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Ask HN: How to visit Google HQ?

18 points by dkokelley ↗ HN
Hello HNers. I am visiting in San Jose for the weekend to visit my brother, and I would love to tour Google during my visit. I've searched a bit and found that they're not too fond of unannounced visitors, so I was hoping you could help. Does anyone either: work at Google and willing to give us a quick tour, or know of a way to visit their headquarters without being too much of a headache for them? I appreciate any help.

15 comments

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timinman
This might be a long shot, timing-wise, but the Silicon Valley Google Technology Users Group (like a Google fan club for developers) meets at the Googleplex once-a-month; their information is on meetup.com.
dkokelley
"The Silicon Valley Google Technology User Group meets on the first Wednesday of the month at the GooglePlex in Mountain View."

Thanks anyways. Good to know I could do that some other time.

jey
Become friends with a Googler, get invited by Googler friend. (At least, they allowed this back in 2005.)
dschobel
I believe finding a googler to show him around is the precise purpose of this post.
dryicerx
On a related note, don't forget to visit the Computer History Museum if you're in the area (might be a good alternative if your Google plans fall through) Hope they still have the difference engine on display.
rdoherty
I'd even argue the Computer History Museum is more interesting than Google. Over 100 years of computing machines, free tours, interactive exhibits and a lot more.

I've interviewed at Google a few times and eat lunch there every week or two. Great campus, but not exactly something that I think people should push for touring when they're in SV.

A few other awesome nerd things to see/do:

* Winchester Mystery House http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/index.cfm

* California Academy of Sciences http://www.calacademy.org/

* USS Hornet http://www.uss-hornet.org/

* Fry's http://www.frys.com/

Or visit Mozilla (I work there ;) )

andyking
Isn't it just like any other office?

I work in a small FM radio station and we quite frequently get visits from listeners, both on request and unannounced.

I'm not sure what sort of showbiz glitz and glamour they're expecting; apart from one room with a few microphones and a mixing desk in it, it's just a few fairly dull offices in an old house, with computers and desks and papers lying around. People often leave feeling a little disenchanted after we've made them a terrible cup of tea. They come thinking they're going to get a "tour", said tour lasts about 10 minutes if you stretch it out, awkwardness all round. We're happy to meet our listeners, they're why we exist, but there's just not all that much to see.

I can imagine Google being similar; people wanting to visit because it's Google but then being greeted by an office block not dissimilar to where they themselves work. I'm sure there are more interesting places in the area! I wouldn't, for instance, put my bank's head office on the list of places to visit in Edinburgh...

dschobel
If you're a CS buff, visiting google is a trip to the holy land.

It is borderline obscene the legendary names they have working there who you'll see just wandering the halls.

Seriously, it's like nothing I've ever seen before. Think of the most prestigious CS department imaginable, now multiply the size a hundredfold.

sown
I don't see how it would be like visiting the holy land.

google headquarters is not a tourist's attraction. I wouldn't want to be accosted by random people at work, if I were the luminaries.

dschobel
Whether it is polite to bother them (it's not) is orthogonal to the fact that such a roster of seminal academics and hackers is located in one place.
jyothi
You definitely need a visit to Google HQ to understand what the hype is about. Definitely not run of the mill office spaces (ok referring more to the campus than the cubicles)
rradu
I visited their HQ and while it's true that they're not run of the mill office spaces, it's not that big of a deal either. It's old news by now that they have gyms on campus, CS problems in the bathroom stalls, and bright colors everywhere so there's really nothing to be surprised or impressed about. In fact I thought the Yahoo! campus was actually much nicer and better maintained.

The one thing that was awesome at G was the food (free), so if you do manage to get in make sure you eat all you can!

jamesbond
I did visit the Googleplex last summer. Basically, find a Googler to invite you ;) He/she will make you visit it and you may even have diner at one of their cafeterias. They have a merch store on site by the way.

Otherwise, you shouldn't have problems walking around the volleyball field and the dinosaur without an invitation, just don't look too suspicious. The Google Security guys watched me from their SUVs as I was walking near the campus with my 65 liters backpack and day pack.

Mozilla is across the street. I went inside but all I could find was an empty room with another door and a magnetic card reader, so I couldn't visit.

The Computer History Museum is a 10-15 minutes walk from the Googleplex. There is also a movie theater in proximity.