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Intel Museum

We’re back! Thank you all for your patience the last few months. Let’s dive back into exploring our own backyard here in Silicon Valley!

close-up of an Intel Museum mural with 0 and 1 binary text all over

I’d describe the Intel Museum as a “small but mighty” museum that chronicles not just the Intel company but the evolution of Silicon Valley and the technology behind our growth. It’s approachable and interesting for techies and non-techies alike, all without feeling like the information is “dumbed down” at all. We thoroughly enjoyed it!

In a Nutshell

This museum is on the Intel campus in Santa Clara. It includes the museum itself, a cute little gift shop, and a spacious courtyard area outside. The giant Intel sign  out front is known as one of the key high-tech tourism stops in the Bay Area, so be sure to snap a selfie there!

Giant Intel logo sign outside the Intel Museum

Inside the museum, you’ll walk through sections showing the history of the company, the evolution of modern computing, the way silicon chips work, how they’re manufactured, and what may be coming next in the world of tech. You can even dress up as a “clean room” worker.

Photo opportunity to dress up as a clean room worker at the Intel Museum

The design of the museum is quite appealing. It’s a healthy blend of plaques to read, touchscreen stations, artifacts and memorabilia in display cases, movie clips, interactive elements, and thought-provoking questions. I’d say the target audience would be kids at least 9-10 years old through adults.

The museum is open to the public and also hosts school field trips. In a way, it’s like a mini version of the Computer History Museum — less detail but also much less time-consuming and still very enjoyable. I love the CHM, but if you don’t have all day, the Intel Museum is a very good alternative.

Intel Museum poster of a quote that says, "Today, there is no place on, above or below the earth that the microprocessor has not reached." by Michael S. Malone

They are usually open 9-6 on weekdays and 10-5 on Saturdays. They recommend calling ahead (1-408-765-5050) to make sure they’re not closed for a holiday or special event on the day you plan to come.

Location

The Intel Museum is located on the main Intel campus in Santa Clara. Their address is 2200 Mission College Blvd., close to 101 and Montague Expressway.

Google map of the Intel Museum area

Parking is free and fairly close to the museum, but takes a bit of guesswork to find. Here’s what you need to know:

  • From Mission College Blvd., turn into the Intel campus. If you came from Montague Expressway, it will be a left turn at the light that says “Burton” with an arrow to the right. There’s a little Intel sign at the driveway, but it almost doesn’t look big enough to be the main entrance. It actually is. Turn there.

Entrance to the Intel campus and Intel Museum parking lot

  • As you enter the parking lot, follow the “visitor parking” signs, some of which are rather small. You’ll hug the right three times, go past the ticket booth (which was empty for the weekend) and enter the parking lot.
  • From the disabled parking spots, you’ll see the blue and white crosswalk and a wheelchair sign directing you to the sidewalk and then to the left. Follow these signs even if you’re not using a wheelchair.

arrow showing the walkway toward the Intel Museum from the disabled parking spaces

  • Follow the sidewalk along the front of the building until it opens up to a courtyard. Look to your right and see the giant Intel logo sign. Go toward the sign.
  • The museum entrance is the double doors to the left of the sign.
    (Note: We went during Pride month, so I don’t know if these doors are always rainbow-colored or just in June.)

Intel Museum entrance doors with Pride rainbow decoration

If you prefer public transit, the VTA Route 60 bus drops off about half a block from the entrance. That bus does run on weekends.

Weather

As an indoor museum with good air conditioning, this would be an excellent stop any time of year. In the spring and summer, the flowers in the courtyard are blooming nicely, so that’s an added bonus if you’re a fellow shutterbug.

yellow flower outside Intel Museum in Santa Clara

Cost

Parking and admission are both free here. They don’t even ask for a donation at the door; they just smile and welcome you in. Nice!

If you want to take one, they offer a printed map of the museum layout to guide you through the different areas. (It’s a loop, so it’s not like you need the map to avoid getting lost. It’s just a guide.) The map is available in multiple languages on the rack between the welcome desk and the gift shop.

 

Length of Time

We spent about two hours here including the gift shop, although if you thoroughly read each display and spend more time on the interactive stations, you could easily spend half a day. It’s easy to enjoy at your own pace.

Intel Museum gift shop display of "Pride Inside" t-shirts and bracelets during the month of June

Wheelchair Access

This museum was delightfully wide open and easy to navigate. The displays were magically comfortable to read from both a seated/wheelchair height and an adult standing height. (I’m not quite sure how they managed that, but kudos, because very few museums pull that off!) The floor is mostly made of metal tiles that are smooth and quiet to roll over.

Intel Museum display about Moore's Law

The restroom included a wheelchair-accessible stall that was easy to use independently.

Vision & Hearing

As in many museums, most of the displays here are visual. They’re either text on a wall or touchscreen, or artifacts in acrylic display cases. A few of the stations could be interactive through touch or hearing alone, but for the most part, someone with limited vision would need a companion to read the plaques to them. We asked at the front desk and unfortunately there’s no braille guide or audio tour available yet. (Maybe some day…)

antique IBM computer in Intel Museum

Hearing loss is much less of an issue here. Nearly everything was text-based and easily enjoyed visually. The museum was remarkably quiet overall, even though there were other people there at the time, so there wasn’t even much background interference for someone with hearing aids to filter out.

Sensory Processing

I found this museum hit the “sweet spot” in terms of sensory levels. It was engaging enough to be interesting, but in no way overwhelming or overstimulating. It was invitingly light but not too bright. The displays were spread out enough not to feel overly busy. The few video stations were loud enough to hear while standing in front of them, but didn’t blast the surrounding area with distracting sound.

Intel Museum first section of displays

The only mild issue was that in the second half of the museum, there were times when a random flash would light up the area. It turns out it was from the the flashbulb at the “selfie station” near the end, where you can dress up as a clean room worker. It wasn’t a strobe or anything too obnoxious, but it was very noticeable and somewhat distracting in the moment. Once I figured out what it was, it was okay.

This museum is very close to the airport, so we did hear quite a few airplanes passing directly overhead while we were out in the parking lot. (You can’t hear them from indoors, don’t worry.) If you or your child are easily triggered by loud noises, do be prepared for the loud overhead airplanes while you’re outside here.

Food

Food and drinks are not allowed in this museum, but there are a lot of benches in the courtyard outside if you bring your own lunch. Otherwise, you’re pretty close to Specialty’s Cafe, Subway, Starbucks, and other nearby eateries.

Would we go back?

Yes! There’s plenty of detail I’m sure we missed the first time through, and we enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere. If your inner geek needs a pick-me-up or if your out-of-town visitor wants to see something free and unique to Silicon Valley, the Intel Museum is sure to make you smile!

Intel Museum wall with quote by Robert Noyce: "Don't be encumbered by history. Go off and do something wonderful."

Visited June 2019

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The Great Mall

We’ve always loved shopping, especially at big malls. I know not everyone agrees, and that’s okay, but for us, malls are a relaxing way to spend an afternoon. We don’t have to have a specific shopping list or destination in mind; it’s fun just strolling through, “window shopping” and “people watching” and sometimes finding unexpected treasures. When I need creative inspiration, I often find the fabrics, home decor items, jewelry, and other items at the mall to be a great source of new ideas.

Growing up in the Bay Area in the ’90s, I took it for granted that the question was only ever “Which mall?” and not whether or not to make the trek out to “the mall.” (When I got to college and met people from other parts of California, I realized how blessed we are here.) It’s true that online shopping has shifted the nature of most malls to include more restaurants, movie theaters, and interactive experiences than in the past, but anyone who tells you that malls are a “dying breed” has clearly not tried to park at one on a Saturday afternoon recently. Trust me, there are plenty of people still going to malls, and we will always be among them.

Silicon Valley is still home to many malls (although sightly fewer than twenty years ago, it’s true), most of which are listed on our Ideas page. We’ve sorted them by indoor/enclosed malls vs. outdoor/open-air centers so you can choose based on the weather or your personal preferences.  We’ve been to  almost every mall on that list, many multiple times. We have a few favorites but enjoy almost all of them for different reasons. Each has different stores, of course, but also different types of restaurants, different sensory levels, and different overall vibes.

Today we chose the Great Mall in Milpitas because we hadn’t been there in a while and because it had a couple stores we wanted to browse for specific items. As always, we enjoyed this mall’s variety and lively atmosphere.

entrance to the Great Mall in Milpitas

In a Nutshell

This is a relatively large mall laid out in a big oval shape.  It’s divided into what they call “neighborhoods,” which are just segments of the loop like slices of a pie. It’s a way to help you navigate and know where you are.

The mall has a combination of bigger anchor stores and smaller stores. Many are high-end outlets or big-name stores and some are unique local spots. It’s a Simon mall (meaning the parent company who runs it is Simon) so it has a wider variety of stores  than most Westfield malls do. The exact mix of stores changes on a regular basis, so check the mall’s website for a current list if there’s something specific you want to see.

store listing directory outside the Great Mall in Milpitas

In addition to stores, the mall has a Century movie theater, a Dave & Buster’s entertainment space, changing activities inside (such as jumpers, 3D simulator seats, or a small train for little kids to ride), and of course multiple restaurants and a food court.

inside the remodeled Great Mall in Milpitas

One of the things I enjoy most about this mall is its diversity. It really feels like a miniature version of the entire Bay Area inside. We see families and individuals of all ages and cultures there, but have never once felt a problem in it. (Having grown up in San Jose, then gone to college in a town that was over 80% white and 50% twenty-somethings, this diversity is one of the things I missed most about home and still consciously enjoy now that I’m back.) I love listening to the plethora of languages being spoken all in one place. Call me philosophical, but I find it beautiful to see such diverse people just enjoying their afternoon and sharing this space so peacefully. The world could take a lesson here.

Location

The Great Mall is in Milpitas, just pass the San Jose border, about halfway between I-880 and I-680, near Montague Expressway. See their website for driving directions if you don’t have GPS.

The mall’s address is 447 Great Mall Dr, Milpitas, CA 95035-8041.

map of the Great Mall area in Milpitas

The mall is surrounded by a large parking lot on all sides. There’s also a small parking garage on one side near the Bed Bath & Beyond (Neighborhood 5) entrance. For some reason, we’ve found the most disabled parking spaces to be available in this area, but of course there are blue slots all around the mall if you need them.

There’s also a big public transit hub at the edge of the parking lot. The Light Rail, ten VTA bus lines, and one AC Transit bus all meet here, so it’s possible to get to the mall via public transit from most of the Bay Area.

public transit station in the Great Mall parking lot in Milpitas

Weather

This is an indoor mall, so it’s great in any weather. In case it’s pouring cats-and-dogs in the winter, do be aware that the parking garage is close to the entrance but does not have a covered walkway, so you may have to walk (or roll) in the rain for a short stretch. In the summer, we have sometimes found it to get pretty crowded by mid/late afternoon on exceptionally hot days when many people (including us) come in search of air conditioning. Other than those two extremes, the weather really doesn’t factor in here. 

Length of Time

This is a medium-large mall, so you can choose whether to spend a couple hours or most of the day here. It depends on whether you’re just wandering and browsing in a few stores or whether you want to go in more stores, try on more clothes, eat in a sit-down restaurant, see a movie, etc.

Wheelchair Access

Unless it’s one of those exceptionally crowded afternoons, this mall is usually nicely wheelchair-friendly. They’ve recently completed a renovation that included new flooring, which makes for even less friction/drag on the wheelchair tires and therefore less draw on the battery. Some stores are laid out with wider or narrower aisles than others, of course, but that’s true everywhere. We’ve had no trouble navigating most of the stores here.

disabled parking outside the Great Mall in Milpitas

Note: a few big stores and most restaurants have restrooms inside, but the majority of the mall’s public restrooms are located down hallways between stores. They’re clearly marked on the map and with signs. There is at least one wheelchair-accessible stall in each one, but do keep in mind that some of the hallways are fairly long and sometimes you find a long line for the women’s room at the end. Don’t wait until it’s super urgent…

Vision & Hearing

Overall, the Great Mall is similar to other malls in terms of visual or auditory access. The background noise level is usually not super loud (i.e. it’s easy to follow a conversation while wearing hearing aids). One thing to note for someone with low vision: for some reason, this mall has never established a consistent traffic flow pattern. In most malls, I’ve seen that people tend to walk on the right, so most of the people around you are flowing the same direction you are. In this mall, people tend to walk both ways on both sides, so you do have to be a little more alert than usual to cross-traffic or to people walking toward you. If you have very limited vision, it may help to have a companion in this setting.

inside the Great Mall in Milpitas

Sensory Processing

I’d rate this mall as a “medium” on the sensory scale. It’s not as mellow as Hillsdale or Stoneridge, but it’s also not as in-your-face as some I’ve encountered. I don’t usually wear my earplugs here. There is some background music, mostly from the stores, but it’s not overwhelming. In this mall, you will find ample skylights, high ceilings, and mostly neutral-colored flooring and walls in the main walkways, especially since the renovation. (The flooring does have some print to it, but it’s a neutral tone-on-tone pattern, nothing like the bright geometric carpet patterns I see elsewhere.) The signs are color-coded by Neighborhood to help you orient yourself. The food smells are mostly contained to food areas and the strongly-scented stores don’t leak into the common spaces much at all. As long as it’s not too crowded, I usually find this mall to be busy/alive-feeling but quite nice.

Food

The Great Mall has a food court with an ever-changing assortment of choices, plus multiple sit-down restaurants. Some of these, such as Red Robin, are in the mall and some, such as Olive Garden, are freestanding buildings in the parking lot. Check out the “food” tab on their website for a current list of offerings.

food court in the Great Mall in Milpitas

On this trip, we were delighted to find that they now have Loving Hut in the food court! This is one of our favorite vegan restaurants. At this location, it’s a self-serve hot bar with lots of choices and you simply pay based on the weight at the end.

Loving Hut at the Great Mall in Milpitas

We also noticed a new Jamba Juice on this trip, which opens up even more vegan and allergy-friendly choices. Of course you can also always bring your own food to eat in the food court or on any bench/seating area around the mall.

Would we go back?

Of course! We’ve been here countless times before and will continue to visit in the future. We sometimes go for something specific (such as luggage, purses, Pyrex, shoes, fancy dresses, or other things for which they have an uncommonly large number of choices) and sometimes just for the fun of walking around the mall. Whether you’re doing some holiday shopping or just enjoying a day out, the Great Mall in Milpitas will make you smile!

parking lot and entrance to the Great Mall in Milpitas

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The Museum of American Heritage

sign outside Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto

The Museum of American Heritage is a delightful little gem near downtown Palo Alto. It’s a beautiful historic home that’s been converted to a museum inside and a peaceful garden outside. There’s also a classroom space out back where they host special events. The volunteer docents were cheerful, kind, and knowledgeable, but didn’t hover as we explored the museum at our own pace. It’s one of those places that’s been around for a while, but even as a local, we somehow never knew about it. Now that we do, we will definitely be back!

What do they have there?

The museum is dedicated to showcasing innovations that shaped America from approximately 1750 to 1950. It reminds me somewhat of History San Jose, but on a more intimate scale. Here, each room of the house has a different focus. The kitchen is like a time capsule of early 1900s American home life. (Did you know built-in kitchen cabinets are a recent invention?) Other rooms showcase classic woodworking tools, a home office/study with a very cool old typewriter, and an old general store that reminds me of The Waltons.  As a designer, it was especially cool to see the old packages on the shelves and notice which brands/logos have evolved and which have remained nearly unchanged for a half-century or more.

kitchen display in the Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto

While most of the museum is about looking, some parts are hands-on. Some of the woodworking tools are mounted on the wall so you can turn the cranks and see how they work. Next to the general store room is a room filled with Erector Sets and other building toys meant to be operated. There is also a kids’ hands-on play room near the study with a train table, children’s books, and a typewriter that’s meant to be used. Have your kids ever had a chance to see a manual typewriter?

mechanical toys at Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto

typewriter at Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto

Out back, there’s a print shop with several beautiful older printing presses which are demonstrated about once a week when the volunteer is there to run them. There’s also a garage with a beautifully restored Model T Ford from 1915!  The gardens outside have been restored to be historically accurate and include a 1942 “Victory Garden,” medicinal herbs, water-wise Mediterranean plants and gorgeous redwood trees. It would be worth going back in blooming season (rather than February) to see more of the gardens.

printing press garage at Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto

classic Ford at Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto

victory garden at Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto

In addition to the permanent exhibits, a large front room houses rotating exhibits about American innovation. When we went, it was a fascinating display of Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and George Westinghouse’s work on electricity and their mutual rivalry along the way. This exhibit is gone now, but you can check out their website for the next topic. There’s always something new coming!

 

light bulb historical display at Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto

Beyond the museum itself, there’s a classroom space out back that hosts special events for children and adults, both on weekends and for field trips during the week. When we were there, they were having a big Lego building fest. Examples of other offerings include crystal radio building classes, science enrichment workshops, and public lectures. (Note: While the museum is free, some of these events are not.) Check out their events page for upcoming special events, annual events, and past examples.

Ages

Overall, this museum is not targeted at young children. I’d say 4th graders through adults would get the most out of this trip.

Location

The Museum of American Heritage is in Palo Alto at 351 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94301, just a couple blocks over from the main downtown space on University Avenue. (Here’s the map.) It’s about 20-30 minutes north of San Jose.

Google map of area around Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto

It’s directly across the street from Heritage Park and the not-yet-open Palo Alto History Museum.

It’s mostly on-street parking unless you’re there for a special event, in which case there are some spaces available behind the house. The on-street parking is free (but of course watch out for permits or time restrictions, since this is a neighborhood) but has no disabled slots. It would have been impossible to use the wheelchair lift in the place we ended up parking on the street. If you need disabled parking, the museum’s website says to call ahead (1-650-321-1004) to arrange for a spot in the back lot.

If you’re nearby, it would be easy to walk or bike here. If you need public transit, it looks like about a 12-minute walk from the CalTrain station or very close to a Route 35 bus stop. Keep in mind that the museum is usually only open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11 to 4, so time your trip accordingly. 

Weather

The museum is indoors, so it would be fun any day. Of course if you’re looking at the gardens, it would help to pick a non-rainy day, probably in spring or early summer to see the most blooms. (I’m the furthest thing from a plant expert, so call the museum to ask what’s blooming if you’re specifically interested in the gardens.)

redwood trees at Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto

Cost

There’s no admission fee for the museum (as of 2018), but a $5 donation per visitor is appreciated. School field trips or group tours have a small fee ($3-5) per person. You can also join as a member, which provides a large part of the museum’s funding and gets you special access to their events and newsletter.

Length of Time

Visiting the museum will take you about 1-3 hours, depending on how much detail you read in each exhibit and how long you want to spend in the gardens.

Wheelchair Access

The museum is entirely wheelchair accessible! This was a major surprise for a century-old home. I give big kudos to the museum operators for making this happen so naturally. There are clear signs about where to enter. (The wheelchair entrance is through the kitchen door from the side porch, which has a ramp, rather than from the front door, which has big stairs.) Inside the house, the whole museum is on the main floor and all the displays are wide enough for a wheelchair to navigate without issue. The print shop, garage, classroom, and gardens are also accessible. How delightful!

Vision & Hearing

Not surprisingly for a historical museum, many things are don’t-look-touch and some are protected under plexiglass. Even the hands-on parts are mostly about turning a crank or lever or switch and seeing what happens. For this reason, I think this museum experience would be rather limited for someone with a vision impairment. The lectures and workshops might be quite engaging, however.

For all the same reasons, it’s easy for someone with a hearing impairment to enjoy the museum. We found it to be pleasantly quiet (think of it as the exact opposite of something like The Tech) so there wasn’t even much background noise to filter out. I don’t know how this would work for the lectures or workshops; you’d have to contact the museum to find out.

Sensory Processing

This is a very calm museum, as you might expect from a century-old home. Its displays are visually interesting without being busy. It’s neat without being sterile. What stood out the most to me was actually the sensory simplicity of the displays. Whereas most museums these days seem to be trying to one-up each other on the flashy interactive big-screen displays, the information here is all done with nice little posters and plaques. Not only does this help with costs (since it’s a donation-based, volunteer-run museum), but I actually found it much easier to read the information that way. I really enjoyed getting to read the information at my own pace without bright flickering screens distracting at every turn!

display wall at Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto showing Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, and George Westinghouse's work on electricity

Food

There is no gift shop or snack shack here, and no food or drink allowed inside the galleries (true of most museums), so plan to have lunch beforehand. The park across the street would be a great picnic spot in nice weather, or there are several restaurants nearby.

Would we go back?

You bet! We chose to visit this time because it was the last weekend of the Thomas Edison display, but we look forward to going back for future exhibits and maybe some of the special events. It will also be interesting to see the gardens at a different time of year. If you have a couple hours to spend on something interesting, the Museum of American Heritage will make you smile!

garden door at Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto