List of computer museums
![]() |
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.[1]
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 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,[2] 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.[3]
Asia
[edit]Israel
[edit]Japan
[edit]- IPSJ Computer Museum - A virtual museum by IPSJ, an academic society of information processing in Japan,[5] and affiliated physical computer museums ("satellite museums") all over Japan, such as:
- KCG Computer Museum, Kyoto - a computer museum by KCG, an education institution[6]
- Microcomputer Museum in Ōme,_Tokyo[7]
- Tokyo University of Science Museum of Science's "History of the Computer"[8]
South Korea
[edit]Oceania
[edit]Australia
[edit]- The Australian Computer Museum Society, Inc, NSW - very large collection[9]
- The Nostalgia Box, Perth - Video Game Museum[10]
- Powerhouse Museum - Has Computer Exhibit
- Monash Museum of Computing History, Monash University[11]
New Zealand
[edit]Europe
[edit]Belgium
[edit]- Computermuseum NAM-IP, Namur[14]
- Unisys Computermuseum, Haren (Brussels)
Croatia
[edit]Czech Republic
[edit]- Technical museum in Brno - Computer Technology[16]
- Retro Computer, Žatec[17]
- Muzeum počítačové techniky, Higher Education College Žďár nad Sázavou[18]
- Arcade Hry, Červený Újezd[19] (arcade video games)
- Game World, Prague[20] (arcade video games)
Denmark
[edit]- Dansk Datahistorisk Forening, Hedehusene[21]
Estonia
[edit]Finland
[edit]- Rupriikki Media Museum, Tampere[23]
- Finnish Museum of Games, Tampere[24]
- The Functional Computer Museum of Kallio, Helsinki
France
[edit]- ACONIT, Grenoble[25]
- MO5 , Paris[26]
- FEB, Angers[27]
- Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris[28]
- Musée de l'imprimerie, Lyon[29]
- AMISA : Association pour un Musée de l'informatique, Sophia Antipolis[30]
- INRIA : Institut national de recherche en Informatique et Automatique, Montbonnot-Saint-Martin[31]
- Silicium, Toulouse[32]
Germany
[edit]- Computerspielemuseum Berlin, Berlin - Video Game Museum
- BINARIUM, Dortmund - Video Game and Personal Computer Museum[33]
- Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum, Paderborn[34]
- Computermuseum der Fakultät Informatik, University of Stuttgart[35]
- Oldenburger Computer-Museum, Oldenburg
- Computeum, Vilshofen,[36][37] with a selection from the Munich Computer Warehouse, Private Collection[38]
- 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[39]
- Computermuseum der Fachhochschule Kiel, Kiel
- de:Analog Computer Museum,[40] Bad Schwalbach / Hettenhain - Large collection of analog computers, working and under restoration.
Greece
[edit]Ireland
[edit]Italy
[edit]- 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[43]
- All About Apple Museum, Savona[44]
- Piedmontese Museum of Informatics, Turin[45]
- VIGAMUS, Rome - Video Game Museum
- Tecnologic@mente, Ivrea
- Museo degli strumenti per il calcolo, Pisa
Lithuania
[edit]The Netherlands
[edit]- Bonami SpelComputer Museum, Zwolle[47]
- Computer Museum Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam[48]
- Computermuseum Hack42, Arnhem[49]
- HomeComputerMuseum, Helmond[50]
- Rotterdams Radio Museum, Rotterdam[51]
Poland
[edit]- Muzeum Historii Komputerów i Informatyki, Katowice[52]
- Muzeum Gry i Komputery Minionej Ery (Muzeum Gier), Wrocław[53]
- Apple Muzeum Polska, Piaseczno[54]
Portugal
[edit]- 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
[edit]- Retro IT, Arad
Russia
[edit]- Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines, Moscow
- Yandex Museum, Moscow
- Yandex Museum, Saint-Petersburg
- Moscow Apple Museum
- Antimuseum of Computers and Games, Yekaterinburg
Slovenia
[edit]Slovakia
[edit]- Computer Museum SAV, Bratislava
Spain
[edit]- Computer Museum Garcia Santesmases (MIGS), Complutense University[55]
- Museum of Informatics, Polytechnic University of Valencia[56]
- Museo de la Historia de la Computacion, Cáceres
Sweden
[edit]- Dalby Datormuseum, Dalby on the island Aspö north of Strängnäs
Switzerland
[edit]Ukraine
[edit]United Kingdom
[edit]- Northwest Computer Museum, Leigh, Greater Manchester[57]
- The National Museum of Computing, Bletchley Park
- The Centre for Computing History, Cambridge
- Retro Computer Museum, Leicester[58]
- Science Museum, London, London
- National Archive for the History of Computing, University of Manchester[59]
- National Videogame Arcade, Nottingham
- The Computing Futures Museum, Staffordshire University - In association with the BCS[60]
- Museum of Computing, Swindon
- Time Line Computer Archive, Wigton[61]
- The Micro Museum, Ramsgate[62]
- Home Computer Museum, Hull[63]
- IBM Hursley Museum, Hursley[64]
- Derby Computer Museum[65]
- The ICL Computer Museum[66] - ICL and related items, computers, paperwork and software, from companies that made up ICL.
See also: Computer Conservation Society[67]
North America
[edit]Canada
[edit]Ontario
[edit]- Personal Computer Museum, Brantford
- University of Waterloo Computer Museum, Waterloo, Ontario[68]
- Vintage Computer Museum, Toronto, Ontario
- York University Computer Museum or YUCoM, York University[69]
Quebec
[edit]Saskatchewan
[edit]- University of Saskatchewan Computer Museum[72]
United States
[edit]Arizona
[edit]California
[edit]- 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.
[edit]Georgia
[edit]- Mimms Museum of Technology and Art, Roswell, Georgia
- Museum of Technology at Middle Georgia State University, Macon, Georgia[74]
Kansas
[edit]- The Topeka Computing Museum, Topeka, Kansas - Now being liquidated, online archive only.[75]
Maryland
[edit]Minnesota
[edit]Montana
[edit]New Jersey
[edit]- Vintage Computer Federation Museum, Wall, New Jersey[77]
New York
[edit]- The Strong, International Center for the History of Electronic Games, Rochester, NY - Focus on Retrogaming but many games are on vintage personal computers.
Pennsylvania
[edit]- Kennett Classic Computer Museum,[78] Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
- Large Scale Systems Museum,[79] Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- The Computer History Learning Center aka The Computer Church,[80] Parkesburg, Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
[edit]Texas
[edit]Virginia
[edit]- U.Va. Computer Museum, University of Virginia[82]
- Virginia Computer Museum[83]
Washington
[edit]- Living Computers: Museum + Labs, Seattle, Washington - Closed in 2020, liquidated in 2024.[84]
- Microsoft Visitor Center, Redmond, Washington
Wisconsin
[edit]- Chippewa Falls Museum of Industry and Technology, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin[85] - Exhibit offering "Seymour Cray and The Supercomputer"
South America
[edit]Argentina
[edit]- Espacio TEC,[86] 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
[edit]Online
[edit]- The ICL Computer Museum[87] (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[88] - Now a part of the American Computer & Robotics Museum in Bozeman, Montana.
See also
[edit]- 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
[edit]- 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
References
[edit]- ^ "ICOM Statutes". International Council of Museums. Archived from the original on April 13, 2008. Retrieved April 5, 2008.
- ^ "Computers: A Birthday Party for Eniac". Time. February 24, 1986.
- ^ Christopher Mele (May 9, 2016). "15-Year-Old's 200 Vintage Apple Computers Are Now a Mac Museum". The New York Times. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
- ^ "The Israeli Personal Computer Museum Page".
- ^ IPSJ Computer Museum and its satellite museums
- ^ KCG Computer Museum
- ^ "マイコン博物館 一般財団法人 科学技術継承財団".
- ^ Museum of Science, TUC
- ^ "Australian Computer Museum Society".
- ^ "TheNostalgiaBox". thenostalgiabox.com.au. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- ^ "Monash Museum of Computing History". Archived from the original on 2016-10-17. Retrieved 2016-09-19.
- ^ "Techvana - Technology Nirvana - The New Zealand Computer Museum". Techvana - The New Zealand Computer Museum. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
- ^ "Techvana". Tall Poppies. 41 (1): 8–9. March 2016 – via National Library of New Zealand.
- ^ "Computer Museum NAM-IP". Computer Museum NAM-IP.
- ^ "PEEK&POKE Muzej Računala - Computer Museum". www.peekpoke.hr.
- ^ "Computer Technology". Technické muzeum v Brně.
- ^ "Retro Computer a Jedová Chýše v Žatci". RetroComputer.cz (in Czech).
- ^ "Muzeum počítačů ve Žďáru nad Sázavou". Kudyznudy.cz.
- ^ "ArcadeHry". Arcadehry.cz.
- ^ "Game World – U nás se nekouká, u nás se hraje!". Muzeumher.cz (in Czech).
- ^ "Dansk Datahistorisk Forening | Dataarkæologerne" (in Danish). Retrieved 2022-12-26.
- ^ "Arvutimuuseum". arvutimuuseum.ee. Retrieved 2024-10-19.
- ^ "Media Museum Rupriikki - Museokeskus Vapriikki". 30 August 2023.
- ^ "The Finnish Museum of Games - Museokeskus Vapriikki". Archived from the original on 2022-06-26. Retrieved 2017-08-15.
- ^ "Association Pour un Conservatoire de l'informatique et de la télématique".
- ^ "Association MO5.com".
- ^ "Fédération des équipes Bull".
- ^ "Musée des Arts et Métiers".
- ^ "Musée de l'imprimerie".
- ^ "AMISA".
- ^ "INRIA".
- ^ "Silicium".
- ^ "[BINARIUM. Deutsches Museum der digitalen Kultur]". www.binarium.de.
- ^ KG, HDNET GmbH & Co. "HNF - Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum - The world´s biggest computer museum in Paderborn". www.hnf.de.
- ^ Krause, Klemens. "Computermuseum of the faculty of computer sciences". computermuseum.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de.
- ^ "Man from Munich gives City of Vilshofen a Computer Museum".[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Computeum is taking shape".[permanent dead link]
- ^ "The Computeum, One Of The Biggest Computer Museums in Germany". Hackaday. 16 November 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
- ^ Computerarchiv Muenchen : süddeutsches Museum für digitale Entwicklungsgeschichte. C. Habermueller. 2019.
{{cite book}}
:|website=
ignored (help) - ^ "Analog Computer Museum". analogmuseum.org.
- ^ "The Hellenic IT Museum home page".
- ^ "Computer and Communications Museum of Ireland | MSPI Participants | Museums Standards Programme for Ireland | Our Initiatives | Museums and Archive | The Heritage Council". www.heritagecouncil.ie. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
- ^ "FWT UNESCO Computer Museum Home Page". musi.fwtunesco.org.
- ^ "All About Apple Museum - The alive Apple Museum in Italy". All About Apple.
- ^ "Museo piemontese dell'informatica".
- ^ "RETROBYTES (CAFE - VINTAGE COMPUTERS GALLERY)".
- ^ "Bonami Spelcomputer Museum". computermuseum.nl.
- ^ "UvA Computermuseum". ub.fnwi.uva.nl.
- ^ "Computermuseum Hack42". museum.hack42.nl.
- ^ "HomeComputerMuseum". www.homecomputermuseum.nl.
- ^ "Rotterdams Radio Museum". rotterdamsradiomuseum.nl.
- ^ "Muzeum Historii Komputerów i Informatyki Home Page". www.muzeumkomputerow.edu.pl.
- ^ "Muzeum Gry i Komputery Minionej Ery Home Page". www.gikme.pl. 26 March 2019.
- ^ "Apple Muzeum Polska". www.applemuzeumpolska.pl/.
- ^ "Complutense University of Madrid". www.ucm.es.
- ^ "Museum of Informatics". www.upv.es.
- ^ "North West Computer Museum". www.nwcomputermuseum.org.uk.
- ^ "The Retro Computer Museum". www.retrocomputermuseum.co.uk.
- ^ "Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine". Archived from the original on 2012-01-13. Retrieved 2016-08-30.
- ^ "The Staffordshire University Computing Futures Museum Home Page - a computer hardware museum/ teaching resource on the Stafford campus of Staffordshire University, The Octagon, Beaconside, Stafford, Staffordshire, UK". www.fcet.staffs.ac.uk.
- ^ "Time Line Computer Archive". t-lcarchive.org.
- ^ "The Micro Museum - Computer Museum - Ramsgate Kent UK". The Micro Museum - Computer Museum - Ramsgate Kent UK.
- ^ "Home Computer Museum - Hull, Humberside UK". www.homecomputermuseum.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2022-02-02. Retrieved 2017-05-15.
- ^ "IBM Hursley Museum Park". slx-online.biz/hursley/index.asp.
- ^ "Derby Computer Museum". www.derbycomputermuseum.co.uk.
- ^ "The ICL Computer Museum". vintage-icl-computers.com.
- ^ "UK Computer Museums". UK: Computer Conservation Society. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
- ^ "University of Waterloo Computer Museum | University of Waterloo". uwaterloo.ca/computer-museum. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
- ^ "YUCoM york university computer museum | York University". museum.eecs.yorku.ca. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
- ^ "PCmuseum - Personal computer history and collection of pc's". emusee.org. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
- ^ http://imusee.net/.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ "University of Saskatchewan Computer Museum - UofS Computer Museum | University of Saskatchewan". computermuseum.usask.ca. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
- ^ "Southwest Museum Of Engineering, Communications and Computation -Arizona's Radio and Television Museum - Also History Of Computers andComputation (SMECC)". www.smecc.org.
- ^ "Museum of Technology: Middle Georgia State University". www.mga.edu. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
- ^ "The Topeka Computing Museum". www.gateman.com.
- ^ "The System Source Computer Museum".
- ^ "Museum Info - Vintage Computer Federation". Retrieved 21 February 2024.
- ^ "Kennett Classic". Retrieved 21 February 2024.
- ^ "Large Scale Systems Museum". Retrieved 21 February 2024.
- ^ "The Computer Church". Retrieved 21 February 2024.
- ^ "National Videogame Museum". www.nvmusa.org. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
- ^ "The U.Va. Computer Museum". www.cs.virginia.edu. Archived from the original on 3 September 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
- ^ "Virginia Computer Museum".
- ^ Schlosser, Kurt (2024-09-12). "Paul Allen estate sells remaining Living Computers artifacts and systems to museum near Atlanta". GeekWire. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
- ^ "Chippewa Falls Museum of Industry and Technology". www.cfmit.org. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ "Espacio TEC - Museo de Informática". 19 August 2022.
- ^ "www.vintage-icl-computers.com". www.vintage-icl-computers.com. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
- ^ "The Vintage Mac Museum » Say Hello Again". Retrieved 2023-10-07.