How to do geek Tourism in Silicon Valley
Geek tourism in Silicon Valley is one of the must-see attractions when visiting California.
Geek tourism in Silicon Valley is one of the must-see attractions when visiting California. It is that the curiosity to know the history of one of the cradles of technology as we know it today makes wanting to know this place one of the unmissable stops on trips.
This area, also known as Silicon Valley, is currently a large technology park where hundreds of companies are located, including some of the most popular in the world such as Apple, Google, Yahoo! or eBay.
Geek tourism in Silicon Valley: how to do it
The city of San Francisco sits at the tip of a peninsula that almost encloses the San Francisco Bay Area. All the land surrounding the bay is called the “Bay Area” and the southeast of the peninsula (from San Mateo to San José and Los Gatos) is known as “Silicon Valley”.
The "Silicon Valley" is made up of a multitude of small cities that are conurbated, that is, the passage from one city to another is not noticeable. In practical terms it is as if the entire "Silicon Valley" were a single city.
Visit the Garage where everything was born
This garage, considered the cradle of Silicon Valley, was one of the first companies to develop semiconductors in this area.
During the '70s, a journalist gave the area its name with a series of articles about companies related to the development of semiconductors, among which silicon is one of the most used. That is why this old garage of the Hewlett-Packard company has become one of the most emblematic places in the area and an essential stopping point for geeky tourists.
Wander through the Google complex
This is the Google headquarters in Mountain View. Entry is only allowed to workers, friends and relatives of these. If you don't know anyone who can show you the fantastic Google offices and facilities, take you for a ride on the mythical colored bikes, or go with you to the souvenir shop, you can always take a walk around.
Getting to know Stanford University
It was inaugurated in the year 1890 and within the collegiate walls of the university those who would later found companies such as Google, HP, Yahoo! Or Cisco. And, although it is not a place focused on tourism, it does have a Visitor Center.
Unlike some places in this area, there is the possibility of getting to know the enclosure both inside and outside by hiring guided tours.
Tour the Computer Museum
This is the Historical Museum of Computers and it was inaugurated in 1996. Inside are exhibits that show the history of the computer from its beginnings to the present day, which makes it one of the essentials for geek tourism in Silicon Valley.
Here you can see the first cell phones and computers that were developed, as well as the first video games. There is also a section dedicated to silicon, since Silicon Valley was a pioneer in manufacturing chips from this material that was so abundant in the area.
Buy in the "house" of Apple
It is located at 1 Infinite Loop Street. The campus is made up of several modern buildings, and like other companies, Apple does not provide office tours. The only place open to the public is the company store, the only store in the world authorized to sell official Apple products such as t-shirts and items such as the company logo.
