Step back in time with the sounds of the IBM 1401. This is what computing sounded like before screens, apps, and notifications. Every click, whirr, and punch card is part of a system that helped shape the digital world we live in today.
#ComputingHistory #TechHistory #IBM

It’s often said that the computers we carry in our pockets today were once the size of entire rooms. They’re talking about this beast.

#ComputerHistory #IBM #TechHistory

A visit to CHM is shaped not just by what’s on display, but by those who help interpret it. We’re proud to celebrate the volunteers who make each experience more engaging, insightful, and memorable.

Learn more about becoming a volunteer: bit.ly/4vNxlRV

The Boardroom Showdown: The Story Behind Steve Jobs’ Demotion at Apple

Image credits: San Francisco Chronicle/ Hearst Newspapers, Bettmann, MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images, Marilyn K. Yee

#Appleat50 #Apple #JohnSculley #AppleHistory #AppleCEO

The Apple III holds an infamous place in computing history. Thanks to an unfortunate design decision combined with the wrong choice of metals, components would begin to overheat, oxidize and fail.

#Appleat50 #Apple #SteveJobs

This week, CHM was featured on KTVU Fox 2 San Francisco, highlighting Apple’s 50-year legacy in Silicon Valley through the personal stories of those who grew up with its products.

Visit our latest exhibit, now open through September 7.

#KTVU #BayArea #ComputerHistory #Apple

Today, we celebrate 50 years of Apple. In the early days, there was no funding and no safety net, just two founders in a garage with a shared belief in what technology could become.
#Appleat50 #Apple

This weekend, CHM hosted TechFest: Happy Birthday, Apple! What’s your favorite decade of Apple?

#Appleat50 #TechFest #ComputingHistory

Mike Markkula (Apple’s first major investor and longtime board Chairman) casually mentions: the IBM PC business plan was written on an Apple II.
Tech history is full of these fun plot twists.
#Appleat50 #Apple

Here’s a sneak peek of our new Apple@50 exhibit 👀 But don’t just peek, come experience Apple’s rare prototypes in person!

On display until September 7, 2026.

#Appleat50 #Apple #TechHistory

Happy Pi Day! This year, we’re highlighting the milestones and innovations that shaped the field of computing.

#PiDay #TechHistory #ComputingHistory

We’re excited to announce a new exhibit to celebrate Apple’s 50th anniversary!  
 
Visit us for a chance to see rare prototypes of some of the most iconic Apple products from the CHM collection.

On display until September 7, 2026.  
 
#Appleat50 #AppleHistory #TechHistory

Fifty-one years ago this week, Steve Wozniak attended the first meeting of the Homebrew Computer Club on March 5, 1975.
#Appleat50 #Homebrew #SteveWozniak

Recognize any faces? 👀 We just released a new video on our YouTube channel where early Apple employees take a walking tour of historic Apple buildings in Cupertino—from its first office to the homes of the Lisa and Macintosh teams.

Watch here: youtu.be/sbCVETsmtoM?si…

In a 1997 talk, Apple’s Chris Espinosa reads from early Apple II human interface guidelines on how they tested software.
#Appleat50 #AppleHistory #Tech

The Olympics are over, medals have been won, athletes returned home, but we’re still reminiscing about Apple’s legendary ‘1984’ commercial.

#WinterOlympics #2026Olympics #Apple1984 #Appleat50

Believe it or not, this oversized Macintosh Plus is operable. Functional? Not exactly. Join us for a special tour with Exhibit Developer Kiera Peacock as she tests MacWrite and proves that when the mouse is oversized, creativity gets… abstract.
#Appleat50 #Apple #Macintosh

We recently acquired an astonishingly large Macintosh Plus computer. Naturally, our first order of business was ASMR with the “Big Mac” keyboard.

#Appleat50

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow... send this to your special someone 💌💞
#ValentinesDay #memes #ValentinesCards

Notice: CHM will be open on President's Day, Monday, February 16, 2026.

Computer History Museum Presents: The Robot Puppy Bowl 🤖🐾🏈

#SBLX #SantaClara #SuperBowl #BayArea

On this day, 42 years ago, Steve Jobs unveiled the Macintosh at Apple's annual shareholders meeting in Cupertino, California.

Image credits: Images 1–2: Gift of FIC, Image 3: Gift of LeRoy Smith, Image 4: Gift of Henri Socha

On this day, 43 years ago, Apple introduced Lisa, the first consumer PC to feature a GUI and a mouse.

Access the Apple Lisa Source Code: bit.ly/4aYlE2R

Notice: CHM will be open on Monday, January 19, 2026.

On this day in 2007, Apple released the original iPhone, forever changing how people communicate, work, and use technology.

Read more: bit.ly/3Nj0MJJ

New year, timeless stories of innovation. Come explore the Computer History Museum.

#ComputerHistoryMuseum #TechHistory #SiliconValley

Earlier this week, CHM was featured in the Sunday Night Football Sights, bringing a glimpse of our exhibit galleries and Silicon Valley’s innovation story to a national audience.

#SNF #NFL #SiliconValley #ComputerHistoryMuseum

NOTICE: CHM will be closed on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, and Thursday, December 25, 2025.

50 years ago today, the first Byte Shop opened its doors in Mountain View. This weekend, CHM went back to relive history.

Tomorrow is one of our favorite days at CHM, Giving Tuesday 🌟 We hope you’ll support our work to help visitors understand the computing past, explore the impact of technology on our present, and imagine future possibilities. 🏛️ bit.ly/3Xpc4hw
#GivingTuesday

Celebrate the holidays PDP-1 style at the Computer History Museum 🎶
Join our PDP-1 demo volunteers for a festive sing-along and a special look at one of the most iconic early computers.

📅 Saturday, December 20
🕑 2:00pm – Holiday Singalong
🕒 3:00pm – PDP-1 Demo

Take a trip down memory lane and battle it out with friends and family on arcade classics like Pac-Man, Mortal Kombat, Class of ’81, The Fast & The Furious, and NBA Jam 👾

📅 Open Nov. 19, 2025 – Feb. 16, 2026
📍 CHM’s Orientation Theater

We all know one… or two if you’re in Silicon Valley📍Tag someone who needs a last-minute costume 📲

#HalloweenCostumes #Apple #TechCostumes

CHM will be open on Labor Day, Mon. September 1, 2025.

Recently, CHM hosted the Vintage Computer Festival—a weekend full of nostalgia, tech, and passionate communities. Thanks to everyone who came out!
📺 Catch the CHM feature on NBC Bay Area: bit.ly/454pKDe

Tomorrow is the last day for the Vintage Computer Festival at CHM💻 Secure your tickets now: connect.computerhistory.org/events/1ffceb9…

It's not too late to secure your tickets now 🔗 hubs.li/Q03zThk60

📍Location: 1401 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, CA 94043

Like what you see? 👀 Visit the Computer History Museum this Friday and Saturday for the annual two-day Vintage Computer Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Location: 1401 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, CA 94043

🎟️ Secure your tickets now: connect.computerhistory.org/events/1ffceb9…

Bill Atkinson, known for designing the original MacPaint and helping pioneer the graphical user interface (GUI), shares his personal binder of Polaroid photos taken during the development of Apple’s Lisa computer.

“AI Decodes Ancient History: The Herculaneum Scrolls” is starting now. Watch live via the Computer History Museum’s YouTube Channel: bit.ly/3ZUnLOD

We are saddened by the passing of Bill Atkinson, a software developer whose work helped shape the PC revolution. Atkinson’s legacy will live on in the tools, interfaces, & ideas that made computers more human-centered. Learn more: bit.ly/43PGz2S

CHM will be closed on Memorial Day, Mon. May 26, 2025.

On Tuesday, June 10, we invite you to explore AI Decodes Ancient History: The Herculaneum Scrolls, a special event showing how modern tech can decode ancient Greek scrolls supposedly made unreadable by the volcanic eruption that destroyed Pompei.

🔗 bit.ly/4dm07QI

CHM will be open this Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025.

Come check out our newest exhibit, Chatbots Decoded: Exploring AI and visit Revolution: The First 2000 Years of Computing to experience fascinating artifacts and people in a timeline of computing history.

We hear your questions about the Great Chatbot Debate livestream and we’re happy to share that it's now live on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/watch?v=YtIQVa…

Your voice makes a difference.

Your feedback is valuable to us! We love hearing about your experiences and what makes the museum special to you. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and being a part of our community.

For the very first time, we are now manufacturing this invisible thing called intelligence." – Jensen Huang, 2024 Fellow Awards Ceremony
Watch the full video here: youtube.com/watch?v=JHk_lv…

Who says artifacts can’t be romantic? Happy Valentine’s Day!

#ValentinesCards #ComputerHistoryMuseum #memes

It’s time! Join us today for an unforgettable event at the Computer History Museum with Bill Gates. He’ll discuss his new memoir, Source Code— the human, personal story of how Bill Gates became who he is today. Watch the event via our free livestream. bit.ly/3CpeZ2Z

Introducing Decoding Tech, our new podcast 🎧 Explore the past, present & future of tech with leading experts & pioneers. Now, CHM Live’s best talks are available in audio-only format.  Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & more! #CHM #TechPodcast #DecodingTech

NOTICE: Our facilities upgrade is complete, and the Museum is open again! Come on in to see our new Chatbots Decoded: Exploring AI exhibit and visit all your favorite artifacts at CHM.

NOTICE: CHM will be closed for a facilities upgrade from Jan. 6 to 28, 2025. We look forward to seeing you again in a few weeks!

Interested in how large language models work? We are honored to have our new exhibit, Chatbots Decoded, featured in this video by @3blue1brown, a renowned channel known for its ability to bring complex mathematical concepts to life through animation.
youtube.com/watch?app=desk…

Celebrate #GivingTuesday with us! Today your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $50k. We hope you’ll help us continue our work to decode technology for everyone and inspire a better future 🌟 hubs.li/Q02Ynhtk0

Tomorrow is one of our favorite days at CHM, Giving Tuesday 🌟 We hope you’ll support our work to help visitors understand the computing past, explore the impact of technology on our present, and imagine future possibilities. 🏛️ hubs.li/Q02YnhMR0

See something you like? 👀 Tamagotchi, Ameca, Furby, Golem ... we’ve covered all our bases.

Need weekend plans? Come visit the Computer History Museum and explore our new Chatbots Decoded exhibit!
Included with general admission, plus a chance to chat one-on-one with Ameca 🤖
Tickets: connect.computerhistory.org/events/6346af7…
#Chatbot #ExploringAI #ComputerHistoryMuseum

When was your first experience with a chatbot? 💭 Kirsten Tashev, CHM exhibit design director, takes us down memory lane to see how we went from the playful chatbot toys we grew up with to today’s advanced AI like Ameca 🤖⚙️

Did you catch us on @nbcbayarea last night? We're thrilled to have our new exhibit, Chatbots Decoded, in the news🌟 Don’t miss out — Tickets are on sale now!
#Chatbot #ExploringAI #ComputerHistoryMuseum #Ameca #NBCBayArea #BayAreaMuseums

NOW OPEN! Our new exhibit, Chatbots Decoded: Exploring AI, is finally here 🤖 Meet Ameca, the chatbot-powered robot, walk through 60 years of chatbot history, and gain insights from top experts.
🎟️ Secure your tickets now: connect.computerhistory.org/events/6346af7…

Meet Ameca — the future of AI.
#Chatbot #ExploringAI #ComputerHistoryMuseum

The future is calling. 11/20. 🤖
#Chatbot #ExploringAI #ComputerHistoryMuseum

We are saddened to share the passing of CHM Fellow Thomas Eugene Kurtz, co-creator of the BASIC programming language and Dartmouth Timesharing System. Read more about his remarkable life and contributions on our blog: hubs.li/Q02Yh8Xq0

We are saddened by the passing of Lillian Schwartz, CHM Fellow and digital art pioneer. From childhood sketches to groundbreaking computer-generated works, her visionary art at Bell Labs transformed the world of digital imagery. To read more, visit: bit.ly/4032FPc

Last week, we had the honor of hosting Stanford Professor Fei-Fei Li. Watch the livestream here: youtube.com/watch?v=JgQ1FJ…
#CHM #CHMLive #FeiFeiLi #AI

45 years ago today, in 1979, the Computer History Museum began its journey as the Digital Computer Museum in Marlborough, MA. As we look back, we’re grateful for how far we’ve come and the milestones that we’ve achieved as we continue our work decoding technology for everyone.

Looking for summer plans? ☀️ Join us for TechFest: Games edition on July 27, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 🗓️ It's a one-day event perfect for families, friends, and kids. Enjoy activities such as hands-on gaming consoles, live music of video game covers, and a pixel-art station.

Couldn’t be there in person?🔗Watch our Making News event at: youtube.com/watch?v=JD1E3b…

Speaking of Presidential elections... did you know that a UNIVAC computer projected the results of the 1952 election?🗳️ #UNIVAC #PresidentialElection #PresidentialDebate

Check out this clip from “Man & Computer” (1967) by IBM UK, providing a basic understanding of computer operations 🎥
From these early simulations to today's seamless interactions, it's incredible how far we've come in integrating computers into our daily lives.
#IBM #Computing

Long before online forums and communities like Reddit and Discord, and even before the World Wide Web, bulletin board systems (BBSs) reigned supreme.

In our recent CHM Live event, experts danah boyd and Kevin Driscoll discuss this prehistory of social media.

@zephoria

🔗 Watch last week’s The Chinese Computer event at: youtube.com/watch?v=wY1wb5…

We are saddened to share news of the passing of Lynn Conway, a trailblazing transgender woman & pioneer in integrated circuit design whose work revolutionized microchip creation. Lynn will be missed, but her legacy of education & advocacy will continue to inspire us all.

We’re excited to announce the 2024 CHM Fellows Award honorees: Atari's Allan Alcorn, Nolan Bushnell, Steven Mayer for pioneering video games & computing; Elizabeth "Jake" Feinler for shaping today’s internet; NVIDIA's Jensen Huang for visionary leadership in AI and more 🎉

Get ready for a blast from the past at our Retro Games celebration this summer 👾 Explore vintage consoles and games from Atari to PlayStation and more. Ready to press start? hubs.li/Q02yJt070

CHM is saddened to announce the passing of cofounder Gordon Bell on May 17, 2024. A pioneering engineer & computer scientist, Bell influenced computing from handhelds to supercomputers. He co-founded The Computer Museum, now the Computer History Museum and will be deeply missed.

We are saddened to share news of the passing of Robert Dennard, a pioneering engineer whose invention of Dynamic Random Access Memory revolutionized modern computing.
🔗 Explore his remarkable story at: hubs.li/Q02xQ5m-0

Ever wonder how Chinese characters can be typed on a QWERTY keyboard? Explore the history with Stanford professor Thomas Mullaney as he talks about his book, “The Chinese Computer.” Purchase your tickets for June 18 at: bit.ly/4bCNkra

CHM was honored by a visit from the esteemed president of Armenia, Vahagn Khachaturyan, over the weekend. #CHM

On May 30, former chief architect Pramod Varma will be sharing the story behind Aadhaar, a digital system used by 1.3 billion people and leading the world in digital payments. 🔗 Grab your tickets to the event at: bit.ly/4boCDZ6

Missed our “Dialed In: The Prehistory of Social Media” event? 📹 No worries! Check out the livestream link at: youtube.com/watch?v=xx9V_x…

Scrolling on social media or browsing the web exposes your personal data more than you think. Join host Alok Patel on May 16 for our NOVA Secrets in Your Data event. 🔗 Tickets: hubs.li/Q02vC72x0

Get your groove on this weekend at CHM’s TechFest 🕺🏻Dress up in your best ’80s attire, explore tech demos, and dance to the hits of the era—all included in your general admission ticket 🎟️ #computerhistorymuseum #CHMevents
hubs.li/Q02sV_5_0

Break out your neon leg warmers and scrunchies! It’s ’80s day at CHM 🎉 Don’t miss out on the nostalgia-filled activities, demos, and more at TechFest on April 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s all included with general admission:
hubs.li/Q02sBSRv0

Free next Thursday? Join us at 7 pm for our “Dialed In: The Prehistory of Social Media” event 🗓️ Discover insider stories with Kevin Driscoll and danah boyd. 🎟️ Secure your tickets at: bit.ly/3U0wgFC

Get ready to step back into the ’80s at CHM’s TechFest 🎉 Join us on April 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a day filled with tech-themed fun for the whole family 🎟️ Get your tickets at:
hubs.li/Q02sBNdy0

It’s time to mark your calendars 🗓️ Join us on April 25 at 7 pm to learn about the history of bulletin board systems 💾 Grab your tickets now at: bit.ly/3VBFhpL