, founders of myfitnesspal (Jun 2016) - Museums Near Me - Mountain View, California

Well curated and well presented. A visit to the Computer History Museum is a pleasant outing for technologists or children (and everyone else). The multiple rooms each focus on a technology or time period. The exhibit descriptions are clear and informative. read more

Computer History Museum - Silent 700 - a machine I used - Museums Near Me - Mountain View, California

************** 1686 ************* They helped us to hold the Heroes Breakfast 2016 event for American Red Cross here. The museum itself is cool and interesting. If you have kids or your younger siblings, they love computer. This is a good place to show them around. The private event spaces for rent is on the second floor. They don't have a full kitchen. So our catering company have to pre cooked all the food. They also strict on when you can load your stuff in or out. In fact we were dealing with this lady for 2 months without meeting her in person!? Only via email from start to finish! I thought that was unprofessional if this lady cancelled us on the day of the meeting. We ended checked out the place by ourself with a lot of unanswered questions before the event. They also limited on what you can do and can't here. So ask carefully with details before you sign up for anything. They are good for meeting or event that is less than 200 people. Overall, the place is new, clean, and spacious. read more

See all

Very good view of computing history and a nice experience in general. The main thing that would make the museum better is greater focus on the contributions of women and human computers to computing history. Otherwise, the museum provides a great view into some aspects of computers that most people would never see, as well as some neat artifacts from the recent past that some of us might recognize. I especially like the Cray supercomputers on display. Some of the computing devices and concept items from the 60s and 70s are also cool examples of retro-futurism. I imagine all ages would appreciate the museum. Certainly there is plenty to intrigue adults. I've visited many times and still find fascinating bits to investigate. The current special exhibit is on software, including Wikipedia and Adobe. It's cool to see the other side of the tech equation, when the rest of the museum is largely focused on hardware. There are a gift shop and cafe, as well as event spaces. read more

This is a very interesting place to check out, whether you're a geek or not. I'm a bit of a geek, so I found myself roaming at the mouth on the odd occasion as I walked around. Regardless of your age, this place will make you feel nostalgic! There's a lot of equipment in here, from early 1900's calculators (more fascinating than you might think) through to the self-driving cars of Google. From the Atari 2600 through to weapon guidance systems. There are plenty of areas to watch short videos and there are even some fully-blown demo labs for you to go inside and walk around. It's not overly large inside, but it's the kind of place you could find yourself spending anything from an hour to a whole day inside, depending on your interest level. There's also a café and a gift shop inside. Even if you're not a technology fan, I guarantee there will be at least one thing that makes you say out loud, "Oh, I remember that!" read more

See all

When I first heard of the Computer History Museum, it sounded boring... but I was wrong and I'm glad I read other yelp reviews which urged me to check it out. :) One caveat: the Babbage Machine which is mentioned a few times and is on the map is no longer here. D: I really wanted to see that after learning about it. There are a ton of great exhibits. They first start you out chronologically; there are 20 stations and you work your way up from the early abacus days to modern supercomputers. I really had fun learning about the early tools and machines, and then it was nostalgic to see some of the familiar companies and computers my family used to use (floppy disks!!). They do a great job explaining everything with descriptions and videos as well, so you don't feel lost even as a non-engineer. There are also some fun tidbits relating to history! The first part isn't as interactive, but then there's another section that's completely interactive so you're not just walking around and looking at things the whole time like at an Art Museum. Lastly, I know Googlers get a 50% discount rate! read more

Worth a stop if you are into computers like we are. Close to Google and Facebook HQ. So much to look at and read. You will want to go without the kids. We especially enjoyed seeing the early video games, Google camera car, early Apple computers, the semiconductor exhibit and learning more about Moore's law. Small cafe and museum store as well. Not for little kids (too much reading, not hands on), but those in high school should be intrigued enough to stay an hour or more. Age 10-15 may be okay up to an hour. Below that, stick to the cafe and museum store. :) Loved it and want to go back..... My only suggestion would be to add more content from the last 10 years. read more

I am totally shocked I didn't write a review for the Computer History Museum!. The honey loves this place! He'd been wanting to come here for quite awhile when we finally ended up making the trip. He adored wandering around all the old tech and didn't get a bit tired after hours of looking at old motherboards and huge old couch computers. I myself really enjoyed watching the old films of the original coders and how programming came to be (especially the perforated paper!), but he just loved soaking in all the pieces of history that created what we use today. I got so tired I finally had to drag him away! The price is incredibly reasonable for the space and the tours and I love the tech swag you can buy at the gift shop! We'll definitely be back, this is like the honey's happy place! read more

MUSEUM was a walk through over time. Had cool Google map interactive and a maze of displays that takes you through the history of computers from the entire wall machine to today. You will wonder how far you are from the end because there is so much and so many displays to look at. I'm not a huge fan of museums, but this one was pretty cool. Worse case if you get tired you can skim over displays. EVENTS Came here for my boyfriend's work holiday party where they had cocktails downstairs and the dinner upstairs in a banquet room. DEALS I don't know the going rate for touring, but I can tell you I bought one of those Living Social Groupon-y type deals online for my parents as a gift since my dad is into computers. So if you know a tech person who likes museums this would be an outing idea. OVERALL a nice modern feel building. Outside parking lot. Cool they let people hold special events here. read more

**BEST NERD CAVE IN SILICON VALLEY!!!!** I was fortunate enough to get the Groupon deal for 2 tix under $20. Took my boyfriend here for a date because he hasn't been here before and he's into computer and coding, so why the hell not, right?! At first, I thought this museum was just about computers and nothing else. I was totally shocked to see that they have incorporated many different areas of tech and innovation to this museum. 1st Tour: Babbage decimal digital machine We were lucky to be able to join in on the tour about the Babbage decimal machine. You basically learn about the ins and outs about this wondrous, complex, piece of work. You also learn about the history of Charles Babbage and how he came about with innovating this exemplary machine. Mathematicians - this is a must see! The tour guide explains in full-scale detail as to how it works and counts up and down decimals, moves decimal places over, etc. He even gives us a math problem, cranks the machine up and shows how the machine reaches it's answer! It's truly an epic experience! I cannot explain further about this tour, you'll have to check it out yourself! Hunger strikes: Cloud Cafe If you have the munchies at any time throughout the duration of your visit, there's always the Cloud cafe. They provide croissant's, pastries, soups, salads, and up to a full-lunch meal! The food does take a little while to prep as there are usually about 1-2 people assisting at the Cloud Cafe, but they try to do what they can. 2nd Tour: Self-Guided Tour You start off by watching this introduction show in their mini theater about innovations that have changed the world and made the world a better place. It's pretty awe-inspiring how much technology plays a vital role in our everyday lives! After the show, you are directed to the beginning of the self-guided tour, where you learn about how the very first computer came to be, how big and complex they are to the very present time of our times. You learn about IBM, Apple, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak. hacking, coding, patents released, and much much more. You also learn about the first video game consoles, and see an array of consoles that have been used over generations. It's so amazing to see how much things have innovated, from super large consoles to a more compact-size console. You think there were only computer related stuff here? Not! They also have a Google Self-driving car parked to check out! You can sit in it and check out the specs! They even have the Google Maps bike, which were what Googlers would use when certain locations weren't easily accessible by automobile. There was an overwhelming amount of information to grasp and go goo-goo-ga-ga about. Museum Store: YES YES YES, they even have a freaking store! ...with lots of cool, geeky stuff to play around with from circuit board and coding games, to techie tees, to stuffed animals, circuit board business card holders, techie stickers for your laptop and much much more! They have goodies from Facebook to novels and how-to's about coding and computer engineering. Don't leave this museum until you have dropped by their store! In conclusion: I highly recommend this museum to any of my friends (regardless if they're in tech or not). With the amount of technology that's used in our daily lives, you cannot avoid it and I think it's important to at least look back into history as to how it all got started! read more

See all

A beautiful museum with so much to see and discover! You'd spend hours and hours looking at different variations of technology. There is also a cafeteria with inside and outside seating areas - a nice place to have a break and sit after a long walk at the museum. Very much recommended and a must see place if you are in the area! read more

Having visited the museum a few years ago before they renovated, it's pretty amazing how much it's transformed (for the better)! The exhibits are super informative, and cover literally centuries of everything from the abacus, to calculators, to video games, the web, programming languages, supercomputers, and more. If you're interested in technology in any capacity, you'll learn some neat stuff here. And the museum's been upgraded to include at least a couple hours worth of video material in total sprinkled across different stations, along with some interactive displays thrown in throughout. One tip - if you don't have much time to spend there, plan ahead by picking out the areas that most interest you and head there first. Otherwise it's easy to lose track of time - we went there intending to kill about 90 minutes and ended up staying over an hour longer. And we only left because they were closing for the day! read more

See all

I can't remember the last time I went to a museum so when my boyfriend spontaneously suggested it, we ended up here, at the Computer History Museum! Can't miss this place! Smack dab on your right side after you get off the freeway. Plenty of parking. Immediately upon walking in my boyfriend and I were greeted. $15 for a regular one day ticket and $12 for students (with ID). We got these adorable green pins that gave us all day access. The gentlemen at the front desk was VERY helpful. He explained the entire museum layout to us and went over the exhibits they have and what time they were happening. We got there just in time for the IBM 1401 exhibit in which we were taken back to 1960 and introduced to "new cutting edge" technology. I felt the lecture ran a bit too long (over half an hour), but it was very educational and the two gentlemen presenting were very charismatic. After that we wandered around into the actual museum exhibits; there was 20 of them, starting from 1: Calculators to 20: What's next? There was SO much to look at and it had everything, from videos to pictures, to gadgets, etc. My boyfriend really enjoyed himself (he works in the industry). I was very fascinated with the keyboards throughout the years. Overall it was very educational and I'm glad I got to visit this place one. We stopped and browsed the gift shop before leaving. They had the cutest little things! My favorite was hand-turn-music-box. They also had a cafe right in the middle of the museum. There's a sign outside that says the cafe is open to the public. It seemed like a nice, quiet place to have lunch one of these days. read more

See all

Awesome museum - a must for any technophile. It was easy to find and has a fair amount of parking. The building is a large 2 story structure but all the exhibits are on the first floor. We got a discount buying tickets online so I would suggest going online to see if you can get do the same thing. You check in at the front counter where they give you a collar tab to wear and a map. They offer tours at certain times of the day. We took the one at noon. It was fascinating. The displays are very well done and the tour guide was extremely knowledgeable. Once we finished the tour we wandered the rest of the museum. There is a group of interactive displays that teach programming and other rooms that we didn't even get to. I plan to visit here again. Great museum. read more

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

See all

I brought an East Coast friend here and she was in NERD HEAVEN! Of course, I liked it too. Really cool layout takes you through the time line of computing. Many old computation engines on display through newer tech like core memory, an original Cray Supercomputer a Pixar II, videos games and more. Don't skip the gift shop. It's full of nerd toys and even has infant nerd swag for the new geek in the house. read more

I absolutely love this place! I've been many times and it never gets old. Whenever visitors come into town, I try to bring them here. Just the sheer volume of incredible devices, from punch cards to giant mainframe and guided missile guts to robots from the 80s, it's just nerd-heaven. They have about 20 sections with different generations of computing, from abacuses to punch cards to room-sized computers to video games. It is curated so well, you can really see the evolution of each type of machine. And it's distilled down to the best examples in each section, so you can get through in a reasonable time while being continuously excited at each phase. Highly, highly recommend! read more

The Babbage machine was pretty damn amazing. The Computer Museum holds one, of only two, machines in the world. It's pure effin' genuis that Charles Babbage, constructed this in his mind. Truly Brilliant. It was a trip down memory lane, in the "artifacts" section. I still have the Atari system, Commodore, PS1, and O.G. Nintendo System, included in the Visual Display. Some of the items I saw, I would still buy, if they were still on the market. For example, the "Kitchen Computer". It can print recipes, and also be used as a chopping board, all in one sleek package. Domestic Bliss. Old pictures of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak making the first Apple One are geek-tastic. Comparing the differences between the first disk drives and ethernet cords to the present models is dork-a-larious. All in all, the Computer History Museum can be enjoyed by everyone, from nerds to jocks and, dare I say, even cheerleaders. :) read more

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

I'm not a huge museum fan, especially when you combine that with the subject of computer history, but this museum pleasantly surprised me! Let me get this out of the way... THIS PLACE IS SO FREAKING COOL. My boyfriend wanted to see the IBM 1401 demonstration, so we motorcycled down from San Francisco and found plenty of parking in the huge lot right outside the museum. The staff member at the front desk was extremely friendly as she gave us all the information and maps for the exhibits and tours happening that day. General admission is $15 per person. There are student discounts available. We made it just in time to hear the 30 minute talk about the history of the IBM 1401. There was a group of 7-year-old kids attending the talk for a birthday party, and they got to interact with some of the machines which I'm sure they loved. It was exciting for everyone! Once my boyfriend had finished satisfying his curiosity at this exhibit, we took a tour of the main exhibit floor. The docent covered highlights of the exhibit but took way too long, so I ended up wandering around on my own. It was really cool to walk through the 20 sections and see the evolution of computers. Very well-done exhibit. Lastly, we heard the talk about the Babbage Difference Engine, which was quite fascinating. Hearing the cool story behind the engine put its existence into perspective. In the end, we ended up spending around three hours exploring the exhibits and hearing the various talks, as well as buying souvenirs from the gift shop. Well-worth our time and admission fee. You don't have to be in the industry to enjoy this place! read more

Perhaps the best museum to visit in the Bay Area. Learn the history of the computer industry which made Silicon Valley. The exhibitions of the museum are well organized and include many of the original devices and machines. Highly recommend the guided tour offered by one of the veterans of the industry and hear their first hand experience. read more

See all

Walking into here is like walking into a candy shop...well aside from the fact you can't really touch anything. They have some of the rarest computing equipment ever. A PDP-1, punchcard readers, an Enigma cypher (yes, the ones used in WWII), an Atari 2600 prototype, the Palm Pilot prototype, Google's first production server, and so much more. If you are even the slightest bit interested in the history of where computing has come from this is just an amazing collection. And if you get tired of walking around, have a seat on a Cray-1 computer. Yes, a real Cray. The building itself is the old SGI building, and in a sense that is a piece of computing history itself. Plenty of parking out front and on the side. It is definitely worth seeing, especially if they happen to fire up the PDP-1 to play a game of Spacewar, arguably the first video game ever. Times visited: 1 read more

See all

This is a great resource for the public to use! Every kid in the area should go since admission is free for anyone younger than twelve years of age. The tours are free too, and they happen twice a day at noon and 2pm! The docent who guided me through the museum was Erik. I liked him a lot because he was extremely patient with some of the more rambunctious kids who wouldn't keep quiet, and he explained computers in a way that everyone was able to understand. He claimed to be a little cynical, but I thought he had a logical way of explaining things which was perfect for the type of place we were at. I mean come on...It's the Computer History Museum, not Chuck E. Cheese's. I really enjoyed the more hands-on displays where I was able to use an abacus and play Pac-Man, but wish I was allowed to touch more things. (There are buttons EVERYWHERE and the temptation was just too strong!) That said, you really should plan a day out in Mountain View and visit this place if you can. Other fun activities across the street include a laser tag arena, movie theater, and kite-flying park. read more

Computer History Museum - "SWAG" circa 1950. - Museums Near Me - Mountain View, California

After seeing this place....i thought.....man, we have come a long way. Almost immediately...i remember pong games by atari. My first computer was a Macintosh Plus and i fell in love with the word processing...my dad bought it for me...my first experience with internet stuff was with Prodigy. read more

This lovely spot was a great place to wander and see my technological childhood on display. Two giant thumbs up to the playable pong game as well. My cousin and I loved reminiscing about when we had what and when and what happened to it. Aka my brothers and I had a printed book out of which we laboriously copied code into an Atari console that had to be perfect or it didn't make the two seconds of space ship fly on the tube tv we connected it to. (Yeah feelin a bit old now.). Anyhow I geeked out in the Warcraft exhibit, took photos in the waymo bumper car, and wondered why a comadore64 hadn't made it to the early PC wall. And if I can ever find a 20 disk stack from Sierra games I'll donate it. read more

I'm not a museum person but this was pretty interesting. Of course, it helps when you are someone fascinated by computers and technological history. I spent a few hours here but really, there's so much information and history, that it's possible to spend a day on just certain devices and what goes behind making that machine functional and how it contributed in shaping computers as we know today. Really fascinating stuff. read more

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

See all

I attended my company's winter holiday party here. They have nice ballrooms upstairs, but that's boring/not the reason most people come here. The museum itself is sadly just... okay. I love technology and learning about history, but for a museum about computer history it was kind of boring! This museum is about the technology that shapes the modern world! I would have loved to see some more interactive exhibits and learning opportunities! Take a walk through if you are in the area. Otherwise there are too many other things to do in the Bay Area for you to make a special trip here! read more

If you like history you will enjoy this place. It will take a few hours to go through at a leisurely pace. Good for adults and older kids but not so much for the younger ones. The highlight was playing with the Atari Pong game. Also some sections have video clips to view. We came here during the Bank if America museum days. I hear there are also Groupon deals for this place as well. There is a small cafe and gift shop. read more

Computer History Museum - Google self driving car! - Museums Near Me - Mountain View, California

I seldom love museums enough to say the following: I had a nerdgasm. Hell, I had multiples. I loved it so much I wanted a cigarette afterward...and I don't even smoke. But that's what you do after you've gotten your geek on and your mind blown by all the wonderful old (and new) technology that's here. Hundreds of devices--thousands perhaps--all lovingly arranged and coordinated in a timeline approach. It's like a Smithsonian of old clunkers that've seen better days. They still inspire a sense of wonder, even as I realize my laptop's processor is capable of more Gigaflops than 90% of the computers displayed. Sure, there could be more educational material for kids on what makes up computers...what is a transistor...what is parallel processing...is there a difference between SDSL and DSL? For those answers, little Johnny, go to the Tech Museum. This isn't really a museum for 10 year-olds. It is, however, a museum for all those who love devices and seeing just how far computing has progressed. read more

Very cool museum. Definitely a hot spot for NERDS and GEEKS! =P I'm one of them I have to admit... $12 admission, there's a discounted pricing if you get there a few hours before pricing. This wasn't listed anywhere. Anyways, it's not worth saving a couple extra bucks. You can easily spend your whole day here. They have super cool tours. Try to do as many as possible. I love the Windows and CD exhibit. It was going down memory lane with PCs in the 90s. Kids have it SOOO nice nowadays. read more

Loved stopping by this museum. Really well done and lots of things to see at it. It's a good 2 hour place -- there isn't really movies or extras, but the items they have tell a compelling story of computer history. Good artifacts done well. If you're in the area, it's definitely worth a visit. read more