Things to Do at Hp Garage

The HP Garage at 367 Addison Avenue occupies a modest 12x18-foot space where Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard founded their company in 1938 with just $538 in capital, creating their first audio oscillator that Walt Disney purchased for Fantasia. Viewing is free (USD $0) from the sidewalk as the garage remains a private residence, but the historical marker provides context about this birthplace of Silicon Valley. The building dates to 1924 and was designated a California Historical Landmark in 1987. The narrow garage sits behind a simple stucco house, its blue wooden doors now permanently closed but still bearing the weight of tech history. Street sounds from busy Addison Avenue mix with rustling leaves from mature oak trees that have grown tall since the 1930s, while the faint scent of eucalyptus drifts from nearby Stanford campus. Standing on the sidewalk, you can almost imagine the buzz of electrical equipment and late-night conversations that once echoed from this unassuming space that helped launch the modern tech age.

The garage is located at 367 Addison Avenue in a quiet residential neighborhood of Palo Alto. If you're driving, street parking is available but can be limited - it's actually easier to park a few blocks away and walk. The Caltrain Palo Alto station is about a 15-minute walk, making it pretty accessible by public transit. From Stanford University , it's roughly a 10-minute drive or a pleasant bike ride through the tree-lined streets. The address puts you right in a typical Palo Alto neighborhood, so GPS should get you there without much trouble.