Visiting the legendary Hewlett-Packard garage in Palo Alto is like traveling back in time to the birth of Silicon Valley. As I approached 367 Addison Avenue I found this: A house that looks modest even in its environmenta street with homes selling for between $2 million and $8 million.

It’s hard to imagine that here, in a modest wooden house painted green, one of the most influential technology companies of the 20th century began. But once inside, the story comes to life.

View of the facade from the other sidewalk. Image: Xataka.

Access to home. Image: Xataka.

At the entrance there is a guest book for visitors and some magazines dedicated to the founders. Image: Xataka.

The first thing that stands out in the restoration is the attention to detail. The house has been meticulously recreated to reflect what it looked like in 1938, when two friends, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, moved here to start a business.

The curtains, for example, are surprising: they are not reproductions, but made from the original fabric used ninety years ago. This level of originality is maintained throughout the house.

Packard’s own books are on the shelves. Image: Xataka.

Family portraits in the living room. Image: Xataka.

I’m standing in front of the fireplace in the living room. HP’s first product on display: the 200A audio oscillator. It is a relatively simple piece of engineering but innovative for its time. An HP spokesperson explained to me that Hewlett and Packard put it on the mantel at Christmas just because they’re proud of what they do.

The 200A is where it is displayed by its creators at Christmas. Image: Xataka.

The dining room has a unique history. This is where Dave sleeps with his wife Lucille during the day in a Murphy bed hidden in the wall. The dining table was moved aside every night to make way for the bed.

Looking at that bed makes me sad to think that Dave, who is 1.96 meters tall, is sleeping in that bed that was clearly designed for much shorter people. These are the little details that humanize these technological pioneers: they started with very modest resources before building their empires.

In one corner is a period typewriter, a reminder of the role Lucille Packard and Flora Lamson Hewlett played in the company’s early days. They were responsible for all correspondence, marketing and accounting.

Typewriter. Image: Xataka.

Detail of typescript, technical sheet 200A. Image: Xataka.

The kitchen is another highlight of the tour. The Wedgewood oven is the same oven used by Hewlett and Packard, and its history is also important to the company’s history: They baked the paint on their oscillators here.

Lucille Packard said that nothing cooked in that oven would ever taste the same again. And we believe that with current remote working, the line between employment and personal life is blurring. The paint and bake job is another level.

The kitchen oven where the oscillators bake their paint. The food cooked there never tasted the same again. Image: Xataka.

Kitchen wallpaper is another example of meticulous restoration work. A piece of the original tapestry was discovered during the renovation and an expert was hired to recreate the same pattern in the kitchen. These small details make the experience more immersive and authentic.

And we come to the heart of this visit: the garage. Upon entering this almost four by five meter space, it is impressive to think about what has been achieved here.

Access to garage from side of house. Image: Xataka.

Garage, closer. Image: Xataka.

The drill machine that Dave Packard brought to the backseat of his car takes pride of place. There are tools and equipment from that period around. Faithfully recreating the Hewlett and Packard workplace. Everything seems to be just as they left it on any given day.

The founders’ desk, with the tools of the time. A photo reminds them of exactly that place. Image: Xataka.

An old photo shows the two founders working in the same field. Another photo shows HP’s first employee, Harvey Zieber, wearing a welding helmet.

The collection of oscillators in the garage is impressive. I see the patterns from the original 200A to later versions such as the 200BIt was known as the “Disney oscillator” because it was specifically modified for the Walt Disney Studios for use in movie production at the time. In fact, the filmmaker was his first client.

The table seen from the opposite wall. Drill press on the left. Image: Xataka.

Tools of the time. Image: Xataka.

Tools of the time. Image: Xataka.

Tools of the time. Image: Xataka.

Tools of the time. Image: Xataka.

Technical documentation of the previous vehicle. Image: Xataka.

It is amazing to see the evolution of the product and how a simple improvement (the addition of a light bulb as a setting indicator) can make a huge difference to the usefulness and commercial appeal of the product.

One detail caught my attention: The first model was called 200A, not 100A, which gave the impression that the company already had experience in the market. Marketing is for wizards.

There’s some amateur radio equipment behind the garage. The manual explains this Bill Hewlett was a radio enthusiast and that a cable was discovered extending outside the garage during renovations. It was the original Hewlett antenna.

Amateur radio equipment. Image: Xataka.

The oscillators were piled up behind the garage. Image: Xataka.

These are the details that make you think about HP’s legacy. This company not only produced innovative technology but also introduced a unique corporate culture. The employee clubs they mention, from a women’s bowling league to a ham radio club, speak to a work environment that encourages camaraderie and personal interests beyond the company’s inherent business.

HP did not own the house until October 2000. then-CEO Carly Fiorina, who supported its purchase and restoration.. A symbol of a company that has lost a certain connection with its roots and then regained them.

When I leave the garage, I realize the magnitude of what is happening here. Two college friends with $538 in their pockets founded a company that would change the world. really? The epitome of the garage startup legend that has inspired generations of entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and much beyond.

Rear facade of the house, view from the garage. Image: Xataka.

This also makes me think about how the technological landscape is changing. Today, startups require much larger initial investments and face a much more competitive market. The romantic idea of ​​two friends creating the next big tech company in a garage seems unattainable today. These are other times.

I also wonder what Hewlett and Packard would say today if they could see how these audio oscillators evolved into the smartphones and computers we have today. Let’s not even talk about artificial intelligence.

At the time, this modest garage marked the birth of Hewlett-Packard, but it was also the spark that ignited the technological revolution in Silicon Valley. This was recognized by the state of California and is confirmed by the plaque above the entrance at street level. Silicon Valley was born here.

Plaque in front of the facade explaining the origins of this place and its influence on Silicon Valley. Image: Xataka.

HP garage a monument to the past and an inspiration for the future, a journey through time and a look at the circle of those who support what remains the world epicenter of technology.

And it all started in this garage.

Featured image | Xataka

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