Computer History Museum

The Computer History Museum was founded in 1999 and is dedicated to the preservation of computing history. The museum houses nearly 90,000 computer related artifacts and several hundred gigabytes of film, photographs and software. It is located at 1401 North Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View.

There are currently three exhibits showcasing significant computing milestones: "Innovations in the Valley," a review of the Silicon Valley companies and people, "Mastering the Game," a history of computer chess, and Charles Babbage's Difference Engine, which was created in the 1840s.

The Computer History Museum is in the middle of constructing a new exhibit, "Revolution: The First 2000 Years of Computing" which is scheduled to open to the public in January 2011. The exhibit will include over 1,000 artifacts, including rare computers, games and hands-on displays.

The museum offers a self-guided tour and admission is free, though donations and memberships are welcomed. It is currently only open on weekends due to construction through the end of 2010.

In the center of Silicon Valley, the museum is a 20 minute drive from San Jose, a 40 minute drive from San Francisco and a 25 minute drive from East Bay. For those wishing to use public transportation, the museum is two miles away from the Mountain View Caltrain.