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Mountain View, California

Google Visitor Experience

Come see us in mountain view and explore the google visitor experience., pop-up shop, cafe @ mountain view, google store.

Foster connections by attending a community event, workshop, or talk

Discover and support local makers and small businesses

Experience a taste of Google by enjoying food and beverages made with local, seasonal ingredients

Shop the latest products made by Google, get help from one of our experienced experts, attend a workshop, and find exclusive Google merchandise

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Become inspired by interactive and imaginative artworks

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How to Get to the Googleplex and Tour the Campus

Last Updated: August 23, 2023 Fact Checked

Getting to the Googleplex

Exploring google campus, touring with a google employee.

This article was reviewed by Seth Hall and by wikiHow staff writer, Ali Garbacz, B.A. . Seth T. Hall (ICF ACC, CLC, and MNLP) is a Certified Life Coach and Founder of Transformational Solutions, a Los Angeles-based life-coaching company that helps people achieve their toughest goals, find their own voice, and think outside the box. He has been a life coach for over 10 years, specializing in personal development, relationships, career and finance, and wellness. He has helped his clients break the negative cycles in their lives and replace them with a positive, proactive mindset. Seth believes that everyone has the potential to live a fulfilling and rewarding life, and works passionately to help them reach their full potential. With a deep understanding of how our minds work and the power of positive thinking, he encourages his clients to find their unique paths in life and find success on their own terms. He is a certified master practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, a featured co-author for WikiHow, and co-author of "The Mountain Method”, “The Happy Tiger”, and “The V.I.S.I.O.N.S. Program”. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 228,301 times.

Have you ever wanted to explore the place where all of the magic of Google happens? Well, if you happen to be in Silicon Valley, specifically Mountain View, you’ll be able to stop by the infamous Googleplex. While there are no official tours, visitors are more than welcome to walk around the outside of the Google campus. We’re here to give you all the insider information and tips about how to visit the headquarters of one of the world’s biggest tech companies. We’ve also got a lot of suggestions for fun things to do while you’re there, so keep reading!

Things You Should Know

• Get to the Googleplex (1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA) via car, bus, or train. Parking is free on the Google campus.
• Explore the outside of the Google campus on foot and look out for famous landmarks, like the giant T-rex statue named Stan.
• Ask a friend or acquaintance who works at Google to give you a tour of the inside of the office buildings.

• The Google campus is open for tourists to walk around 7 days a week. However, most office buildings are closed on weekends.
• To keep with the theme of your trip, use Google maps to plot out your journey efficiently.
• Google has 35 office and retail locations spread throughout the United States. Other U.S. cities that house Google offices include Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, New York, and Portland.

• Caltrain is a commuter rail service that operates within the San Francisco Bay Area region.
• If you take the Mountain View city buses, the nearest stop to the Googleplex is Charleston & Google. From there, it’s about a 0.2 mile (0.3 km) walk to Google HQ.
• If you’re taking the Caltrain, get off at the Mountain View Caltrain Station and transfer to Mountain View city bus #40. Take this bus to the Charleston & Google stop, then walk the 0.2 miles (0.3 km) to the Googleplex.
• A day pass for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority costs $7.50 while a one-way ticket costs $2.50 (for adults). [3] X Research source
• A day pass for the Caltrain costs $7.50 while a one-way ticket costs $3.75. [4] X Research source

• The parking lots are labeled A, B, C, D, and E.

• If you’re taking the bus and get off at Charleston & Google, you’ll be dropped off on the south end of the Google campus. Simply cross the street behind the bus stop to get to the Googleplex.

• There is no longer a Google Visitor Center for tourists to visit.
• Wear comfortable shoes to help you trek across the campus without hurting your feet.

• Make this the first stop on your Googleplex tour since it’s easy to access from the campus parking lots.
• In addition to the Google head office, Google Buildings 41, 42, and 43 are also in this cluster.
• There is also a volleyball court and a small green area near these buildings.

• If you’re lucky, you might see Stan wearing fun accessories, like pink flamingos.
• The giant T-Rex is also a nod to Silicon Graphics, a Hollywood effects company that worked on the huge dinosaurs that appear in the Jurassic Park movies. [10] X Research source

• You might also be able to see the Google Street View car. This is the car that drives around and takes pictures for the street view option on Google Maps. [12] X Research source

• If you do manage to score a tour, remain respectful and discreet as you tour the buildings. This is a workplace after all, and you wouldn’t want to disturb the hard-working people who are busy revolutionizing the tech industry.

• Green represents maximum healthiness.
• Yellow indicates food that features both healthy and unhealthy ingredients.
• Red signifies that the food is more decadent and not ideal for a healthy diet.

• These "nap pods" were created by a company called MetroNaps. [17] X Research source

• The Google Garden also has vast green spaces and meditation spots for Googlers to use freely.

Community Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://about.google/locations/?region=north-america
• ↑ https://chasethehorizon.co/blog/96/visiting-google-and-twitter-headquarters-in-san-francisco
• ↑ https://www.vta.org/go/fares
• ↑ https://www.caltrain.com/fares/farechart
• ↑ https://www.sanjose.org/listings/googleplex-android-statue-garden
• ↑ https://www.siliconvalleyguide.org/
• ↑ https://youtu.be/72zcF1sQWEY?t=65
• ↑ http://business.financialpost.com/business-insider/an-inside-look-at-googles-luxurious-googleplex-campus-in-california
• ↑ https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/07/what-googles-famous-cafeterias-can-teach-us-about-health/241876/
• ↑ https://youtu.be/Z-pT0XDYvDM?t=144
• ↑ https://metronaps.com/
• ↑ https://youtu.be/Z-pT0XDYvDM?t=213

About This Article

To visit Google headquarters, plan a trip to Mountain View, California, which is where the Googleplex is located. From there, you can explore the campus on foot and see some of the sights like the life-sized replica of a T-Rex skeleton. Check out the Visitor Center and the gift store for souvenirs, or grab a bite to eat at the Googleplex cafeteria. If you know someone who works at Google, ask them to give you a tour for greater access. For more information on how to visit Google headquarters and what you can do there, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Tour the new 'Google Visitor Experience' now open to public at Google HQ

G oogle has now opened a first-of-its-kind 10,000-square-foot visitor experience on their Mountain View campus that will allow the local community to experience Google like never before.

Google's campus was developed to re-envision the office experience for workers. And now, visitors can interact with the tech giant in a new way.

"We really wanted to make a space where we can be together," Google's Director of R+D for the Built Environment Michelle Kaufmann said. "Where it's the mixture of the people who work at Google as well as the people who are our neighbors and people who inspire us."

VIDEO: Bay Area high school grad rejected by 16 colleges hired by Google

The Google Visitor Experience is designed for the community to enjoy all Google has to offer.

We got the first look on a tour of the new area, beginning with the huddle space. Here you can network with others or take free workshops.

"The space you see over here is available for local guests and local communities," Google's Vice President of Workplace Programs Michiel Bakker said. "All kinds of organizations can book this space as well for local events."

MORE: Google 'committed' to massive multi-million dollar complex in San Jose as project is put on hold

After the event, you can stop by their cafe.

Google says it runs on coffee and now, you can sit down and enjoy a cup or a treat

"We have a variety of options that are designed to be very approachable," Google's Food Program Senior Director Matt Hood said. "Something that, if you come in and you're part of the community, this can become your local, everyday breakfast stop or you can meet friends here for lunch."

But perhaps the most important piece of the Google Visitor Experience is their first West Coast brick-and-mortar store.

In this room, you can learn to use and try out the latest Google products from the new phones to watches to earbuds.

MORE: Here's how Google says AI will change your search, email experience

"To have this place for people to explore and touch and feel all of our latest products is super exciting." Google's Vice President for Design, UX and Research for Hardware Ivy Ross said.

Ross had a large hand in creating everything in the experience. She says this new concept really sets this space apart from anything Google has done before.

"I think it will be an amazing experience for people to understand what Google makes," Ross said. "To be able to actually put things on your body, hold things in your hand, feel it and be able to get all your questions answered at the same time - I think it's a huge advantage."

You can see it for yourself as the Google Visitor Experience is now open.

Company announcements

You’re invited to the new Google Visitor Experience

Sep 07, 2023

[[read-time]] min read

In October, we’re opening our doors in Mountain View to visitors with new public spaces, including a pop-up shop featuring local businesses and a Google Store.

As we celebrate our 25th birthday and 25 years of calling the Bay Area home, we’re excited to announce that next month we’re opening the Google Visitor Experience at our headquarters in Mountain View, California. This new destination will give you the chance to experience Google and our hometown community — from a public cafe and a Google Store to an events space and pop-up shop featuring local businesses. Doors open to the public on October 12, 2023.

What is the Google Visitor Experience?

We remain focused on being a helpful neighbor and continuing to invest in our long-term presence in Mountain View. That’s why, for the first time, we curated an intentional visitor experience with public amenities for everyone, including neighbors, visitors and Googlers. Attend a local community group or non-profit event at the Huddle, a venue designed for creating connections. Discover and support local businesses at the Pop-Up Shop. Tap into your curiosity in The Plaza, which features outdoor art, events and programming. Connect with friends at the Cafe @ Mountain View, our first-ever public cafe. And explore our hardware products and services in person at the first brick and mortar Google Store on the West Coast.

Whether you call Mountain View home or you’re planning a trip to the area, there will be a Googley experience waiting for you.

Let the countdown begin !

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Local news | congressional recount: evan low heads to november election as joe simitian is knocked off the ballot, subscriber only, local news | new google visitor center just the place for silicon valley tourists, besides being a glimpse into the valley, it’s supporting artists in mountain view and beyond.

And that’s one reason to be thankful for the opening this week of the new Google Visitor Experience , housed in the unique Gradient Canopy offices at the Mountain View company’s campus. There’s a plaza filled with Burning Man Project art, a 2,600-square foot gathering space called the Huddle that’s like the best-designed living room in the house of your dreams (which can be booked by community groups for meetings) and a Google store that has everything from Pixel watches to Google 25th anniversary bucket hats.

(George Avalos/Bay Area News Group)

Google Visitor Experience center and the Google Store in the tech titan's Gradient Canopy office building at 2000 North Shoreline Boulevard in Mountain View. (George Avalos/Bay Area News Group)

Google Gradient Canopy office building at 2000 North Shoreline Boulevard in Mountain View, as seen through an archway in Halo, an art structure crafted by SOFTlab. (George Avalos/Bay Area News Group)

The Orb, artwork created by THEVERYMANY LLC, located next to Google's Gradient Canopy office building at 2000 North Shoreline Boulevard in Mountain View. (George Avalos/Bay Area News Group)

(Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)

Guests look over items for sale in the new Google Store on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Mountain View, Calif. Google opened a visitor center, cafe, and store at their campus along Shoreline Boulevard. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)

President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet and Google, Ruth Porat speaks in front of the new Google Store on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Mountain View, Calif. Google opened a visitor center, cafe, and store at their campus along Shoreline Boulevard. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)

A toy bicycle for sale in the new Google Store on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Mountain View, Calif. Google opened a visitor center, cafe, and store at their campus along Shoreline Boulevard. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)

Items for sale in the new Google Store on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Mountain View, Calif. Google opened a visitor center, cafe, and store at their campus along Shoreline Boulevard. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)

The Huddle area of the new Visitor Experience at Google on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Mountain View, Calif. Google opened a visitor center, cafe, and store at their campus along Shoreline Boulevard. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)

Coffee cups for sale in the new Google Store on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Mountain View, Calif. Google opened a visitor center, cafe, and store at their campus along Shoreline Boulevard. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)

The outdoor seating area in front of the new Visitor Experience at Google on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Mountain View, Calif. Google opened a visitor center, cafe, and store at their campus along Shoreline Boulevard. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)

A guest looks over items at the new Cafe in the Visitor Experience area of Google on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Mountain View, Calif. Google opened a visitor center, cafe, and store at their campus along Shoreline Boulevard. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)

Got an aunt visiting from Phoenix? No problem. Take here there for art, tech and food, all in one impressive space surrounded by trees. And it’s close to the Computer History Museum, which makes for a great pairing. Admittedly, the Apple Park Visitor Center in Cupertino arrived on the scene first, but its biggest draw is the Apple Store there and those aren’t hard to find. Google’s store is its first brick-and-mortar location on the West Coast.

But what really sets the Google Visitor Experience apart is the emphasis on Mountain View and the surrounding Bay Area community. Oakland artist Miguel Arzabe, who creates woven art, was hosting hands-on artmaking workshops at the Huddle on Thursday and Friday, and he’ll return to do the same later this month. Also in October, San Jose’s MACLA gallery will have a screen printing workshop and the Local Color art collective will host both a painting activity and a button-making workshop.

And besides making your own art, you can support local artists, too.  The Pop-Up Shop next to the Huddle is home to the Moment Marketplace, with the San Jose Made team showcasing locally designed and created goods. The theme for the first three months is “Tiny Objects,” with all sorts of little things like pins, stickers and cards, but that’ll switch up every quarter to something new.

While there are lots of events on the calendar, the first Community Day on the Plaza is Oct. 21 with food trucks, live music and artmaking activities going on from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can get details on that and other events at visit.withgoogle.com.

BLESSED EVENT: Testarossa Winery in Los Gatos celebrated the 136th harvest on Wednesday afternoon with its traditional “blessing of the grapes,” performed by Rev. Peter Pabst, chancellor of Cristo Rey San Jose Jesuit High School. Testarossa is on the site of the old Novitiate Winery, and Testarossa owners Rob and Diana Jensen have had a traditional blessing since they took over in 1997.

Following the ceremony, they hosted lunch for all the former students of the Novitiate of Los Gatos, as well as the residents and staff of the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center — and that included some clergy members who picked grapes there starting in the 1940s. Rob Jensen noted that Oct. 11, 1888 was the first harvest at the Novitiate Winery, so it was the perfect day for the celebration — not to mention it was also Diana Jensen’s birthday.

The only question we couldn’t answer was if wine from blessed grapes tastes better. It seemed it would take a lot of taste testing to determine, and there was no guarantee anyone would remember the answer afterward.

HEARTFELT RETURN: With all the tragedy going on in Israel, the Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival may certainly mean something more to festivalgoers than it does in other years when it opens Sunday at the ShowPlace ICON theater in Mountain View.

The festival opens at 7 p.m. Sunday with “Remembering Gene Wilder,” a documentary about the memorable comic actor that will be followed by a Q&A with producers David Knight and Julie Nimoy and director Ron Frank, moderated by Jeff Applebaum (a funny guy in his own right). It continues through Oct. 29 with three more in-theater events at the Palo Alto JCC and the Mountain View ICON, as well as online screenings. Get all the details at www.svjff.org .

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Inside Google's new visitor center in Mountain View

By scott budman • published october 12, 2023 • updated on october 12, 2023 at 6:47 pm.

One of the world's biggest tech companies is peeling back the curtain a little, letting the public inside its headquarters.

NBC Bay Area's Scott Budman takes you inside Google's new visitor center in Mountain View.

Check it out in the video player above.

Google is opening a cafe, store and event space to the general public near its headquarters

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Opening its doors to the community, Google unveils new visitor center in Mountain View

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In celebration of its 25-year anniversary, Google is launching a new “Visitor Experience” center at its Mountain View headquarters, with the grand opening scheduled for today, Oct. 12.

“This is a first for Google,” said Scott Foster, vice president of real estate and workplace services, referring to the opening of Google’s doors to the community.

It is an intentional visitor experience, accessible to the public, Foster said, addressing an audience of Google executives, dignitaries and media members attending a preview of the center Wednesday morning.

Located at Google’s Gradient Canopy (formerly Charleston East), the Visitor Experience is part of a larger corporate complex that was years in the making , according to Google President Ruth Porat, who described the vision of the building’s design.

The Gradient Canopy – a 620,000 square foot, circular structure, with dragon-scale solar panel roof and sustainably sourced and reclaimed materials – reflects a new kind of work culture, one that focuses on big open spaces, light, energy and community, Porat said. It also is closely connected to nature, she said.

The Visitor Experience is part of this vision, dedicating space designed for the community and meant for “neighbors, visitors and Googlers,” according to the company’s website.

It also is Google’s first brick-and-mortar store on the West Coast, Porat said.

The center is expansive, with a number of different kinds of venues and experiences open to the public. It features a Google store, where visitors can see and try out company gadgets, an events space, a public cafe and a pop-up shop to showcase local businesses.

The center also has an area, known as the “Huddle” – a collaborative space to bring people together – and an outdoor plaza that features large public art installations.

A tour of the site reveals constant interplay of technology and nature, where outdoor and indoor spaces meld together in a show of biophilic design elements. “It’s all part of using plants, light, patterns and materials that connects the built environment with nature,” said Michele Kaufmann, an architect and Google director of R+D for the built environment.

Celebrating these architectural and design innovations, Foster announced that the Gradient Canopy recently achieved a Living Building Challenge Materials Petal Certification, which he described as one of the most ambitious green building certifications in the world.

Mountain View Mayor Alison Hicks drew attention to these sustainable design elements as well, while also describing the site as a community asset. “It gives both locals and tourists an actual place to come and celebrate our community of tech and innovation,” she said.

“It is a place you can come solo with family and friends or for social gatherings, and a place that immerses you in native landscaping, great architecture and public art,” she added.

The preview of the Visitor Experience also served as a chance to announce Google’s philanthropic contributions. It is donating a $1 million grant to Community Services Agency in Mountain View, an organization dedicated to improving access to services for low-income, homeless and other economically vulnerable community members.

State Assembly member Marc Berman commended the investment, while emphasizing the importance of venues, like the Visitor Experience, to bring people together, particularly after the social isolation of the pandemic.

“I want to thank Google for its long-standing partnership with the city of Mountain View, and its very significant investment to open these new community assets up to surrounding residents,” he said.

To kick-off the center’s opening, Google has lined-up a schedule of free concerts, workshops and talks that will run from Oct. 12 to Oct. 22.

On Saturday, Oct. 21, Google will host its first “Community Day on the Plaza.” The event will feature a morning dance party, live music, food trucks, a makers-market, workshops and other family-friendly activities.

The Visitor Experience center, located at 2000 N. Shoreline Blvd., is open seven days a week, Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More information about the visitor center, including its grand opening, is available online .

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Opening its doors to the community, Google unveils new visitor center in Mountain View

• Click to share on X (Opens in new window)
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In celebration of its 25-year anniversary, Google has launched a new “Visitor Experience” center at its Mountain View headquarters, with the grand opening on Oct. 12.

“This is a first for Google,” said Scott Foster, vice president of real estate and workplace services, referring to the opening of Google’s doors to the community.

It is an intentional visitor experience, accessible to the public, Foster said, addressing an audience of Google executives, dignitaries and media members attending a preview of the center on Oct. 11.

Located at Google’s Gradient Canopy (formerly Charleston East), the Visitor Experience is part of a larger corporate complex that was years in the making , according to Google President Ruth Porat, who described the vision of the building’s design.

The Gradient Canopy — a 620,000 square foot, circular structure, with dragon-scale solar panel roof and sustainably sourced and reclaimed materials — reflects a new kind of work culture, one that focuses on big open spaces, light, energy and community, Porat said. It also is closely connected to nature, she said.

The Visitor Experience is part of this vision, dedicating space designed for the community and meant for “neighbors, visitors and Googlers,” according to the company’s website.

It also is Google’s first brick-and-mortar store on the West Coast, where visitors can see and try out company gadgets, Porat said.

The center is expansive, with a number of different kinds of venues and experiences open to the public. It features an events space, a public cafe and a pop-up shop to showcase local businesses.

The center also has an area, known as the “Huddle” — a collaborative space to bring people together — and an outdoor plaza that features large public art installations.

A tour of the site reveals constant interplay of technology and nature, where outdoor and indoor spaces meld together in a show of biophilic design elements.

“It’s all part of using plants, light, patterns and materials that connects the built environment with nature,” said Michele Kaufmann, an architect and Google director of R+D for the built environment.

Celebrating these architectural and design innovations, Foster announced that the Gradient Canopy recently achieved a Living Building Challenge Materials Petal Certification, which he described as one of the most ambitious green building certifications in the world.

Mountain View Mayor Alison Hicks drew attention to these sustainable design elements as well, while also describing the site as a community asset.

“It gives both locals and tourists an actual place to come and celebrate our community of tech and innovation,” she said.

“It is a place you can come solo with family and friends or for social gatherings, and a place that immerses you in native landscaping, great architecture and public art,” she added.

The preview of the Visitor Experience also served as a chance to announce Google’s philanthropic contributions. It is donating a $1 million grant to Community Services Agency in Mountain View, an organization dedicated to improving access to services for low-income, homeless and other economically vulnerable community members.

State Assembly member Marc Berman commended the investment, while emphasizing the importance of venues, like the Visitor Experience, to bring people together, particularly after the social isolation of the pandemic.

“I want to thank Google for its long-standing partnership with the city of Mountain View, and its very significant investment to open these new community assets up to surrounding residents,” he said.

To kick-off the center’s opening, Google has lined-up a schedule of free concerts, workshops and talks that run through Oct. 22.

On Saturday, Oct. 21, Google will host its first “Community Day on the Plaza.” The event will feature a morning dance party, live music, food trucks, a makers-market, workshops and other family-friendly activities.

The Visitor Experience center, located at 2000 N. Shoreline Blvd., is open seven days a week, Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More information about the visitor center is available online at visit.withgoogle.com/ .

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Visit Googleplex: A Comprehensive Tour Of Google's Headquarters

Next time in Silicon Valley, consider visiting Googleplex - Google's massive headquarters.

Read update

More Information About Visiting Googleplex

If one is interested in the great modern tech companies of the world, then consider popping in and visiting their headquarters in Silicon Valley. Many of them are based in the Bay Area and some have visitor centers, while others are closed to the public. It is possible to walk around Google's headquarters and see how one of the largest and most innovative companies in the world plans its workspace. Many people would love to have a Googleplex tour and see a Google Visitor Center.

Google is a company that needs no introduction, its Google Maps are also some of the best in the world for navigating - regardless of the country one is in. Google tries to be an innovative and fun company that people would want to work for. While using Google Maps or other Google services, keep an eye out for Google's humorous Easter Eggs.

UPDATE: 2023/04/30 16:46 EST BY AARON SPRAY

Googleplex is one of the most notable complexes in Silicon Valley today. Googleplex is the dynamic headquarters of Google (Alphabet) and visiting facilities are subject to change. This article was updated and expanded with more information about visiting Googleplex and if there are any Googleplex tours or a Google Visitor Center to explore.

What To Know About Google's Headquarters - Googleplex

Googleplex is the name of Google's corporate headquarters and is located at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway in Mountain View, California. It is the home of the search giant's parent company, Alphabet Inc.

• Location: 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View
• Area: Spread Out Over 12 Acres
• Parent Company: Alphabet Inc.
• NYC Office: At 111 Eighth Avenue

At 2 million square feet of office space, Googleplex is Google's second-largest office space complex after its building at 111 Eighth Avenue in New York City.

The name of the headquarters takes its name from "Google" and "Complex" - i.e. a complex of buildings. It is also a reference to Google's name - "googolplex" impossibly high number large number 10(10100), or 10googol.

• "Googolplex": 10(10100), or 10googol

Googleplex is on the site that was previously used by Silicon Graphics (SGI) - some of their properties were purchased by Google in 2006 for $319 million.

Related: The Biggest Mistakes Tourists Make In New York City (And How To Avoid Them)

Facilities And Attractions At Googleplex

The complex is a sprawling one and covers a large area. The buildings are not high rise and are of relatively low height.

Inside can be trippy and the lobby boasts a piano and a projection of current live Google search queries. One can find a dinosaur skeleton there and a replica of SpaceShipOne. The purpose of the T-Rex skeleto n (with twirling flamingos) is a reminder to its employees (called Googlers) to stay relevant and not become dinosaurs.

Built with an eye to a more relaxed vision of workspace, Googleplex offers free laundry rooms, two small swimming pools, volleyball courts, and eighteen cafeterias.

• T-Rex Skeleton: On Display In Googleplex - The Main Building
• Cafeterias: Eighteen Cafeterias With Diverse Menus
• Employee Facilities: Include Access To Fitness Classes, Massages, A 24/7 Gym, An On-Site Doctor, Dry-Cleaning Facilities, Cafeterias

Around 3 miles or 5 kilometers away from the main Googleplex headquarters is another large campus called "The Quad". It is located in Mountain View at 399 N Whisman Road.

Related: 20 Surprising Things About Times Square Tourists Should Know

Visiting Google's Googleplex

"While visitors can visit the grounds, they are not permitted inside the buildings unless they are escorted by a Google employee. The company doesn’t run tours." CNBC

Unfortunately, the buildings are not open to the public. Visiting the complex, one will find it to be more of a campus than an office building. Google doesn't run tours as such.

To get from one side of the campus to the other, Google supplies its employees with free colorful “G Bikes.”

Attractions and Instagramming spots include a sculpture garden featuring various Android statues, one for each version of Android. The Android statues are all named after sweets and candies - there's a cupcake, donut, ice-cream sandwich, KitKat, gingerbread, and honeycomb.

• Android Statues: One Of The Main Instagramming Attractions at Googleplex

In 2018 Google was pushing forward with plans to expand and build massive new buildings that would include more than 10,000 square feet of publicly accessible areas. Those areas include retail space, cafes, or other amenities located in the middle of the building.

There was a retail store called Google Merchandise Store located at 1981 Landings Drive, but that closed. Instead, one can shop online .

Another Silicon Valley tech giant to visit is Apple's, Apple Park . While the main building and campus are closed to the public, they do have a visitor center with a cafe. There are not really any specific Googleplex tours, but if one would like a tour of Silicon Valley in general, there are options for that.

Silicon Valley: Self-Driven Audio Tour for Technology Lovers is a tour that enables one to discover the modern world's birthplace on a self-driven tour in Silicon Valley. One will see the headquarters of tech giants like Facebook and Amazon, and explore tech headquarters open to visitors, like Google’s Googleplex.

Are There Googleplex Tours & A Google Visitor Center?

Previously it was possible to explore the visitor center with an escort. People needed to contact the Google Public Affairs team in advance to arrange an escort, but Google seems to have discontinued that now.

The Google Visitor Center was a great way to learn about the history of Google and see some of its early products. The visitor center was set up more as a museum complete with a replica of the original Google search engine. The entrance ticket was $17.50 and offers a behind-the-scenes tour into some of the buildings of the complex - including Googleplex.

However, as of 2023, it seems that the Google Visitor Center is permanently closed and Googleplex tours are no longer offered.

Still, people can visit Googleplex and see the 100 buildings in its sprawling campus at Mountain View and Sunnyvale. Check out the Google Merchandise Store at 1674 N Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, CA and buy shirts, hats, cups, and other Google, YouTube, and Android branded merchandise.

Visitors are still able to wander around the campus and see Stand the T-Rex, ride colorful bikes, etc. Take the time to snap some Instagram photos with the Android lawn statues. After visiting Silicon Valley, take the time to visit the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.

Next: 10 Destinations For All Of Us Obsessed With Technology (10 Where We Can Escape It)

Silicon Valley Guide

Silicon Valley , located in Northern California, is home to iconic technology companies like Apple, Google, Meta, and Uber. This guide gives an overview of things to do in Silicon Valley and is intended for software engineers and programmers looking for geeky Silicon Valley points of interest. Every year, thousands of geeks visit the Silicon Valley destinations outlined in this guide. 

The Silicon Valley Tour page provides more information for visitors that want a guided tour.

Follow us on Twitter and YouTube .

Quick facts

Population is around 4 million

Highest median house prices in the US

28% of jobs are in high-tech

15% more men than women

What to see

Silicon Valley covers a wide geographic area and points of interest are spread out among several cities. The following map  highlights the attractions listed in this guide. 

What to expect : Visitors are often surprised when they arrive in Silicon Valley. The area is mostly suburban, filled with office parks . Companies are geographically dispersed and the traffic is bad. Many companies are developing innovative technology, but the work is done in access-restricted office buildings, hidden from the public.

Facebook Headquarters 

Geek Appeal: ★★★★ | 15 minutes

1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025

Facebook, the social media giant, is based in a 40,000-square-meter main campus designed by Frank Gehry.

The Good: Take a selfie next to the big thumb up sign and make it your Facebook profile picture. 

The Bad: There isn't anything else to see unless you know a Facebook employee.

Fun fact: The back of the sign still has the old logo of Sun Microsystems, the previous tenant of the campus.

Tip: During  warm seasons, the Facebook Farmers Market is hosted on the main parking lot.

Learn more: Facebook Menlo Park

Sandhill Road

Geek Appeal: ★ | 5 minutes

Sandhill Rd, Menlo Park, CA

Sandhill Road is home to the most powerful venture capital firms in Silicon Valley. Firms such as Andreessen Horowitz , Sequoia Capital , Accel , Benchmark Capital , Kleiner Perkins , and Greylock Partners are located here. Entrepreneurs come to this area to meet venture capitalists and raise money for their start-ups.

The Bad: There isn't anything to see here except for office buildings.

Fun Facts: 

Sand Hill Road has the most expensive office space in the United States. 

Cougar Night was a weekly dating event previously hosted at the five-star Rosewood Sand Hill hotel. Read more at Vanity Fair .

Read more: The VC Address of Choice: Sand Hill Road.

Stanford University

450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305

Geek Appeal: ★★★★ | 1 hour

Stanford University is where many of the biggest tech companies, like Google, Yahoo, and Cisco, were founded.

The Good : Beautiful campus. Very smart (and sometimes famous) students and faculty.

The Bad: Parking can be hard to find if you visit on a weekday during the school year.

Tip: Parking is easier to find on the weekend.

Learn more: YouTube

(Image CC from small-world .)

Tesla Motors Show Room

Geek Appeal: ★★★★ | 30 minutes

4180 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306

Telsa's showrooms are open to the public.  Browse  and learn about their electric vehicles, even if you can't afford the cars!

Test drive: You can test drive cars for free if you are over 25 years old and have a valid US driver's license. This requires making an appointment ahead of time on the Tesla website.

The Good: Friendly staff. Sales people aren't pushy. Free test drives.

Tesla also has showrooms and stores in San Jose, Fremont, and Sunnyvale.

Geek Appeal: ★★ | 2 minutes

367 Addison Ave., Palo Alto, California

Hewlett Packard was founded in this garage in 1939.

The Good : Located in a pleasant Palo Alto neighborhood.

The Bad: The garage is part of a residential property and is only viewable from the street. You cannot go inside the garage.

Nikola Tesla Statue

260 Sheridan Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306 

This statue of Nikola Tesla is also a free Wi-Fi access point and time capsule which will be opened in 2043. The statue was originally started as a Kickstarter project .

The Good: Tesla is relatively obscure compared to Edison, so it's nice to see him honored.

The Bad: It's just a statue.

Mountain View

Google Headquarters 

Geek Appeal: ★★★★★ | 30 minutes

2000 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, CA 94043

Google's headquarters, also known as the Googleplex , spans over 100 buildings in a sprawling campus in Mountain View and Sunnyvale. See this map for specific locations for taking your selfies!

The Google Visitor Center sells shirts, hats, cups, and other souvenirs with Google, YouTube, and Android branding. You can also buy the same goodies online .

Throughout the Google campus, you'll find quirky decorations such as physical Google Maps markers, Google Street View car , a volleyball court, and Stan the T-Rex . Colorful bikes are scattered across campus. Employees use these bikes to quickly travel between buildings on the massive campus.

The Good: Store is open during the weekdays.

The Bad:  Visitor Center is relatively small.

Fun Fact: Google has nine conference bikes where teams can hold meetings while cycling.

Read more: 

Googleplex (Wikipedia)

Google Visitor Center

The Computer History Museum

Geek Appeal: ★★★★★ | 1 hour

1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, CA 94043

The Computer History Museum is adjacent to Google's headquarters. The museum has the world's largest collection of historical computing artifacts, spanning from ancient counting machines to autonomous vehicles.

The Good: World's largest collection of historical computing artifacts. Hosts a model Google self-driving car that you can sit inside.

Price: $17.50 (General Admission)

Tip: Groupon frequently has discounts for the Computer History Museum

(Image CC from brianjmatis on Flickr. See more .)

Shockley Semiconductor

391 San Antonio Rd., Mountain View, CA 94040

Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory was the very first company working on silicon devices. Today, a produce market occupies the space. 

The Good: It's fun to say that you purchased produce from the same place the transistor was invented.

The Bad: It's a produce market.

Image from Wikimedia Commons .

Geek Appeal: ★★★ | 30 minutes

Moffett Field, California 94035

The NASA Ames site has two parts. The first part is the NASA Exploration Center . This is a small exhibit that showcases the work done at NASA Ames. The second part is the Moffett Field Historical Museum . This contains history around the country's airships during the first half of the 20th century.

The Good: Gift shop has neat NASA gear. 

The Bad : The Exploration Center and Moffett Field Historical Museum are small. Touring each will take about 30 minutes.

Apple Visitor Center

10600 N Tantau Ave, Cupertino, CA 95014

Apple's headquarters are located in Cupertino. They have a company store that's open to the public. It's the only place in the world that sells Apple-branded t-shirts, caps, and accessories. The store is the only part of the campus that's open to the public.

The Good: View Apple's futuristic spaceship campus can be viewed from the terrace.

The Bad: The site is mostly a collection of office buildings and access is heavily restricted.

Read more: Wikipedia | Official Site

Original Apple Garage

Geek Appeal: ★★★ | 2 minutes

2066 Crist Dr., Los Altos, CA 94024

The original garage where Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started Apple. It is now a historic site.

Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Santa Clara

Intel Museum

2200 Mission College Boulevard, Santa Clara, CA 95054

This corporate museum hosts the history the of the Intel Corporation. There is also a gift shop where you can by Intel schwag.

The Good : Free. This museum is unique because of its focus on semiconductors.

The Bad : Relatively small. Focuses exclusively on Intel technology.

Hacker Dojo

Geek Appeal: ★★ | 20 minutes

3350 Thomas Rd, Santa Clara, CA 95054

The Hacker Dojo is a place where computer enthusiasts can hang out, in the spirit of the Homebrew Computer Club . It was the first location in California to host a Bitcoin ATM. Check out their calendar of events .

The Good : Great community focused on technology and hacking.

Learn more: Fox News

Whole Foods - Pay with Palm

2732 Augustine Dr Ste 1600, Santa Clara, CA 95054

Geek Appeal: ★

If you're interested in biometric authentication, this Whole Foods lets you pay with your palm using Amazon One ! Otherwise, it's just a regular grocery store.

The Tech Museum of Innovation

Geek Appeal: ★★★ | 1 hour

201 South Market St., San Jose, CA 95113

Price: $15 for adults, $10 for kids

The Good: Unique displays that teach basic science concepts.

The Bad: This museum is targeted to kids, so you may feel out of place if you're an adult.

Read more: Yelp

Immersive Game Box

2855 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95050

Step into the Gamebox and enter a fully-private, interactive digital room featuring projection mapping, touch screens, motion tracking, and surround sound to enjoy a hyper-immersive 60-minute adventure.

San Francisco

San Francisco is typically not considered to be part of Silicon Valley, but many hot startups have migrated to the city. Many young tech workers live in San Francisco and commute to the suburbs for work. People in the Bay Area refer to San Francisco as "the city" or "SF".

Fun fact: there are self-cleaning toilets throughout the city. The newer ones are metallic pods, like this .

Salesforce Tower

Salesforce Tower is the headquarters for Salesforce. It's adjacent to Salesforce Park on the Salesforce Transit Center.

Pros: It's a nice park.

Cons: It's just a park.

Learn more: Wikipedia

Yoda Fountain

1 Letterman Dr, San Francisco, CA 94129

A life-size Yoda fountain is positioned at the Lucasfilms HQ. 

Learn more: Yelp

Noisebridge

2169 Mission St, 3rd floor, San Francisco, CA 94110

Noisebridge is a 5,200 square-foot space with an electronics lab, machine shop, sewing/crafting supplies, photography darkroom, and more. 

Hillsdale Shopping Center, 60 E 31st Ave #304, San Mateo, CA 94403

Play virtual reality games in an immersive experience.

LEGOLAND® Discovery Center

870 Great Mall Dr, Milpitas, CA 95035

Indoor LEGO playground located at the Great Mall in Milpitas, CA.

Recycling Vending Machine (at Safeway)

555 E. Calaveras Blvd, Milpitas, CA 95035

Yes, it's just a Safeway grocery store. But, they have a cool machine where you can bring your recycles and get reimbursed. Powered by Olyns .

University of California, Berkeley

UC Berkeley is a public university. Many Silicon Valley startups were founded by UC Berkeley alum. The campus is open for visitors.

The MADE - Video Game Museum

3400 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611

The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (The MADE) is a non-profit dedicated to the preservation of video game history and to educating the public as to how video games are created.

Price: $10 to play games all day

Pros: Comprehensive collection of video games and consoles.

Cons: Relatively small.

Ace Monster Toys

6050 Lowell St. Ste 214, Oakland, CA 94608

Ace Monster Toys is a hackerspace. It has a large collection of tools and machines. They also host regular events for hacking .

Learn more about Silicon Valley Tours.

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Discover the new Google Visitor Experience in Silicon Valley

Last updated: 10/18/2023

Discover the Google Visitor Experience, a complex located in Silicon Valley created with the aim of connecting visitors with one of the main technology companies on the planet!

Founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two doctoral students from Stanford University , Google is one of the best-known multinational companies in the world. Although it is spread all over the world, the The company's headquarters are located in the city of Mountain View , in Silicon Valley, about 60 km south of San Francisco, California.

With an innovative work philosophy, colorful bicycles, free food and several other benefits for its employees, Google has established itself as a differentiated company in the technology market, with software services and online products. Most people who travel to Northern California take the opportunity to visit the company's campus, although it is not possible to visit the inside, as it does not offer tours of its offices. Paulo has worked at Google headquarters since 2015 and, therefore, we live in Mountain View and are up to date with the company's latest news and launches!

GOOGLE VISITOR EXPERIENCE IN SILICON VALLEY

To celebrate the company's 25th anniversary, the Google Visitor Experience was opened on October 12, 2023, a complex for visitors that is not really a visitor center and, therefore, don't expect exhibitions telling details about Google's history and legacy. The idea is to offer spaces that aim to bring together the community, not just employees, but family, friends, admirers and curious people.

This visitor area is located in a brand new office building with a super modern design, known as Gradient Canopy , which can be admired in the official video below. The building is at the forefront of sustainability, as it was built with healthy materials, avoiding waste and with a design that seeks minimize bird strikes with the building.

WHAT TO FIND OUT ON GOOGLE VISITOR EXPERIENCE

The complex is located in the heart of Google's headquarters and is intended to be a connection area and offer a series of events to unite the community. and is basically made up of 5 spaces: The Plaza, Google Store, Cafe @ Mountain View, Pop-Up Shop and The Huddle, as shown in the map below (to access the official interactive map, click here ). Next, see more information about each of these spaces.

1. THE PLAZA

The first contact that visitors have when they arrive at Google Visitor Experience is with a beautiful square wooded and landscaped with many works of art, known as The Plaza . The space was created to host a series of outdoor social events, musical performances, yoga sessions and more. The site is home to 6 interactive artworks from the Burning Man Project. Are they:

• ROCKSPINNER :  Designed by the artist Zachary Coffin , the interactive work is a multi-ton rock that can be rotated by a mechanism that was first patented in 1869 by a Paris bicycle mechanic.

• GO : This work developed by Hou de Sousa , reflects the oldest board game in the world, created in China 4 thousand years ago! You can play by turning the black and white discs, each with a different question, totaling almost 600 questions.

• CURIOUS :  Developed by Mr & Mrs Ferguson Art , this work forms the symbol of California, the grizzly bear. It has around 160,000 pennies (American 1-cent coins) that make up the bear's skin.

• THE ORB : This work that stands out in the square was designed by the artist Marc Fornes / Theverymany and developed using cutting-edge computational methods. The sculpture is made from ultra-thin aluminum and is made up of 6,441 individual flat pieces and 217,847 rivets, assembled by hand, piece by piece.

• QUANTUM MEDITATION II :   Inspired by the artist's training Julian Voss-Andrea In quantum physics, this sculpture is constructed from “wave fronts”, which are parallel stainless steel plates forming a female body on her knees, with her hands on her legs.

• HALO : Crossing the street, separated from the other sculptures, next to Charleston Park, this work of art produced by the SOFTlab . It is formed by a dichroic film in the crystalline interior that produces a beautiful effect through the principle of thin film interference, selectively passing light from a small range of colors while reflecting others.

2. GOOGLE STORE

The main attraction of Google Visitor Experience is the Google Store , a store where you can buy the latest products from Google, including phones, tablets, watches, cameras, headphones and more. There are employees who are available to help and provide support, including Pixel phone repairs. Google-branded merchandise is also available for purchase. At the back of the store is an event space that will regularly host educational programs and workshops for all ages.

3. CAFE @ MOUNTAIN VIEW

O Cafe @ Mountain View It is Google's first public dining experience, as the restaurants serving the offices are not open to the general public, only to employees and guests. The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and snacks available for purchase, the café offers counter service in a casual setting, with tables indoors or on the outdoor patio. The place is decorated with three murals Farm to Table Roadtrip by the artist John Patrick Thomas .

With sustainability and biodiversity in mind, the chefs created delicious dishes using locally harvested, seasonal ingredients. Menu options include healthy sandwiches, salads, desserts, pastries (muffin, croissant, brownie, cookie), coffee or tea options served by a barista and non-alcoholic drinks. The menu is quite democratic, offering options for all tastes and preferences. As vegans, we checked if the restaurant offers options free of ingredients of animal origin and the answer is yes, although few and without clear indication on the menu. We recommend asking before ordering.

4. POP-UP SHOP

Pop-Up Shop is a retail space for local manufacturers and small businesses to showcase their products, which feature a rotating selection, allowing you to discover new products and support businesses in the local community. San Jose Made's MOMENT-curated Tiny Object Marketplace shop features more than 70 original and one-of-a-kind pieces of art. The goal is to share the joy, fun and beauty of small, handcrafted objects and celebrate the local makers, artists and designers who create them.

5. THE HUDDLE

The Huddle is a community connection platform. In this space, you can participate in events, workshops and lectures organized by Google, local community groups and non-profit organizations.

HOW TO GET TO GOOGLE VISITOR CENTER

Google Visitor Experience is located at the company's headquarters in Mountain View, Silicon Valley. It is housed in a building with super modern architecture that was recently built known as Gradient Canopy. See the main ways to get to the Google Visitor Center:

• CAR: The best way to get there is by car, as Silicon Valley is not very friendly to pedestrians. You can rent a car when traveling in the region. There are two free parking lots: one on the Shoreline Amphitheater Lot C , crossing the street, and the Alta Garage (with recharging service for electric cars). Parking is not permitted at Shoreline Amphitheater on concert days at the amphitheater.

• PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: The only form of public transport serving the area is the VTA Route 40 bus which operates daily and has stops on Charleston Street and Huff Street, both close to the Google Visitor Experience. If you are in San Francisco, take the caltrain to Mountain View station and then the bus.
• BICYCLE: For those who venture by bike, there is a place to park near the west entrance of Gradient Canopy (looking over Charleston Park and Googleplex). You need to bring your own padlock to secure the bike.
• UBER/LYFT/TAXI: There is also the option of using a taxi service or rideshare services from Uber or Lyft, which operate very well throughout the region.
• Private Tour of Silicon Valley
• Silicon Valley Private Tour
• From San Francisco: Private Tour to Silicon Valley
• Silicon Valley Tour

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Google visitor experience.

• Address:  2000 N Shoreline Blvd Ground Floor, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
• Schedules: from Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm | Sunday from 10am to 5pm
• Entrance:  free
• Contact: It is possible to contact via email [email protected]

Save these tips to Pinterest!

Read more about Google:

• 10 Google tools to help with travel
• Silicon Valley: Google Visitor Center
• Google Headquarters Tour in Silicon Valley

ARE YOU GOING TO TRAVEL? SCHEDULE YOUR TRIP HERE!

  hotel reservation :  use the  booking.com to book your accommodation,   car rental : get a quote at  rentcars   and check the price at the main rental companies in the world,   tickets & tours :  buy tickets to the world's top attractions online with get your guide ,   tickets & tours :  buy tickets for tours and guided tours online at civitatis ,   sports events tickets :  buy tickets to major us sporting events online with hellotickets ,   travel insurance :  quote with the  promo insurance  for different plans and destinations. use code "viajonarios5" to guarantee 5% off,   train in europe :  buy your train tickets at the best prices at  trainline ,   international cell phone chip  with the easysim4u  and leave with the chip working  before travelling,   purchase of foreign currency with the best exchange rates with exchange now , related articles more from the author.

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Visiting Googleplex - what's open to the public, what's it like?

Published on October 10, 2016

As some of you may be aware if you follow our sibling site, VR Source , our team was recently in San Jose for the Oculus Connect 3 developer conference.  I was the head orchestrator of said event and had a ton of fun. On the last day, with all my work caught up and the rest of team already flying back ahead of me, I had some spare time. Already in the area, naturally I decided to give the Googleplex a visit.

Because this was an impromptu visit on a late Friday afternoon on my part, I didn’t have an official Google escort during my time but that didn’t stop me from conducting a self-guided tour. So, what exactly is open to the public at the Googleplex and are there official public tours? Good question.

First, yes, anyone can visit Google – even if they have no industry contacts or friends that work there. The fairly massive campus is open to anyone who wants to wander around it, and I saw a number of apparent tourists snapping pics and looking around. That said, there are no official public tours and so visiting means that you will have to guide yourself around.

It’s important to note that pretty much all the buildings are a no-go unless you have a Google staffer showing you around, though you can step in a few lobbies. Talking with several Googlers, even with access there are only a few areas that are really that exciting, as anything really cool is obviously off limits to visitors even with an employee showing you around and mostly what you’re seeing are just office buildings.

So what can you see? You can walk around the entire campus, which is pretty big — like over a dozen acres big — and requires walking across a bridge and across the street if you want to cover the whole thing. From the side I started on, there were plenty of interesting things to check out including the new Android Nougat statue and a reproduction T-rex skeleton. I’ve been told they often change up the T-Rex scene, sometimes having him hanging out with (plastic) pink flamingos in the lawn, sometimes he’s mass attacked by them, etc.

You also see plenty of Googlers walking about, and considering I was visiting late – around 5PM – many of them were getting ready to head home. Another fun highlight were the Google-colored bicycles, which are used by Google employees to get around. Unfortunately, these bikes are reserved just for Googlers due to liability reasons and whatnot.

Walking around you’ll see plenty of sitting areas for working and conversing outdoors, as well as a couple of volleyball areas. It’s really a fun campus, and has a casual vibe to it.

Heading across the bridge and street, there’s a few other interesting things to check out. This includes the older Android statues in their own little spot. Next to these older statues is the Google Merchandise Store at 1981 Landings Drive.

This store is open to anyone and everyone and is filled with all sorts of goodies including Google apparel, Google-branded phone accessories like battery packs and wireless chargers, water bottles, pens, and the list goes on. It’s certainly a must visit place if you are on campus and I walked away with a few souvenirs for sure.

Now, in the past, that was pretty much all that was publicly open. I was told by a few Google employees that the new Google Visitor Center “Beta” is now open to the public as well, even without a Googler by your side (though I received a few conflicting reports on its public status) . If correct, this is a change from the past, where only guests that were accompanied by Googlers could get into the Visitor Center. Unfortunately, I was told the visitor center is only open until 5PM… which by this point it was going on close to 6PM. Maybe on my next visit? Fingers crossed.

After getting directions from some helpful folks, I also made my way over to a few things I missed. Namely, there is a cool sculpture garden with a number of stone busts showing important figures, and there is a garden area where food is grown that is actually used in the creation of food at the Google Cafe.

Were there other things publicly available to see that I missed? More than likely, but honestly even if I didn’t get to see everything during my time due to coming late (had too much OC3 work to catch up on), it was still quite the experience and I saw a lot.

For those who ever find themselves in the Bay area, I highly recommend giving the Google campus a tour. Also, if you visited many years ago, it might be worth re-visiting, as the site continues to change and more of it is becoming publicly accessible.

Anyone else visit the Googleplex in the past? What were some of the highlights of the experience? Let us know in the comments below.

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