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How to Get to the Googleplex and Tour the Campus

Last Updated: June 1, 2024 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 231,264 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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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)

Welcome to the Google Visitor Experience

Connect, explore, and tap into your curiosity

Mountain View, California

The Google Visitor Experience is a new destination for everyone — neighbors, visitors, and Googlers — at our Gradient Canopy office in Mountain View. Connect with friends at the cafe, attend a community event at the Huddle, explore our hardware products and services at the Google Store, support local businesses at the Pop-Up Shop, and enjoy art and events on the plaza.

Watch on YouTube

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Learn where the Huddle, Cafe @ Mountain View, Pop-Up Shop, Google Store, and art are located at the Google Visitor Experience.

Explore what the experience has to offer

Cafe @ mountain view.

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

Explore art installations and outdoor events

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

Pop-Up Shop

Discover and support local makers and small businesses

Google Store

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

Become inspired by interactive and imaginative artworks

Join us at upcoming events

Attend events hosted by Google, local community groups, and nonprofits.

Plan Your Visit

Meet us in Mountain View

Learn more about hours of operation, parking, and FAQs.

Creating sustainable, inclusive places where local communities and Google can thrive

Google has called Mountain View home for more than two decades, and the Mountain View community is at the heart of the Google Visitor Experience.

It’s our goal to support local community organizations, small businesses, artists, nonprofits, and the Mountain View region as a whole. With a variety of programs and spaces designed to foster connection, we aim to enrich and enhance a sense of community for everyone who visits.

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How to Get a Tour of Google Headquarters, Mountain View, California

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**Important note: I keep getting emails from people who think I’m a Google employee— I DO NOT work for Google, nor have I ever worked for

My friend was gracious enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to give a tour of the Google campus to me and my mom while she was in town. Now, please note that we had just gotten back from touring a castle in Napa Valley the day before, so our standards were pretty high. But because this is Google we’re talking about, we were absolutely blown away by the campus.

To give some background, I absolutely adore Google, its products and its culture. It used to be a dream of mine to work for the search engine giant, but I’m really enjoying working for myself , so now I’m content admiring from afar.

We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside the offices, but I did get some photos of the campus. Below are just some highlights of what we saw:

An in-office minibar and keg. Because why not?

My friend showed us his office, and we stopped on the way to his cubicle. He gestured to the right. “We have a minibar and keg,” he said casually and shrugged his arms. “Because, why not?”

Laundry service, oil changes, haircuts, and more…

There is really no reason to ever leave the Google campus.

All the free coffee and snacks you could ever want

We passed countless snack areas and baristas. My mom and I got free lattes to go before we left the campus.

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Google even has their own colony of bees from which they can harvest honey that is sometimes made available in their cafeterias. The place in which they keep their bees is named, of course, “ The Hiveplex .”

Google has a dog-friendly work environment.

Cots–ahem, Napping Pods

You have to reserve these. valium buy online xanax order

A ball pit (yes, like the ones kids play in at Chuck E. Cheese)

At least this one was adult-sized. And  yes, it took every ounce of my self-control to not dive into it.

Relaxation areas and massage rooms

With all their perks, I’m not sure what Googlers are so stressed about…

tramadols buy tramadols

Google bicycles (AKA G bikes)

If you live in Silicon Valley, you’ve probably seen the brightly-colored Google bikes at some point. Googlers are free to just grab one to ride to a different part of campus, and just leave it there for the next Googler to use.

Oh, and this happened…

On our way out of the cafeteria, my friend pointed out a funny-looking contraption with a steering wheel in the middle, and bicycle wheels encircling it.

“That’s the conference bike,” he explained. “One person steers, and everyone else pedals as you hold your meeting.”

I stared at the contraption.

“You have to reserve it,” he told me, as though he could read my mind and knew I was about to hop on it and take it for a spin.

Cafeterias with free food galore

Ah yes, the highest of highlights. My friend invited us to grab lunch with him at one of the many cafeterias on campus. I was overwhelmed by the options: salad bars, meat carving stations, pizzas, vegetarian options, desserts, and a coffee bar bombarded me.

A bowling alley, swimming pools, treadmills, dance studios

We walked through a flurry of activity during our tour. In one office, a woman was walking on a treadmill. Then we passed these two guys swimming in the Google lap pools:

There was also a dance studio that holds a variety of different dance classes for Googlers to sign up for.

Good-looking people

Perhaps in part due to the previous perk, Googlers are fit and gorgeous. I have no photographic proof of this. Just trust me.

Japanese space toilets

Apparently, while I was busy admiring the dance studio, I missed out on the crown jewel of the entire Googleplex: the bathrooms.

My mom had to tell me about the many wonders of the toilets. The seats are heated, and there is a control on the side that lets you…um, how to put this delicately…lets you wash your front or your back, bidet style , and it even lets you control the water pressure and temperature. And yes, my mom got pictures:

So, you wanna work at Google now?

Get in line. Google gets more than a million applicants a year .

But if all you really want is to see the campus, the public is welcome to walk around the outside and see things like the Android sculpture garden. There is plenty to see outside. 

For more travel tips and stories, explore the rest of The Wherever Writer ! 

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Visiting Google and Twitter headquarters In San Francisco

If you are anything like me, you can't fly halfway around the world to San Francisco. and not at least attempt to sneak a peek at some tech company headquarters.

Let's start with the bad news

The disappointing news is that these are real life companies with real life people trying to get some work done, sometimes on projects that they don't want to make public yet. Although we'd love them to be a little more outsider friendly, at the moment you can't just walk up to their reception and demand a tour.

So let's work out how to help you not join the ranks of these slightly too expectant people:

I was very fortunate to have some very kind friends of friends who took the time to give us a peek but if you aren't best friends with Eric Schmidt and co there is still hope.

Getting to Google Headquarters

The Googleplex in Mountain View is a pretty big trek out of San Francisco and I have to warn you that it might be a bit far for all you get to see - just over 1 hour 30 mins to get there. If you are still super keen though, you can get out using the Caltrain and a bus which comes to just under $20/person for the round trip.

We took the "Limited" Caltrain from San Francisco's central Caltrain station to San Antonio.

From there we walked to the 'California & Showers' (name of the cross streets) stop for the number 40 bus just outside Target which cost just $1 each (you need exact change). If you are feeling lazy, you can actually get another bus - the number 32 - from the Caltrain station to just around the corner from this stop.

You are wanting to go see the Google Headquarters though - you probably have already found this on Google maps!

One thing to note that we missed - there is a free community shuttle called 'Mountain View Community shuttle' which does a loop near to the San Antonio station - if you research that a bit, you might be able to jump on there instead!

What you can do at Google Headquarters

So, to repeat myself, don't appear at the reception of one of the buildings, demand a tour and expect to receive a warm welcome as many seem to have done with disappointing results. The headquarters is pretty much like a university campus - lots of casually dressed people walking around between a group of buildings - provided you don't stick out like a sore thumb, you should be able to blend in. You'll not be able to get into any of the buildings as these are a bit more secure, but there should be no trouble soaking in the atmosphere around lunch time.

There are two main clusters of buildings - Buildings 1900, 1950 and 2000 form a small group to the east, while the neighbouring main 'Googleplex' cluster is found around a volleyball court and green area, just to the west of Charleston park. The rest of the complex is spread out around these, but the other buildings are much more boring and isolated.

Getting around

Now these are probably for Googlers (Googlees?) only but noone stopped us having a go; There are tonnes of brightly coloured Google bikes sitting everywhere - you can just jump on one to get across the campus a little quicker than walking (but much much more fun!).

Visiting the shop

A little more bad news for this bit - you need to have been signed in by a Google employee to get into the shop. I have no clue as to why this is, but they seemed quite strict checking IDs at the door.

Touring the campus with a Google Employee

So if you have a Googler buddy they'll know where to take you and most of this post is moot. We met Charles, a friend of a friend of a friend, who was kind enough to take time out of his lunch break to show us strangers around. Even more exciting he hosted us for lunch!

Google's food offering is massive - there are different places to eat in almost all of the buildings as well as various snack stations scattered throughout the buildings. Apparently Google has taken a policy of using simper, healthier food options now - where in the past they apparently offered things like lobster, now it is simpler pastas, gnocchi and things like that - still an incredible variety; even the pickiest eater would find something there!

After food he took us on a tour around, again mainly the outsides of the buildings, but a few quick dukes through some of the buildings too. A really great and insightful tour - loved every second! We ended up in the store at the end which meant I got to buy a t-shirt (new favourite bit of clothing). All in all a great visit - thanks Charles!

My top tips for touring Google without a Googler

• Try not to stand out as an obvious tourist - keep the photos subtle and dress like you are at work.

• Don't expect to get into any buildings, crazily, including the gift shop, unless you have found yourself a Google buddy to look after you.

• There are a few good photo ops with the Google logos on the buildings, particularly in the main cluster of buildings west of Charleston Park

• Take a ride on a bike, at least a short one on the cycle path through the Googleplex just for fun
• If you have time, on the way back, jump off the Caltrain at Palo Alto to check out Stanford University (we had return tickets to the city but didn't get into any trouble making a quick stop half way) - Lisa mentioned this more in her proper San Francisco post .

A quick look around Twitter

Another company I was excited to see the inner workings of was Twitter. The office is much easier to get to, being on Market Street, one of the main thoroughfares in the city centre.

Twitter is a good bit stricter with their building security - we had to get a badge (which required an invite + photo IDs for both of us) to get up to Twitter's floor, then we needed another ID and guide to get into the main headquarters - so you won't be as lucky casually sneaking in here for a look around. I also was a bit more worried about taking photos in here so sorry for the lack of them.

The headquarters is a warren of levels, spanning a few floors in the building. The main atrium doubles as the main canteen and also acts as the main venue for Twitter's weekly company-wide meetings. We were meeting Josie for lunch and were only able to see the common areas - not the work areas - but there were certainly a lot of these to see!

We'd started in the canteen, grabbing some food (which was a much fancier affair than Google's offering, albeit maybe a little less healthy looking!), then wound our way through several areas and floors in order to find a place to sit and eat.

There are several main themed areas, from the main, functional, canteen to quieter corners and coffee-shop like areas. The aesthetic was much less colourful and more natural, with a lot of wood paneling and partitions. All in all a much more professional feeling place to work, although maybe missing a little of the creative colour and energy which Google's aesthetic seemed to conjour.

There are plenty of other awesome tech companies scattered about San Francisco city centre that you might also be interested in checking out - we did a bit of a rushed tour of them but if you spent a bit more time to research and plan your route, you could see quite a few.

It is worth noting though that a lot of companies we attempted to go and visit had quite nondescript facades with very little reference to the company contained within - Airbnb and Pinterest where two we couldn't see any associated logos outside etc. We were told there might be some building regulations in the city which prevented them having logos outside the building which may have been the cause of this.

So if you are heading out to San Francisco and this blog hasn't put you off nosying around, good luck and have a great time! It can be pretty inspiring to see the 'real world' side of products and services we use every day.

Got a question? Ask us in the comments below or send us a tweet @ChaseTravelBlog

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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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Company announcements

Our new office is a love letter to Atlanta

Jul 27, 2022

[[read-time]] min read

Google has been a part of Atlanta for more than 20 years. There are more than 1,000 full-time Google employees in Georgia — in two offices in Atlanta and a data center in Douglas County — helping to build and support our products, and help our partners and customers across the South and nationally.

We recently opened our doors to the newest office space in Midtown Atlanta at the 1105 West Peachtree building. This new Google office encompasses 19 floors spanning 500,000 square feet, and is a part of our broader investment in local communities across the U.S.

Atlanta has a rich civil rights history and is home to top Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and tech talent. Continuing our long-term investment here will help support our Black Googler community in Atlanta, in line with our racial equity commitments .

Inspired by the city’s legacy for social change, our office was designed as an homage to the people of Atlanta, with each floor an ode to Atlanta’s cultural, musical and artistic history. We worked with more than 50 local and diverse companies to design and build the new space, including artwork from more than 20 local artists.

A giant heart outlining the Google Atlanta sign greets you in the lobby. One of the staircases features a rainbow design — in support and celebration of the LGBTQ+ community — inspired by the city’s nearby rainbow crosswalks. The WERD Cafe, our Googler cafeteria, is named for the first Black-owned and programmed U.S. radio station.

The ATL office lobby greets you with a mix of fun design and an emphasis on music. From record players to boomboxes, it’s a reflection of Atlanta’s musical history.

An internal rainbow staircase supports and celebrates the LGBTQ+ community, which is inspired by the city’s nearby crosswalks in Midtown Atlanta.

This cassette wall was furnished by Atlanta Googlers, and pays homage to Atlanta’s culture, musical and artistic history.

The WERD Cafe & Coffee Bar serves as the breakfast and lunch area for Googlers, and is named after the first black owned and operated radio station in Atlanta.

Throughout the office, Googlers will find communal seating areas to promote collaboration, self-care and community.

Our commitment to Atlanta extends far beyond the walls of our new office. In 2021, Google products helped provide $13.21 billion of economic activity for tens of thousands of Georgia businesses, nonprofits, publishers, creators and developers.

Today, we’re announcing a $1 million commitment to the Urban League of Atlanta to support their work in training underserved communities throughout Georgia. This grant will help jobseekers get digital skills training and place them in high-growth jobs.

On top of this, to bring equitable opportunities to more Georgians, we’re partnering with local community organizations and universities . We’re working with HBCUs like Clark Atlanta University and Spelman College to attract top talent, and partnering with the Technical College System of Georgia to offer Google Career Certificates to 22 colleges across the state at no cost.

Lastly, we are partnering with Mayor Andre Dickens and the Atlanta BeltLine to launch the Atlanta BeltLine Marketplace , an effort to help local Black, Latino and women-owned small businesses reach new customers by retrofitting rail cars into retail space. We’re providing Wi-Fi for the rail containers, a complete suite of Google Nest products, Chromebooks and free digital skills training.

We look forward to continuing to support and partner with our customers, employees and local communities in Atlanta for years to come.

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Silicon Valley Tour for Technology Lovers

This post will provide information about taking a tour of Silicon Valley. In addition to three fully guided options, there is also a self-guided tour you can take on your own. 

• Introduction
• Legends Tour  
• Insiders Tour  
• Self-Guided Tour
• Other Day Trips

INTRODUCTION

For many, a trip through Silicon Valley is one of the best day trips to take from San Francisco.

This area of the city contains an incredible number of companies that made amazing innovations which have completely changed the world. 

There are 4 options that you could choose in order to experience Silicon Valley. Some of these experiences are going to seem expensive for most, but for some, they are worth every penny.

Most are available on Wednesdays through Saturdays.

NOTE: These organized tours are not operated by Free Tours by Foot. If you have questions about any particular tour, please contact the organizers through their links.

The 1st option is called the Silicon Valley Tech tour .

This option doesn't include as many benefits or as much access as the other options on this page.  However, it's more affordable ($139/adult and $129/child) and is offered 4x per week.

During this trip, you'll see many sites such as the new Apple "Spaceship campus," as well as the headquarters of Google, Uber, and Twitter.

Option 2 is the Silicon Valley Legends Tour .

This full-day tour will take you on a trip to the Googleplex (Google's company headquarters), you'll test out the incredible Tesla Model X, as well as the Oculus Rift and Microsoft Hololens.

You'll visit the Intel Museum and the Stanford University Campus to explore the incredible engineering school there, and along the way, experience the emerging technology in Silicon Valley.

This tour costs $475/person and runs on most Fridays and Saturdays.

The 3rd option is called the Silicon Valley Insiders Tour .

Here, you get to visit five incredible companies that have changed the world. Unlike most other tours, you will go inside the headquarters of these companies and talk to the leaders working there.

You’ll get a behind-the-scenes view of the most groundbreaking companies in Silicon Valley, and you’ll meet the world-changers that are creating the technologies that we will be using in the next 5, 10, and 20 years.

This tour costs an eye-popping $1,000/person.

Finally, we have also put together a free,  self-guided tour of Silicon Valley.

You'll get to see the sites of the locations where all the incredible revolutions of the computer and electronics industry occurred.

Although you can't enter any of the company headquarters, you can see them from the outside. There are a few places that you can visit through. 

Back to top

SILICON VALLEY TECH TOUR

If you're looking for a general tour that will take you to several notable spots in Silicon Valley, this is a great option. Over the course of an entire day, you'll visit locations such as Apple, Google, and Facebook.

During your journey, a knowledgeable guide will provide historical information about the area and its significance in the tech world.

During your trip, you'll stop at Stanford for lunch and see one of the top universities in the country.

In addition to activities like this, you'll also visit the Computer History Museum and learn all about how technology has advanced over the course of a generation.

• $139/Adults | $129/Children
• Availability: Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 am
• Duration: 8 hours
• Purchase or learn more .

As you will see, this is actually the most affordable guided tour on our list. Considering that both lunch and admission to the Computer History Museum are included, the price is actually very reasonable.

If you're looking for a trip that will fit the budget, the Tech tour is going to be one of your best options.

Although this is a very affordable tour of Silicon Valley, it's important to note that you won't receive nearly as many benefits on this outing and many tour takers seemed surprised by this.

While their competitors offer access to attractions such as the Googleplex campus and rides in the Tesla Model X, the additional activities included with this trip are far less impressive.

Keep that in mind before making your decision.

SILICON VALLEY LEGENDS TOUR

This tour will take you through some of the most disruptive startups in Silicon Valley.

In a small group of people (no more than 10 people on the tour), you will get to talk to the leaders who are creating the future of computing. (see the full tour description here ). This tour is designed for individuals or small groups.

Have you ever wanted to learn about robotics, artificial intelligence, drones, or virtual reality? On this tour, you will meet the people who are making it happen.

You'll begin the tour at the Silicon Valley Innovation Center . This organization has a mission of helping new startup founders create the leading technologies of the future.

From here, you'll experience the incredible technology of the Tesla Model X . You'll take a test drive of the car, and experience the self-driving capabilities of Tesla's "autopilot" abilities.

Have you ever wanted to just kick back and let your car drive itself? 

After the Tesla test drive, you'll get to play with the Oculus Rift Virtual Reality headset, also known as the Microsoft Hololens . VR is undoubtedly the future of computing, and you'll get a sneak peek at what computers of the future will look like.

The next stop on your tour will be Draper University . But despite its name, this is no ordinary school.

Tim Draper is one of Silicon Valley's legendary venture capital investors, helping to create companies such as Hotmail and Skype. You'll check out the Startup Bootcamp at Draper University and learn about its entrepreneurship program.

At this point in the tour, you should be feeling pretty hungry from all the amazing activities that you've been doing! As part of your ticket, you get a free lunch with your tour leaders and fellow travelers.

After lunch, you'll trek to the Googleplex , Google's worldwide headquarters!

This campus is extremely locked down due to security, but as part of this tour, you will get to explore the areas that only employees are typically allowed to venture.

Have you heard of Apple Computer's new Spaceship Campus ?

Unlike general members of the public who only get to see the gift shop, you will get to explore the campus as only insiders do! You'll check out the spaceship and all the incredible innovations of Apple.

After visiting the most valuable company in the world, we'll head back to the Silicon Valley Innovation Center to wrap up this incredible day!

• Every Friday and Saturday @9am
• $475/person Early Bird Tickets (3 weeks in advance)
• $550/person Regular Price
• Learn more or to make a purchase .

SILICON VALLEY INSIDERS TOUR

The Silicon Valley Tech Tour is an incredible tour, but if you are looking for the most amazing tour you have ever taken, you'll want to check out the Silicon Valley Insiders Tour! (see the full tour description here ).  

  Unlike the Tech Tour, the Legends tour is an immersive experience where you get to use the technology, but also explore the areas where the technologies are developed, and you get to meet the people actually creating the future of technology.

This tour is geared toward groups, but individuals can join the tour if space is available.

The tour begins with a speech by the CEO of the Silicon Valley Innovation Center, Andrey Kunov. He will introduce you to the disruptive technologies that are changing the world every day in the Valley.

From here, you will go straight to take a Stanford University campus tour, which will introduce you to one of the best engineering schools in the world.

Everybody who has ever used the internet has done a Google search. But on this tour, you will see the first Google computer--one machine that hosted the entire search engine! (And did you know it was made out of Legos?)

Speaking of Google, we'll move from Stanford straight down the road to Google's headquarters, called the Googleplex . You'll get to experience the area like no member of the public ever would.

You'll see the inside of the buildings, the secret areas that only employees get to see, and you'll meet the people who are changing the world.

Have you ever wanted to be a Googler? One of the employees here will tell you how to get a job at this incredible company!

The next stop is to the Intel Museum .

Intel is one of the first companies that created Silicon Valley, and you'll get to explore their historic innovations from the 4004 chip (which helped take us to the moon in the 1960s) to the current generation of processors, which is approximately 100 million times more powerful than the 4004!

After this stop, we will visit the new Apple Headquarters , often called the Spaceship.

This amazing building is unlike any in the entire world. While you're there, take a look at it: there is no single pane of glass that is flat. Every single window is curved to create the "UFO" look to the building.

And aside from the amazing building itself, you'll get to meet Apple creators that have been moving the world forward for the last 40 years.

Your final stop will be the Tesla Model X test drive.

You'll take the Tesla out on the highway, where you can literally let the car drive itself! Take your hands off the wheel and watch as the car speeds up, slows down, changes lanes, makes turns, and even parallel parks itself.

There is nothing quite like it in the car industry! In addition to the test drive, you will get to chat with a Tesla engineer about the amazing technology of the car.

After that, you will head back to the Silicon Valley Innovation Center to wrap everything up, and you can decompress from one of the best and most interesting days of your life!

• Every Wednesday - Saturday @9 am
• This is the price for groups of 10 or more.
• This is the price for individuals (if space is available).
• Learn more or to make a purchase

SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF SILICON VALLEY

NOTE: Free Tours by Foot does not offer a guided Silicon Valley Tour.  This self-guided tour is a guide to do it yourself.  However, be sure to contact the separate campuses to see if you can get access in the planning stages of your trip.

If you need help finding each location on this tour, use the map below.

Click here for a larger interactive map .

Stop 1 - Hackbright Academy

683 sutter street, san francisco.

Only a few blocks from Union Square, this is the largest computer programming academy in the Bay Area that is aimed specifically at women. Silicon Valley companies (as well as engineering schools all over the country) have a disappointingly small number of women working for them, which is why Hackbright Academy was created. The goal of this program is to increase the number of women in engineering and technology jobs.

Use this map for directions from anywhere in the city.

Stop 2 - Twitter Headquarters

1355 market street, san francisco.

Although we often refer to the technology industry as "Silicon Valley," Twitter was one of the first companies to break that mold. They decided that, rather than build their offices in Silicon Valley, they would set up their office right in downtown San Francisco. Although you can't go inside the offices of Twitter, you can at least drive by this place and see the bird on the building! (And, quick plug alert--this area is right next to our Market Street Tour , so if you feel like taking a walk, then come and join us!

Stop 3 - Facebook Like Sign

1 hacker way, menlo park.

Seemingly in a heartbeat, Facebook shot up from just a school-wide network at Harvard University to the dominant social network on the planet, with over one billion people using the network EVERY DAY . And the company is still growing!

When you're taking a Silicon Valley tour of all its technology, it's hard not to visit one of the biggest internet companies in the world. So although this will only take a few minutes, stop by their offices in Menlo Park (you can get free valet parking!) and take a selfie with the famous Facebook Like sign. And while you're at it, you may as well post it to Facebook or Instagram (a company owned by Facebook, of course).

Stop 4 - Original Hewlett Packard Garage

367 addison ave, palo alto.

If you're going to be taking a Silicon Valley tour, why not visit the place where everything started? You can easily argue that the entire Silicon Valley began right here in this tiny wooden garage. William Hewlett and David Packard had $538 to their names and used it to start the Hewlett Packard company (fun fact: the name of the company was decided by a coin flip, if the coin had come up tails, the company name would have been Packard Hewlett!)

Their first product that really launched the company was a sound oscillator that they were able to sell to the Walt Disney company for use in the movie Fantasia . They used this sale to build up the company we know today, with computers, printers, calculators, and any number of other business products. So while you're in Silicon Valley, come to visit the little garage that is now a California historic landmark.

Stop 5 - Stanford University

450 serra mall, stanford.

One of the biggest reasons that we keep seeing new startups pop up in Silicon Valley is because they are is continually replenished with new engineers. Where are all these new engineers coming from, you may ask? The first place to look is one of the top-rated universities in the world--Stanford University.

You can easily spend an entire day on the campus of Stanford, but for the purposes of this tour, just park your car at the Visitor Center on Galvez Avenue . From there, the entire academic campus is within a 15-minute walk. (The entire campus is far too big for a quick walk, somewhere around 12 square miles). Our suggestion would be to check out the Hoover Tower , the incredible Memorial Church , and the Engineering Quad with the Hewlett building, the Packard building, and the Bill Gates building.

Stop 6 - Buck's of Woodside

3062 woodside rd, woodside.

So, after a long first half of your Silicon Valley tour, you're probably feeling a bit hungry. So why not stop into one of the most historic restaurants in Silicon Valley? This restaurant is basically a museum in itself.

But the history of the place doesn't stop in the early days of the Valley--it continues to this day! Venture capitalists are constantly meeting with startup founders in this restaurant, and some of the very earliest business meetings to incorporate Paypal, Tesla Motors, Netscape and Hotmail took place right here in the restaurant.

Oh, and lest we forget to mention, the food's pretty great too! (Try the shredded beef tacos on homemade tortillas. You won't be sorry!)

Stop 7 - Nikola Tesla Statue

260 sheridan ave, palo alto.

Nikola Tesla was one of the greatest inventors and innovators of his time. Although Thomas Edison gets a great deal of the credit for a number of inventions. Nikola Tesla was doing a lot of the same work in his own lab. Tesla was particularly well known for his contributions in the field of electricity and wireless communications.

Recently, a fan of Tesla launched a Kickstarter Campaign to build a statue of Tesla in Palo Alto. The project was very quickly funded to the maximum, and they built the statue entirely out of these small, private donations. Now, the monument stands to this incredible man in downtown Palo Alto, the heart of American innovation. And because it's in the middle of Silicon Valley, and because Tesla worked so much on wireless communications, of course, the Tesla Statue also functions as a free, public wifi hotspot!

Stop 8 - Android Sculpture Garden

1981 landings dr, mountain view.

Although the iPhone dominates the smartphone market in the United States, Google Android phones are in the hands of many millions of users across the nation and around the world. Seemingly every few months, Google updates their phones to have a new Android operating system.

To go along with Google's whimsical philosophy, the company always names their new operating system after a dessert, going in alphabetical order. Starting with version 1.5, "Cupcake," Google quickly followed with "Donut," "Eclair," "Froyo," all the way up to the current version, "Marshmallow."

And though you can't enter the Google buildings on your Silicon Valley tour, you can stop by the Android sculpture garden, where you can take pictures (preferably with your Android phone!) of all the sculptures of the various desserts on the front lawn of the Android building.

Stop 9 - Computer History Museum

1401 n shoreline blvd, mountain view.

If you are at all interested in the history of computers, networking, and the internet (and if you're on this Silicon Valley tour, we figure you might just be interested!), you simply MUST go to the Computer History Museum. This museum has exhibits dating back thousands (yes, thousands!) of years. You'll have to visit to figure out why 2000 years ago was really the birth of computing.

Although they charge a bit for entry, the $15 admission ticket ($12 for students) is well worth the price. You can learn about the entire history of computing up to the present day, with one of our favorite exhibits on the auto-driving car. So make a stop here and see how this industry really developed!

This will be a long day for you, but it will also be well worth it! This Silicon Valley tour will surely be one of your most interesting and educational days in San Francisco, so check it out and let us know what you thought of it!

Stop 10 - Intel Museum

2200 mission college blvd, santa clara.

When it comes to the processors which power most of our technology, Intel is one of the biggest names in the game. They've been around for so long that they have a museum full of interesting and informative exhibits which detail the history of their company. This museum is free to visit every day except Sunday and on holidays, so you shouldn't have too much trouble getting in.

If the Computer History Museum wasn't enough for you, this is an excellent chance for a more in depth look at the story of just one tech giant from Silicon Valley.

Stop 11 - Apple Visitor Center

10600 n tantau ave, cupertino.

Even if you can't get into Apple Park, you may still want to stop at the nearby visitor center. In addition to an exhibition, a gift shop, a cafe and a rooftop terrace which provides excellent views of the park. Guests are welcome to visit on any day of the week and enjoy everything they have to offer without paying a dime.

Fans of Apple will definitely want to take the opportunity to see Apple Park and enjoy the exhibit/gift shop they have at this visitor center.

Stop 12 - Tesla Store

4180 el camino real, palo alto.

Located just a few blocks from Tesla HQ, this store is one of the biggest and most impressive owned by the company. There's actually a tour you can take which will includes a stop at this location, and while you're on the tour you'll have the opportunity to test drive a Tesla Model X – or should I say the car will drive itself?

See the cutting edge of automobile technology for yourself with a stop at the Tesla Store.

Wine Tours and Other Day Trips from San Francisco

Guide to Visiting Sausalito  

Reviews of the Best Sonoma Wine Tours

Reviews of the Best Napa Valley Wine Tours

Reviews of the Best Muir Woods Tours

Choose a Destination... I want them all PLUS general travel tips. Amsterdam Berlin Boston Charleston Chicago Dubai Lisbon London Los Angeles Miami Nashville New York City New Orleans Paris Philadelphia Prague Rome San Francisco Washington DC

About The Author

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Google's CEO: A timeline of the company's leadership evolution and the legacies each executive left behind

• Google was founded in 1998 but operated without a traditional CEO until 2001.
• Since then, the search giant has had three CEOs: Eric Schmidt, Larry Page, and Sundar Pichai.
• Google has undergone massive growth over the last 25 years, and each CEO has left a unique legacy.

Sundar Pichai has been the CEO of Google since October 2015. He's the company's third chief executive since its incorporation in 1998.

Let's break down the company's chief executives and their tenures:

The Triumvirate years (1998-2001)

During this time period, Google was run by Eric Schmidt, Larry Page , and Sergey Brin. While the company didn't have a formal CEO during this time, Page considered himself the CEO and attempted to fire all project managers, believing that Google had no need for a management layer — much less one without engineering experience — between its top-notch engineers and the CEO.

However, Page's abrupt dismissal of the project managers did not stick and it eventually became clear that Google still needed them.

Eric Schmidt (2001-2011)

Eric Schmidt took the helm as chairman and CEO after Google's founders were convinced by investors that the company needed experienced management.

Schmidt was a veteran computer expert: He holds a doctorate in Computer Science and had served as Chief Technology Officer for Sun Microsystems and the CEO of Novell during the 1990s.

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His tenure as CEO saw the company through its initial stages, Initial Public Offering (IPO), and its rise to market dominance. Schmidt remained as executive chairman until 2017 and as a technical advisor to the company until February 2020.

Larry Page (2011-2015)

Larry Page's communication style, even with co-founder Sergey Brin , was aggressive and tense — they often interacted bluntly, called each other names, and labeled ideas as stupid or naive.

When Page felt no negative impact on his friendship with Brin — their bond was actually strengthened — he continued using this style in interactions with employees: Page once told a room full of marketing employees that their profession was built on an ability to lie.

Page connected with people's ideas rather than their feelings. Heather Cairns, an early HR boss at Google, once recalled how Page talked intently with a janitor, complimenting his efficiency and stating "I learned from that."

He connected best with people through visions of the future and cool technologies, without regard for feelings; downsides to complex problem solutions were viewed as collateral damage he could live with.

In 2007, Page decided that he was attending too many meetings, so he fired his assistants so that anyone who wanted to meet with him would have to find him in person. He was well known for dismissing people with a friendly nod over the shoulder as he kept walking. The next year, he told Google's communications team that he would only be available for interviews a total of eight hours a year.

After learning under Eric Schmidt for 10 years, Page stepped back into the chief executive role and Schmidt became the executive chairman.

Under Page's leadership, Google continued to grow and expand into new areas. Page was at the helm during the introduction of Google Glass , the Chromebook, and Google Plus. Page was also responsible for the advent of Google Street prior to his tenure as CEO.

Page also overhauled Google's senior management early in his tenure, installing CEO-like managers at major Google divisions like YouTube , Google Search, and Google AdWords, now known simply as Google Ads .

In 2015, Page opted to create the holding company Alphabet Inc. and made Google its subsidiary. With this decision, Page was replaced by Sundar Pichai as Google CEO and became the CEO of Alphabet, Google's parent company , where he could better oversee other ventures.

Sundar Pichai (2015-present)

Sundar Pichai took the helm of Google when Larry Page formed Google's parent company, Alphabet Inc., and became its CEO.

He had previously served as a project manager for a multitude of products, including Google Chrome, and was appointed as Product Chief by Page during his tenure as Google's Chief Executive.

Pichai also became the CEO of Alphabet Inc. in December 2019 after Page stepped back from the role.

On February 28, Axel Springer, Business Insider's parent company, joined 31 other media groups and filed a $2.3 billion suit against Google in Dutch court, alleging losses suffered due to the company's advertising practices.

Watch: 5 ways Elon Musk shook up Twitter as CEO

• Main content

In Spring 2018 Google launched their VR Tour Creator. This free tools lets anyone create their own virtual tour that can be viewed on a computer, tablet, or phone web browser, or using Google Cardboard. When creating a tour, one has the option on utilizing any of the street-view images on Google Maps, or uploading their own images using a 360° camera or iOS apps like "Google Street View" or "Google Cardboard". Creator also allows you to add points of interest as well as audio to your tour locations.

View my first use of Tour Creator using only Google Maps images.

Google Tour Creator has the ability to have a huge impact in teaching and learning. Teachers can create tours that allow students to get a stronger sense of "Setting" when reading a novel or learning about a historical event. Students can create tours showing what they have learned about a place. Google Tour Creator also has templates available so that users do not have to necessarily start from scratch.

Some of the educational uses of this tool may include:

• Virtual Setting Tour of a Novel- Imagine creating a tour following Chris McCandless in "Into the Wild"
• Paul Revere's Ride
• Travels of Marco Polo
• Tour of Paris, Rome, New York City, etc.
• Our Solar System (template)

Watch some of these videos that will show you not only how to create tours, but how they can be used in a classroom.

Review: COMPANY National Tour at the Denver Center

I'll drink to that - and one for Mahler!

The breadth of Sondheim's work all have one thing in common: the thumbprint of the musical artist that is Stephen Sondheim . Once you see enough of his shows, however, you start to notice the diversity in the stories. West Side Story, A Funny Thing Happens on the Way to the Forum, and Sweeney Todd , just to name a few, are all vastly different tales. Add to the list another Sondheim classic, but told in a whole new way, and you have the revival of Company currently on its national tour and the latest show to make a stop at the Buell Theatre.

It's always fun when revivals have an extra twist compared to their original counterparts. Having not ever seen it before outside of YouTube clips - I know, sue me - it was nice to come in with fresh eyes for a fresh take on this Sondheim classic. With 5 characters that swapped genders, including a woman in the leading roll of Bobbie, the dynamic in so many scenes shift and take on a different conotation. Some I would say enhance the scene in some way while others paint a misogonistic picture of what it means to tell a woman she needs to get married. Truly, with Bobb-ie and not Bobb-y, the show takes on a new personality.

Generally speaking, I'm a sucker for an smaller cast. It's mostly because I love when a tight-knit ensemble sings and the blend is masterful. More so, when excellent singers sing Sondeheim excellently it warms my heart and gives me goosebumps. Let's just say this cast did not dissapoint. The players also crafted unique portrayals for each of their characters that remained relatble to the audience. Among the talented ensemble are a couple of standout performances. In one of the handful of roles that have been gender-bent for this revival is Matt Rodin as Jamie, formerly "Amy". Rodin offers a just as chaotic and neurotic rendition of "Getting Married Today" as you would expect for the role that is balanced only by the calm nature of his betrothed, Paul played so gently by Jhardon DiShon Milton . The iconic Judy McLane as Joanne also made a notable impression on the performance from start to finish. Joanne acts as a sort of narrator throughout the show and McLane brought with it just the right amount of comedy and contempt. Her take on the 11-o-clock number, "The Ladies Who Lunch" was delivered with a sense of controlled madness.

In the leading role of Bobbie, Britney Coleman delivers. Having no benchmark to compare to this version, I now find it difficult to imagine Bobbie as "Bobby". Coleman lends her rather lyrical tone to the role in a way that remains soft, yet confident. I think the only thing I was really missing from her performance was the believability that Bobbie is walking a path toward finding a marital partner. The finale songs of act one and act two suggest that Bobbie is open to the idea of marriage but the actions of the character throughout the rest of the show paint a different picture. Even after it was over, I still left the theatre thinking, "Does she REALLY want to get married?" Nonetheless, I chalk that up more to the idea of genderbending the role than I do her personal take on the character.

Overall, the show exhibits a prominent stage of life for 30-somethings: the proverbial quarter-life crisis. The pressure of the cookie-cutter life makes it seem so desirable that it makes you feel like you have to act fast or risk never having it at all. Bobbie is constantly surrounded by subliminal messages of marriage and children, not to mention the deliberate coercion from her circle of friends. It is a reminder to the audience that although this is a new take on the show, the source remains the same and at times dated. Though, perhaps the argument could be made that in reality people haven't changed at all.

Company runs at DCPA through June 2, 2024.

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Tesla dangles chance at a factory tour with Elon Musk to get shareholder votes on $55 billion pay

• Tesla is offering a potential Gigafactory tour with Elon Musk to shareholders who vote in its annual meeting.
• 15 investors will be chosen at random for the tour, Tesla said.
• The vote will address proposals regarding Musk's pay plan and moving Tesla's incorporation to Texas.

Tesla is offering shareholders the opportunity to tour its Texas Gigafactory alongside Elon Musk and the designer of the Cybertruck Franz von Holzhausen — there's just one catch.

To qualify for a possible invite to the tour, investors must cast their vote on Musk's pay package .

Tesla announced the tour promotion on Tuesday. The company will select 15 shareholders at random for the event, which will take place the day before the annual shareholder meeting on June 12 and will include a tour of the Cybertruck and Model Y production lines at the Gigafactory.

To enter into the raffle, Tesla investors must submit proof that they've held a stake in the company as of April 15, as well as show evidence that they voted on the proposals for the upcoming meeting. The deadline to apply for the opportunity is June 7.

"You should only submit proof that you voted, not how you voted," according to Tesla's website . "You do not need to vote for or against any proposals to be eligible for entry."

Ahead of the annual meeting for investors, shareholders will be asked to vote on a number of proposals, including a proposal to reinstate Musk's pay package, which was struck down by a Delaware judge earlier this year. The company is also asking investors to vote on a proposal to move the company's state of incorporation from Delaware to Texas, and a separate proposal to reelect Tesla board members Kimbal Musk and James Murdoch.

Over the past few weeks, Tesla has pulled out all the stops to encourage investors to vote for the proposals, particularly Musk's pay package, which was valued at around $55 billion before it was voided in January. The company has argued the compensation plan is "critical to the future success of Tesla" and has even paid for a handful of advertisements promoting the pay plan.

Meanwhile, some investors have urged others to vote against the proposals. On May 21, a group of shareholders filed a letter with the Securities and Exchange Commission calling for investors to vote against both Musk's pay package and the proposal to reelect Murdoch and Kimbal Musk. Separately, proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis said in a report on Saturday that the pay plan was "excessive" and presented investors with "uncertain benefits and additional risk."

Are you a Tesla investor, do you work for the company, or have a tip? Reach out to the reporter via a non-work email and device at [email protected] or 248-894-6012

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Google Set to Make Its Largest Acquisition Ever, Threatening Microsoft

HubSpot logo is seen at Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on September 06, 2023.

Google parent Alphabet is reportedly making headway in its bid to acquire the $30 billion marketing software company HubSpot. That deal, which would be Google’s largest-ever acquisition, is part of the company’s strategy to compete with Microsoft in the cloud applications market.

“It does appear that Google has aspirations to try to take market share from Microsoft in the productivity suite, and they can use HubSpot to bundle applications together for clients,” Cowen analyst Derrick Wood said in a research note seen by Reuters .

Google is the third-largest cloud services provider but holds less than half of the market share of Microsoft. Meanwhile, Amazon controls a third of the market.

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Reports of Google’s potential acquisition first surfaced in April, sending HubSpot shares up as much as 11% . HubSpot’s financials keep getting better, though analysts are skeptical over weakened demand for its products. The company swung to a profit of $6 million in the first quarter, with sales surging more than 20% from the prior year. Google’s talks with HubSpot are “ongoing” and no deal has been reached, according to Bloomberg .

While Google’s still behind in the cloud market, it’s on a much more even playing field with Microsoft in the AI space, where it’s vying with a number of Big Tech contenders for dominance — with convincing odds. Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon have all announced major new AI applications and features over the past year as well as their own custom AI chips. But Google dropped a motherload of updates to its suite of AI tools called Gemini during its I/O developer conference , solidifying its spot as a major AI player. A week later, Microsoft made its own AI announcements , but they’re now facing heat from European regulators .

This article originally appeared on Quartz .

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