The Santa Clara Valley of northern California was, until the 1960s, a thriving agricultural center. The invention of computers and silicon chips quickly gave rise to high tech industries and gave the area its current name, Silicon Valley. The birthplace of Apple, eBay, Facebook and Google contains a multitude of attractions, including museums commemorating many aspects of history from ancient civilizations, art and music to advancements in modern technology.

Sunnyvale’s museums give you a glimpse into the history of the area and the social and economic forces that made it what it is today. Historical places, heritage sites, tech memorabilia, and defense-era buildings take you down the centuries in Sunnyvale’s history and show you its many characteristics: rural farmland, orchard farming, defense industry, and high tech suburb.