The Tech Museum

SAN JOSE, California – When in Silicon Valley, the hub of the global high-tech industry, it’s impossible not to experience a much closer encounter with technology even when just visiting a museum.

Information technology being the central attraction this part of California rightfully gets its own museum that shows the world what made Silicon Valley the most inventive place on Earth. Called The Tech Museum, this new three-level dome is a perfect tribute to the high-tech industry that put Silicon Valley in the world map.

The first Tech Museum was constructed on a 20,000-square-foot test facility inside the old convention center on San Carlos street in San Jose. It was still there in the late ’90s when I first set foot on the valley, and I tried to revisit it recently not knowing it already transferred to its new 132,000-square-foot property. Like many only-in-Silicon-Valley things and attractions, The Tech Museum is a must-see, especially by those who appreciate technology and crave to see the latest high-tech gizmos and gadgets.

"Inspiring the Innovator in Everyone" is The Tech Museum’s slogan, which it faithfully adheres to through its people-and-technology integration type of offerings. The Tech Museum prepares one-of-a-kind exhibits so visitors can see how different technologies work and, obtrusively or not, become part of our daily lives.

The Tech Museum features four major theme galleries: a 295-seat IMAX theater; a coffeeshop that serves chips of the edible type; a TechStore of gadgets, toys and souvenirs; and an educational lab for science and technology. In addition, I find part of the hallway notable to mention with its collection of palm prints of key IT personalities like Andy Grove, captured in round silver plates. It’s The Tech Museum’s version of Hollywood’s Walk of Fame that features the hand or foot marks of celebrities on dried cement.

An estimated 650,000 visitors are expected to visit The Tech Museum every year, aside from those who can pay a virtual visit at http://www.thetech.org for real-time experiments and other activities only from this museum of technology in the heart of Silicon Valley. – Alma Buelva