The Computer Museum is open for free! All ages are welcome, whether you grew up on these machines or you've never seen one in your life. Drop by, play retro games, learn about computer history, and chat with museum curators. Come around any time!
Blog
\(n\) Reasons to Visit The Computer Museum
Why should you visit the Computer Museum? Here are \(n\) reasons why!
Originally published in mathNEWS, this humorous article explores why a visit to the Computer Museum is well worth your time. Along the way, it shares a bit of mathNEWS history and highlights what makes the publication such a unique part of the undergraduate community at the University of Waterloo.
The Tom Conrad Collection
Tom Conrad, an employee of IBM for over 30 years had been collecting computers with the intention of creating his own museum. Now well retired, he decided to look for a new home for his treasured collection and contacted us to see if we were interested. A friend of the Computer Museum, Steve Garan, offered to drive the collection to Waterloo. On January 20, 2026 it arrived in Waterloo. Now begins the process of documenting this incredible collection!
Don’t Copy That Floppy: King’s Quest and the Fight Against Piracy
This blog is about King’s Quest IV on an Atari 1040ST and how the game used manual-based quizzes as an early form of anti-piracy. It explores how, in the 1980s, developers relied on player trust, as game copying was very common. The post also discusses how piracy today plays a role in preserving older games, since most classic titles are no longer legally available.
News
Fall 2025 Open House
We are having our termly Open House on October 25, 11am-4pm at the Davis Centre “Fishbowl” (DC 1301). Come join us in celebrating the history of APL!
Computer Museum Logo Survey
Help us decide on a new logo!
2024 Annual Report
The 2024 Annual Report for the University of Waterloo Computer Museum is now available.
Events
Summer Partnership: Iron Willed at the City of Waterloo Museum
From the clickety-clack of old typewriters to the beeps and bloops of retro computers, the University of Waterloo Computer Museum preserves and exhibits artifacts related to the history of computing.
Join us on August 11, 12-4pm at the City of Waterloo Museum at Conestoga Mall. As part of their 2026 exhibit Iron Willed: Women in STEM, we're setting up a few artifact tables rain (indoors) or shine (outdoors).
We’ll bring some of those original typewriters, computers and video games for visitors to try, plus some activity sheets and colouring pages for all ages. And our staff will be there to chat about your first computer or your favourite retro video game or hardware.