The Goodwill Computer Works Store 8701-A Research (at Peyton Gin). Hours: Monday-Saturday,10am-7pm; Sunday, 11am-7pm. Check out the bargains and then cruise the museum; if Alex Bilstein is there (most Saturdays), maybe he’ll give you a tour. 512/835-8839. www.goodwillcomputerworks.net
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., Computer History Collection, sampled on the Web with links to further information and additional sites. Great machines and lots of very cool historical documents, typed on real typewriters. 202/357-1300. www.americanhistory.si.edu/csr/comphist/
The Computer Museum of Americaon the campus of Coleman College in La Mesa, California (suburban San Diego), describes its mission as “to preserve the major milestones in the development of the computer industry and to chronicle those milestones for the enrichment and education of all.” Good intentions, somewhat cheesy exhibits. 619/465-8226. www.computer-museum.org
The American Computer Museum, aka The Compuseum in Bozeman, Montana, says its mission is to “collect, preserve, interpret, and display the artifacts and history of the information age.” Moved from Princeton to Montana (“for the tourists”) with ambitious plans to build a huge facility … if some credulous dot-commers will come up with the scratch. 406/587-7545. www.compustory.com
The Vintage Computer Festival is not a place but an annual event that draws collectors and hobbyists from all over, as well as the museum entrepreneurs working the same territory. The Web site has great snaps of vintage nerds with their homemade exhibits: Science Fair on the Web! 888/742-6642×823. www.vintage.org
This article appears in December 8 • 2000.
