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From Apple Park to Googleplex: On a Silicon Valley tech tourism trail
Summary
From San Francisco to San Jose, some of California’s prime attractions and landmarks are its science and technology hubsPicture this—you’re standing by the sea atop a cliff, after having driven up a winding road adorned on either side by Edwardian-style homes. There’s a whiff of chill in the air that needs you to reach out for your jacket buttons, even as the sun shines bright. Sounds like a quaint European countryside? It’s not. You’re at the hub of the world’s biggest technology corporations, on the US west coast.
As technology takes over most of our lives and livelihood, some of California’s prime attractions have emerged to be its technology hubs. Dotted along a 100-kilometre stretch from the picturesque city of San Francisco all the way to the quieter, cleaner and arguably snazzier city of San Jose, this stretch makes for a great two-day experience where you can stop by to witness where all the world’s technologies—Instagram, YouTube and the iPhone—are made and functioned out of.
A disclaimer: you cannot book an office tour and walk into any of the main Big Tech campuses as a guest for security reasons. But there’s still a lot you can do at and around them.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Third Street
While the first destination on our list is not strictly a tech venue, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) is often home to fascinating displays of modern-day technologies. For instance, a visit before mid-August will take you to the ‘Art of Noise’ exhibition at MOMA—a showcase of how design has impacted the way we experience and perceive music. The exhibition is a visceral experience of how modern-day technology is creating all-pervasive experiences such as the metaverse, but also hurting classic hobbies and passions, such as the analogue era of music production and collection.
Also drop by: Uber’s global headquarters, a massive swathe of glass and steel, on Third Street, San Francisco.
Meta headquarters, Menlo Park
At Menlo Park, Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Platforms has established nothing short of a city sprawled across a claimed 1 million square feet of office space. The most impressive, however, is Meta’s latest building—which the company claims houses “the world’s largest open-plan office space." From the outside, an iconic visitor attraction of Silicon Valley is the erstwhile Facebook’s signature address billboard—a big ‘like’ button placed on a blue background that will remind you of the Facebook platform of yore.
Also drop by: A cluster of Amazon offices in the company’s signature colour. It is not the e-commerce firm’s largest, but is still interesting to see on a tech tour.
Also read: Vivo X Fold 3 Pro review: This modern-day foldable phone comes at a premium
Nasa Ames Research Center, Mountain View
Right down the San Francisco Expressway, you can see the Ames Research Center—one of the biggest research and top-secret work hubs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa). The Nasa facility is visible from the Expressway itself, if you do not wish to stop by. On most days, expect to see an ensemble of private and little-known aircraft that offer great joy for aviation geeks. While Ames does not have an elaborate visitor experience, do drop by at the Center’s gift shop for one of the best technology and science souvenir destinations around. The Center also houses a small number of Nasa exhibits that you can see.
Take a detour: If you have time, a 40-minute detour to Oakland, California will take you to Ames Research Center’s official visitor experience zone. Located at Nasa’s Chabot Space and Science Center, as a technology and science enthusiast, you will come across one of the best space and science walkthroughs outside of Nasa’s Houston, Texas hub.
Googleplex and Visitor Center, Mountain View
A further 15-minute drive down the Expressway takes you to Mountain View—a town that you can nearly mistake to be owned entirely by Google. The Search and Android major offers a limited visitor tour experience, which includes a central building that looks unique, and somewhat confusing. During our visit, fellow visitors likened the Google headquarters’ design to Japanese pagodas, and the scale of a dragon—even though this solar panel-strewn contraption was designed by a duo of Danish and English designers. If you spot a visitor tour ongoing that lets you in, you’ll find the iconic Android statues. On the outside, you’ll also find one of the biggest Google experience stores that house limited edition Google merchandise and devices.
Computer History Museum, Mountain View
The centrepiece of your Silicon Valley technology tourism journey is the iconic Computer History Museum, easily the best technology museum around the world. This museum experience houses the earliest examples of analogue electronics, missile guidance systems used during the World Wars, Nasa’s earliest computers aboard the Apollo missions, Eniac (the world’s first computer), the first-ever IBM PC, the first Apple computer—Apple 1, and much more. Strewn across the museum are theatrical experiences that take you through the history of Silicon Valley and its origins.
Do not miss: The souvenir shop, which is packed with some of the best tech gifts you can buy: including the mini Atari gaming console, micro hand-held games, metal folding fighter jet replicas, cipher keychains and more.
Apple Park and Visitor Center, Cupertino
The spaceship-like Apple Park was one of Steve Jobs’ last contributions to his company and is definitely a striking sight. Its visitor center closely replicates the seamless glass, wood and steel architecture of Apple Park and the Steve Jobs Theater. The center also houses a range of limited edition merchandise. Alternatively, book yourself in for a demonstration and walkthrough of the Apple Vision Pro—the iPhone-maker’s alternate reality headset, which you get as a very personalized experience in the store.
Do try: A walk down the quaint North Tantau Avenue, which lets you catch glimpses of the spaceship-esque Apple headquarters’ design.
Intel Museum, Santa Clara
A further drive down will lead you to the Intel Museum, a 30-minute experience dedicated to arguably the one company that popularized Silicon Valley around the world. During this experience, you will come across historic documents—such as Intel’s first cheque received from a vendor’s order, photographs from Intel’s earliest days, and carefully preserved technological heritage such as the Busicom printing calculator, which housed one of Intel’s first-ever chipsets. The Intel Museum also showcases a history of how the US tech giants exploded around the world between the 1960s and today.
Worth trying: If you wish to take a break from technology, a brief walk down is California’s Great America, one of the biggest amusement parks in the Silicon Valley region.
Nvidia Corporation, Santa Clara
The latest Big Tech company and one of only three to ever hit a valuation of $3 trillion to date, Nvidia’s new headquarters reflect its glory. From the outside, you can spot its marvellous architecture, including its stadium-like setup inside, called Voyager. Nvidia’s global headquarters marks the end point of the 100-kilometre stretch that begins near the iconic Golden Gate bridge, even though the trails of Silicon Valley continue until further down. For instance, a drive down to the city of Los Gatos will take you to the headquarters of Netflix.
Try dropping by: If you’re into basketball, watching a match or even a concert at San Jose’s SAP Center stadium is a tactile experience. Once in San Jose, do try to catch the mixed reality visitor experiences at Tech Interactive, a visual technology experience hub. Also located nearby is Santana Row, one of Silicon Valley’s most iconic retail hubs that houses top designer brands, as well as globally renowned restaurants such as Din Tai Fung.
