Computer History Museum Family Tech Discovery Days & Coding Labs

About this adventure

Located in the tech heartland of Mountain View, the Computer History Museum (CHM) is the world's foremost institution dedicated to preserving the computing revolution and its profound impact on the human experience. With over 25,000 square feet of multimedia exhibits, the museum traces computing from ancient abacuses and punch-card looms to supercomputers, personal laptops, smartphones, and artificial intelligence. Kids are fascinated by the gigantic Cray supercomputers with funky vinyl benches, Apollo space mission guidance computers, and historic prototype Google server racks built with toy Lego blocks. In the interactive Revolution gallery and Make Software lab, young visitors can test their hand at writing simple lines of code, navigate a digital Photoshop workshop, and play classic arcade video games like Spacewar!, Pong, and Pac-Man on vintage consoles. Family Tech Discovery days feature guided hands-on robotics workshops, logic puzzles, and volunteer docent demonstrations of room-sized 1959 IBM mainframe computers running punch cards. Family Experience & Accessibility: • Stroller Accessibility: Exceptionally spacious, single-level main exhibition floor with wide carpeted aisles, automatic doors, and seamless elevator access to mezzanine areas; stroller parking available in the main lobby. • Nursing & Rest Spots: Comfortable lobby lounges with plush armchairs and café seating; large family restrooms with hygienic diaper-changing tables. • Age Suitability: Ideal for elementary school kids, tweens, and teens who love coding and video games, with interactive touchscreen stations suitable for younger siblings. • Sensory Tips: Exhibits feature vintage CRT computer monitors and gentle ambient electronic chimes; the spacious layout allows families to spread out comfortably without feeling crowded.