Computer Museum of America
"Explore our history in computing first hand"

The Computer Museum of America was established in 1983 by Jim and Marie Petroff, founders of the San Diego Chapter of Independent Computer Consultants Association (ICCA).

While without a display space in its early years, through the efforts of a tireless band of volunteers the Museum continued to collect and preserve historic computer equipment, as well as display portions of its collection every year at the California Computer Expo (formerly the San Diego Computer Fair).

The Petroffs' generous underwriting during those early years allowed the Museum to obtain and maintain storage facilities throughout San Diego County as it accumulated one of the world's largest collections of historic computing equipment.

In 1992, Coleman College invited the Museum to exhibit a portion of its collection on the grounds of the school's La Mesa campus, beginning a fruitful partnership between the College and the Museum that culminated in the Coleman Foundation taking over operation of the Museum.

Family-friendly Displays

There are many interesting computer connections to experience...

Today, the award-winning museum exists in partnership with the Coleman Foundation, a nonprofit educational organization. In addition to a full-time curator, David Weil, the Museum enjoys the support of a dedicated group of volunteers and advisors.

On May 15, 2001, the Computer Museum of America closed its location at Coleman College in La Mesa in order to relocate to downtown San Diego.

The move culminated in a grand opening in July. 

Equipment donations

Due to the overwhelming generosity of the community, we no longer have the room to accept donations of common computer-related equipment. However, we do still seek older (pre-1983) computer-related artifacts. 

Official Computer Museum of America Wish List:
Kenback-I computer
Original PONG arcade game
Original PONG home video game
Any electronic arcade consoles; (especially Space Invaders, Missile Command, Donkey Kong, Defender and other early hits)
Original Odyssey home video game
Fairchild Channel F home video game
Mattel Intellivision home video game
Mattell Vectrex home video game
Atari 5200 home video game
Atari 7800 home video game
Atari Jaguar 64-bit home video game
Atari Lynx handheld video game
3DO home video game
Philips CDI home video game
TurboGrafx16 home video game
Xerox Alto
Apple I
Apple Lisa I
Apple Macintosh I clear case
Early models of DEC PDPs
IBM 1401
Early IBM business machines
Atari Transputer (British prototype)
Atari 260ST (German)
Atari TT
Atari Falcon030
Commodore KIM
Mechanical adding machines
Computer magazines from the late 1970s
Related history papers

Archives and Research

Young learners at the Museum

The Museum has a large collection of computer-related magazines, manuals, books and other related materials in its archive. It makes available these materials and information to students, authors, researchers and others for historical research. For more information on the archive, contact the museum curator, David Weil, at 619-235-8222 or e-mail: dweil@computer-museum.org

This site is part of CalAdventures.com - where you'll find coupons for many other adventures.

Be sure to check out our coupon below for a discount on this adventure.

What will you do this weekend?  Why not try another adventure!

CalAdventures.com Home Page

• Dissecting an IBM XT
• Art projects such as PARTS ART
• PONG and other arcade games

Archives and Research

The Museum makes available materials and information to students, authors, researchers and others for historical research.

Group Tours

Computer Museum of America welcomes group tours of 40 or less by special arrangement. For information and reservations, contact the museum curator.

TOP SECRET EXHIBIT
Now open
SAN DIEGO

Above, the Enigma cipher machine from WWII, courtesy of the National Cryptologic Museum, National Security Agency.

The “Secrets, Lies and Teletypes” code-breaking exhibit opened to the public March 23.

The new exhibit explores the development of cryptology and code breaking from ancient times to the present, focusing on the role of machines and computers.

The exhibit highlights the German Air Force Enigma machine on loan from the National Cryptologic Museum, part of the National Security Agency. The three-rotor Enigma was used to facilitate secure messaging during World War II for the Nazi war effort.

In addition, the National Security Agency has loaned the Museum an M-209, a U. S. Army Signal Corps machine used by American troops to send and receive encrypted messages.

The exhibit explores the history of secret communications, including semaphores, punch-card equipment, Teletypes, and other machines that played roles in cracking codes and conveying encrypted messages, as well as the famed Navajo code-talkers who stymied Japanese efforts to crack U.S. communications in the Pacific Theatre during World War II.

Come see the world's first PC, the MITS Altair 8800!

The MITS (Micro Instrumentation Telemetry Systems) Altair 8800 is one of the earliest commercially available personal computers. Ed Roberts sold these machines along with radio-controlled models by mail-order from the MITS factory in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 1975, Paul Allen and Bill Gates (then a student at Harvard), decided to write a programming language to run on the Altair. They wrote a scaled down version of BASIC, and thus began Microsoft (the company). MITS was much less fortunate. It could never recover from its cash flow troubles. By 1977 Ed Roberts sold his company and followed his true passion by returning to medicine.

See the Apple I, the grandfather to the popular Macintosh!

This Apple 1 replica was built for the movie Pirates of Silicon Valley. This TNT Original is scheduled to debut on Sunday May 23rd, 1999. The original Apple Is were assembled in 1976 in Steve Jobs’ garage. They used a MOS Technology 6502 microprocessor and had 4K of memory.

Although the original selling price was $666.66, they were sold without a case or power supply and many were simply put inside a suitcase. The APPLE II followed a few months later and represented a complete marketable package, propelling Apple Computer Inc. to the forefront of the personal computer industry.

Visiting Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday  -  10am to 5pm. Closed on national holidays.

The Computer Museum of America welcomes group tours of 40 or less by special arrangement. Other opportunities to view the Museum may be arranged by appointment by calling the Museum Curator, David Weil at (619) 465-8226

Admission:
General - $2
Children - $1
Under 2 - Free

Membership Information:
Students.....$ 15 per year
Seniors.......$ 15 per year
Individual...$ 25 per year
Family........$ 40 per year

Members of Computer Museum of America enjoy the following benefits:

• One year of unlimited admission during public hours.
• Subscription to The Circuit, a quarterly newsletter.
• Priority notification and registration for museum programs.
• Two invitations to the annual computer symposium.
• Free passes for guests.
• Discounts in museum store.

Prices are subject to change without notice.  Please call the company directly to verify current prices.

Use the valuable coupon for 10% discount in gift shop.

Region	PriceRange
San Diego	Free-$40 per person

Contact: Computer Museum of America 640 C Street San Diego, Ca 92101 Phone: (619) 619-235-8222 Visiting Hours:   Tuesday - Sunday  -  10am to 5pm.  Closed on national holidays. Email: dweil@computer-museum.org Click here for map Directions: The Computer Museum of America is located in downtown San Diego at the intersection of Seventh Avenue and C Street. The Museum does not currently have a parking facility available for guests; we recommend taking the San Diego Trolley as there is a stop just one block away. The famous dining and shopping of the historic Gaslamp Quarter is just blocks away from the Museum, as is the Horton Plaza downtown shopping mall. Just minutes away by Trolley are Old Town, Seaport Village, the San Diego Convention Center, the international border with Mexico, and the Fashion Valley and Mission Valley shopping malls. Balboa Park, with its many museums and the world-famous San Diego Zoo, is a 20-minute walk north along Sixth. For more adventures click here CalAdventures.com

Help us help you! For specific answers to questions about this adventure, please Email to the company directly using the email address above.

CalAdventures.com seeks to offer you the highest quality adventures throughout the state. Comments about how you liked (or disliked) this company, we'd like to know! Thank you!

(C) 1999 CalAdventures.com. 
This page was last updated on Monday, October 02, 2006