The Computer History Museum’s online entry point is OpenCHM, a digital portal announced on January 21, 2026, to give people around the world access to the museum’s collection. It is a useful way to browse digitized material—not a guarantee that every physical object or archive item is viewable online. For a guided experience, the museum also offers an online tour of its Revolution exhibit.
Start with OpenCHM and the online catalog
OpenCHM is the Computer History Museum’s digital collection portal. The museum describes its launch as a way to provide global access to its collection. The museum’s Collections page explains that digitization is ongoing and that the online catalog continues to gain material.
The holdings span more than machines: the museum describes a collection that includes source code, lab notebooks and business plans. Catalog entries can help you discover material and organize items in custom folders, but an online record does not necessarily mean a complete digital version is available to view. The online collection is a growing record of the museum’s holdings, not proof that everything in them has been digitized.
Choose the right way to explore
| Route | Best for | What to expect | Constraint |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenCHM and the online catalog | Browsing digitized collection material remotely | A digital portal for global access; the catalog is continually gaining digitized material. | Not every item is digitized, and a catalog record may not include a complete digital object. |
| Online exhibit | Following a curated story with selected artifacts | The museum’s Revolution exhibit can be experienced online or in person. | The virtual tour is a selection, not the full exhibition or collection. |
| On-site archive or collection research | Working with original materials or requesting research services | Research-material access is free, subject to the museum’s access arrangements. | Appointments, advance notice, separate locations and possible service fees apply. |
Take a guided online tour of Revolution
If you would rather follow a narrative than browse catalog entries, the museum’s Revolution: The First 2000 Years of Computing has an online experience. Its virtual tour features 31 artifacts and stories. That is a curated selection from an exhibition described as containing more than 1,000 unique artifacts; it is not a tour of the whole collection.
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The same exhibit page describes the physical exhibition as spanning 25,000 square feet, with 19 galleries and 1,100 objects. Those figures refer to the exhibition, not the museum’s entire collection. The page’s more-than-1,000-artifact description and its 1,100-object physical-exhibit summary have different stated contexts, so they should not be treated as interchangeable counts.
What “free” covers—and where fees may apply
CHM says access to research materials is free, but that does not make every research service or form of access free. Depending on the request, the museum may charge processing fees for digitization, use, software emulation or access to large artifacts. Ask the museum about the applicable fee before making a request; the Research Archives and Collections Access page sets out its current arrangements.
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For work with original materials, plan ahead. The Shustek Research Archives is normally open Tuesday through Thursday by appointment. CHM asks researchers to submit on-site research requests at least three weeks in advance. Artifact access is limited to on-site inspection at a separate storage facility, and operating collection computers and devices is strictly prohibited.
When the online material is not enough
Use the archive and collections access page to understand how to request research access or services. A request involving original materials is different from browsing OpenCHM: it requires advance planning, and artifact inspection takes place at a separate storage facility. If your project needs digitization, emulation or access to a large artifact, contact the museum about possible processing fees and the relevant restrictions before arranging a visit.
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Announcing OpenCHM on January 21, 2026, Computer History Museum President and CEO Marc Etkind said, “OpenCHM is designed to inspire discovery, spark curiosity, and make the stories of the digital age more accessible to everyone, everywhere,” and added, “We’re unlocking the collection for new audiences to explore.” The portal makes remote discovery easier while the museum continues digitizing material; it does not mean all of the collection is already online.
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