List of computer museums

The National Computer & Communications Museum

A computer museum is devoted to the study of historic computer hardware and software, where a “museum” is a “permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates, and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment, for the purposes of education, study, and enjoyment”, as defined by the International Council of Museums.

Some computer museums exist within larger institutions, such as the Science Museum in London, United Kingdom; and the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany. Others are dedicated specifically to computing, such as:

• the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, United States.
• the American Computer & Robotics Museum in Bozeman, Montana, United States.
• the Heinz Nixdorf Forum (HNF) in Paderborn, Germany.
• The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park, United Kingdom.
• The Centre for Computing History in Cambridge, United Kingdom
• the Nexon Computer Museum in Jeju Province. South Korea.

Some specialize in the early history of computing, others in the era that started with the first personal computers such as the Apple I and Altair 8800, Apple II systems, older Mac models, Amiga, IBM PCs and rarer computers such as the Osborne 1. Some concentrate more on research and conservation, others more on education and entertainment. There are also private collections, most of which can be visited by appointment.

Asia

Israel

• The Israeli Personal Computer Museum, Haifa

Japan

• IPSJ Computer Museum - A virtual museum by IPSJ, an academic society of information processing in Japan, and affiliated physical computer museums ("satellite museums") all over Japan, such as:
  • KCG Computer Museum, Kyoto - a computer museum by KCG, an education institution
  • Microcomputer Museum in Ōme,_Tokyo
• Tokyo University of Science Museum of Science's "History of the Computer"

South Korea

• Nexon Computer Museum

Oceania

Australia

• The Australian Computer Museum Society, Inc, NSW - very large collection
• The Nostalgia Box, Perth - Video Game Museum
• Powerhouse Museum - Has Computer Exhibit
• Monash Museum of Computing History, Monash University

New Zealand

• Techvana, Auckland

Europe

Belgium

• Computermuseum NAM-IP, Namur
• Unisys Computermuseum, Haren (Brussels)

Croatia

• Peek&Poke, Rijeka

Czech Republic

• Technical museum in Brno - Computer Technology
• Retro Computer, Žatec
• Muzeum počítačové techniky, Higher Education College Žďár nad Sázavou
• Arcade Hry, Červený Újezd (arcade video games)
• Game World, Prague (arcade video games)

Denmark

• Dansk Datahistorisk Forening, Hedehusene

Estonia

• Arvutimuuseum, Tallinn

Finland

• Rupriikki Media Museum, Tampere
• Finnish Museum of Games, Tampere
• The Functional Computer Museum of Kallio, Helsinki

France

• ACONIT, Grenoble
• MO5, Paris
• FEB, Angers
• Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris
• Musée de l'imprimerie, Lyon
• AMISA : Association pour un Musée de l'informatique, Sophia Antipolis
• INRIA : Institut national de recherche en Informatique et Automatique, Montbonnot-Saint-Martin
• Silicium, Toulouse

Germany

• Computerspielemuseum Berlin, Berlin - Video Game Museum
• Arithmeum, Bonn - Comprehensive collection of historical calculating machines
• BINARIUM, Dortmund - Video Game and Personal Computer Museum
• Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum, Paderborn
• Computermuseum der Fakultät Informatik, University of Stuttgart
• Oldenburger Computer-Museum, Oldenburg
• Computeum, Vilshofen, with a selection from the Munich Computer Warehouse, Private Collection
• Deutsches Museum, Munich - Large computer collection in their Communications exhibit
• technikum29 living museum, Frankfurt - Re-opened in January 2020.
• Computerarchiv Muenchen, Munich - Computer, Video Games and Magazine Archive
• Computermuseum der Fachhochschule Kiel, Kiel
• de:Analog Computer Museum, Bad Schwalbach / Hettenhain - Large collection of analog computers, working and under restoration.

Greece

• Hellenic IT Museum, in Athens

Ireland

• Computer and Communications Museum of Ireland, National University of Ireland

Italy

• Museo dell'Informatica Funzionante, Palazzolo Acreide (Siracusa)
• Museo del Computer, via per Occhieppo, 29, 13891 Camburzano (Biella)
• Museo Interattivo di Archeologia Informatica, Cosenza
• UNESCO Computer Museum, Padova
• All About Apple Museum, Savona
• Piedmontese Museum of Informatics, Turin
• VIGAMUS, Rome - Video Game Museum
• Tecnologic@mente, Ivrea
• Museo degli strumenti per il calcolo, Pisa
• IMuC - Computer Museum Messina, Messina

Lithuania

• Retrobytes cafe - vintage computers gallery, Kaunas

The Netherlands

• Bonami SpelComputer Museum, Zwolle
• Computer Museum Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam
• Computermuseum Hack42, Arnhem
• HomeComputerMuseum, Helmond
• Rotterdams Radio Museum, Rotterdam

Poland

• Muzeum Historii Komputerów i Informatyki, Katowice
• Muzeum Gry i Komputery Minionej Ery (Muzeum Gier), Wrocław
• Apple Muzeum Polska, Piaseczno

Portugal

• LOAD ZX Spectrum Museum, Cantanhede
• Museu Faraday, IST - Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisboa
• Nostalgica - Museu de Videojogos e tecnologia, Lisboa
• Museu dos Computadores Inforap, Braga
• Museu Virtual da Informática, Universidade do Minho, Braga
• Museu das Comunicações, Lisboa
• Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência - Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa

Romania

• Retro IT, Arad

Russia

• Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines, Moscow
• Yandex Museum, Moscow
• Yandex Museum, Saint-Petersburg
• Moscow Apple Museum
• Antimuseum of Computers and Games, Yekaterinburg
• Museum of Dmitriy Bachilo, Novosibirsk
• IT Museum of Perm University, Perm
• Cyber museum, Murom

Slovenia

• Computer History Museum Slovenia, Ljubljana

Slovakia

• Computer Museum SAV, Bratislava

Spain

• Computer Museum Garcia Santesmases (MIGS), Complutense University
• Museum of Informatics, Polytechnic University of Valencia
• Museo de la Historia de la Computacion, Cáceres

Sweden

• Dalby Datormuseum, Dalby on the island Aspö north of Strängnäs

Switzerland

• Musée Bolo, Lausanne
• Enter Museum, Solothurn

Ukraine

• Software & Computer Museum, Kyiv, Kharkiv

United Kingdom

• Northwest Computer Museum, Leigh, Greater Manchester
• The National Museum of Computing, Bletchley Park
• The Centre for Computing History, Cambridge
• Retro Computer Museum, Leicester
• Science Museum, London, London
• National Archive for the History of Computing, University of Manchester
• National Videogame Arcade, Nottingham
• Museum of Computing, Swindon
• Time Line Computer Archive, Wigton
• The Micro Museum, Ramsgate
• Home Computer Museum, Hull
• IBM Hursley Museum, Hursley
• Derby Computer Museum

See also: Computer Conservation Society

North America

Canada

Ontario

• Personal Computer Museum, Brantford
• University of Waterloo Computer Museum, Waterloo, Ontario
• Vintage Computer Museum, Toronto, Ontario
• York University Computer Museum or YUCoM, York University

Quebec

• EMusée, Montreal
• iMusée, Montreal

Saskatchewan

• University of Saskatchewan Computer Museum

United States

Arizona

• Southwest Museum of Engineering, Communications and Computation, Glendale, Arizona

California

• Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California
• DigiBarn Computer Museum, Boulder Creek, California
• Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment, Oakland, California
• The Tech Museum of Innovation, San Jose, California
• Intel Museum, Santa Clara, California

D.C.

• Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Washington, D.C.

Georgia

• Mimms Museum of Technology and Art, Roswell, Georgia
• Museum of Technology at Middle Georgia State University, Macon, Georgia

Kansas

• The Topeka Computing Museum, Topeka, Kansas - Now being liquidated, online archive only.

Maryland

• System Source Computer Museum, Hunt Valley, Maryland

Minnesota

• Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota

Montana

• American Computer & Robotics Museum, Bozeman, Montana

New Jersey

• Vintage Computer Federation Museum, Wall, New Jersey

New York

• The Strong, International Center for the History of Electronic Games, Rochester, NY - Focus on Retrogaming but many games are on vintage personal computers.

Pennsylvania

• Kennett Classic Computer Museum, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
• Large Scale Systems Museum, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• The Computer History Learning Center aka The Computer Church, Parkesburg, Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

• Rhode Island Computer Museum, Warwick, Rhode Island

Texas

• National Videogame Museum, Frisco, Texas

Virginia

• U.Va. Computer Museum, University of Virginia
• Virginia Computer Museum

Washington

• Living Computers: Museum + Labs, Seattle, Washington - Closed in 2020, liquidated in 2024.
• Microsoft Visitor Center, Redmond, Washington
• The Interim Computer Museum, Tukwila, Washington

Wisconsin

• Chippewa Falls Museum of Industry and Technology, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin - Exhibit offering "Seymour Cray and The Supercomputer"

South America

Argentina

• Espacio TEC, Bahia Blanca
• Museo de Informática UNPA-UARG, Río Gallegos
• Museo de Informática de la República Argentina - Fundación ICATEC (closed), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires

Brasil

• Museu Capixaba do Computador, Vitória/ES
• Museu do Computador, São Paulo/SP

Online

• The ICL Computer Museum (UK)
• MV Museu de Tecnologia (Brazil)
• Old Computer Museum
• San Diego Computer Museum - Physical objects were donated to the San Diego State University Library, but still does online exhibits
• Obsolete Computer Museum
• Old-Computers.com
• HP Computer Museum
• Early Office Museum
• IBM Archives
• EveryMac.com
• Bitsavers.org - Software and Document Archive
• TAM (The Apple Museum) - Apple Computers and Products
• Rewind Museum - Virtual museum with traveling physical exhibits
• The Computer Collector
• New Computer Museum
• IPSJ Computer Museum - Computers of Japan
• Freeman PC Museum
• FEMICOM Museum - Femininity in 20th century Video games, computers and electronic toys
• Home Computer Museum
• Malware Museum - Malware programs from the 80's and 90's that have been stripped of their destructive properties.
• History Computers
• KASS Computer Museum - A computer history museum & private collection
• Russian Virtual Computer Museum - a history of Soviet Computers from the late 1940s
• Soviet Digital Electronics Museum - a museum of Soviet electronic calculators, PCs and some other devices
• Development of Computer Science and Technologies in Ukraine - Ukrainian virtual Computer Museum
• Spectrum Generation collection, supporting the LOAD ZX Spectrum Museum in Portugal
• Home Computer Museum UK
• Vintage Mac Museum - Now a part of the American Computer & Robotics Museum in Bozeman, Montana.

See also

• Computer museum
• List of video game museums
• List of science museums
• Computer Conservation Society (UK)
• History of computer hardware
• IT History Society
• Retrocomputing
• Vintage Computer Festival held annually in Mountain View, California, and elsewhere
• Technology museum

Further reading

• Bell, Gordon (2011). Out of a Closet: The Early Years of the Computer Museums. Microsoft Technical Report MSR-TR-2011-44.
• Bruemmer, Bruce H. (1987). Resources for the History of Computing: A Guide to U.S. & Canadian Records. Charles Babbage Institute.
• Cortada, James W. (1990). Archives of Data-Processing History: A Guide to Major U.S. Collections. Greenwood