Computer History Museum Museum

Address: 1401 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA

Website: https://www.computerhistory.org

Hours: Tue-Sun 10am-5pm (check site for seasonal changes)

Admission: Adult admission (general admission) - see website for current pricing

The Computer History Museum is a museum in Mountain View, California, dedicated to the history of computing and information technology. The institution preserves artifacts, documents, and stories about the development of computing from early mechanical aids to modern digital systems.

Exhibits include a long-term presentation that surveys computing history and rotating or temporary galleries that highlight specific technologies, companies, or themes. The museum also runs public programs, talks, and education workshops for school groups and adults.

The organization grew from earlier computer-history collecting efforts and has developed a large artifact collection and digital archives used by researchers and the public. Its mission is to document technological, social, and business aspects of computing history.

The museum is located in Mountain View in Silicon Valley, near technology companies and research institutions, and is accessible by car and public transit from surrounding Bay Area communities.

• Location: Located in Mountain View in Silicon Valley, the museum documents computing history with a large artifact collection and public exhibitions.
• Collections and programs: Offers a mix of hands-on exhibits, historic machines, and rotating programs aimed at both general audiences and specialist researchers.

What to See#

• Revolution gallery: The ‘Revolution’ permanent exhibition that traces the development of computing from early mechanical devices to modern digital systems through artifacts and displays.
• Education and temporary exhibits: Temporary exhibition galleries, an education center, and public programming space used for talks, workshops, and special exhibits.

The Computer History Museum is in Mountain View, California on Shoreline Boulevard. From Caltrain, get off at Mountain View station and either walk (~20-25 minutes, about 1.5-2 km) or take a local VTA bus that serves Shoreline Boulevard (check current VTA route information for the best stop). By car it’s a short drive from nearby Silicon Valley cities (about 15-25 minutes from central San Jose, and roughly 30-45 minutes from San Francisco depending on traffic) with onsite parking nearby.

• Go on a weekday morning soon after opening to experience the core galleries with fewer visitors and to catch curator talks or docent-led tours before lunch crowds arrive.
• Check the museum's events calendar on arrival and time your visit around scheduled working-machine demonstrations and special-exhibit entry slots-these often have limited seating and fixed start times.
• Don't miss the permanent revolution gallery and any scheduled demos of vintage equipment; ask at the front desk which machines will be demonstrated that day so you can plan your route.