Things To Do in Mountain View, CA
Mountain View, California, is a vibrant city of 82,376 residents (2020 census) nestled on the southern shore of San Francisco Bay in Santa Clara County. Incorporated in 1902, it was named for its sweeping views of the Santa Cruz Mountains and quickly became a centerpiece of Silicon Valley’s rise—home to William Shockley’s pioneering semiconductor lab in 1956 and later the global headquarters of Google (now Alphabet Inc.), Intuit, and other tech giants. Beyond its high‑tech pedigree, Mountain View is celebrated for its lush parklands—most notably the 750‑acre Shoreline Park built on a reclaimed landfill, featuring trails that link to the San Francisco Bay Trail and Shoreline Amphitheatre—and for the tree‑lined thoroughfare of Castro Street, its bustling downtown dining and shopping district.
Shoreline at Mountain View Park
3160 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States
Shoreline at Mountain View Park is a 750‑acre regional park on the San Francisco Bay shoreline, dedicated in 1983 atop a former landfill. Today, it boasts expansive wetlands, tidal salt ponds, and rolling grasslands that serve as critical habitats for shorebirds, raptors, and other wildlife. Visitors can stroll or cycle along the Bay Trail, rent kayaks and pedal boats on Shoreline Lake, or fly kites on the open grassy knolls. The park also offers picnic areas, playgrounds, and the Lakeside Café for refreshments. Shoreline Park’s blend of ecological restoration and recreational infrastructure makes it a beloved escape for urban and nature lovers alike.
Computer History Museum
1401 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States
Located at 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., the Computer History Museum preserves and presents the story of the information age. Established in 1996, its extensive collection—over 90,000 artifacts—includes groundbreaking machines such as the Cray‑1 supercomputer, an original Apple I, and even early Google server racks. The museum’s signature exhibit, “Revolution: The First 2000 Years of Computing,” takes visitors through 20 galleries showcasing milestones from the abacus to today’s digital networks. Beyond static displays, CHM hosts “CHM Live” talks with tech leaders, family‑friendly TechFests, and special events marking anniversaries like the Macintosh’s 40th birthday.
Mountain View Farmers’ Market
600 W Evelyn Ave, Mountain View, CA 94041, United States
Every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., over 70 local growers and artisanal vendors gather at the Downtown Mountain View Caltrain Station (600 W Evelyn Ave) to offer peak‑season organic produce, freshly baked goods, and prepared foods. Operated by the California Farmers Market Association, this award‑winning market ranks among the top five in the nation for its wide variety of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and specialty products. With convenient Caltrain access and proximity to Castro Street’s shops and eateries, it’s both a weekly ritual for residents and a popular draw for visitors seeking farm‑fresh flavors.
Stevens Creek Trail
Mountain View, CA, USA
The Stevens Creek Trail is a paved, multi‑use pathway that runs 5 miles from Shoreline Park southward to Heatherstone Way in Mountain View. Fully separated from motor traffic, it follows the creek corridor—offering scenic views of riparian habitats and opportunities to spot steelhead trout, migratory birds, and occasional deer. The trail connects to the Bay Trail at its northern end and extends through Cupertino’s sections, eventually aiming to reach the Santa Cruz Mountains. Ideal for walking, running, or cycling, it features underpasses beneath busy roads and bridges over the creek to ensure uninterrupted, low‑stress travel for all ages and abilities.
Shoreline Amphitheatre
One Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States
One Amphitheatre Parkway is home to the city‑owned Shoreline Amphitheatre, an outdoor venue opened in 1986 with a capacity of 22,500 (6,500 reserved seats, 16,000 lawn). Designed in partnership with Bill Graham, its distinctive “steal your face” layout evokes the Grateful Dead’s iconography. Over the decades, it has hosted legendary concerts—Lollapalooza, Ozzfest, Google I/O developer conferences—and supports large‑scale festivals with up to 30,000 attendees when including parking‑lot stages. Modern methane‑extraction systems beneath the lawn ensure safety on this venue built atop a former landfill.
Rengstorff Park
S Rengstorff Ave, Mountain View, CA 94040, United States
Situated at 201 S Rengstorff Ave, Rengstorff Park & Pool spans 23 acres of athletic fields, playgrounds, picnic areas, and courts for basketball, tennis, volleyball, and pickleball. The newly opened Aquatics Center (March 3, 2025) features a 25 yd × 25 m competition pool, an expansive recreation pool with zero‑depth entry, water slide, and interactive splash features—all designed to LEED Gold standards as California’s first all‑electric outdoor pool.
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
500 Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94041, United States
At 500 Castro St, the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts (MVCPA) is a three‑stage complex opened in 1991 and renovated in 2013. Owned by the City of Mountain View, it hosts over 170,000 patrons annually for theatre, dance, music, and community events. Home to companies like TheatreWorks, Peninsula Youth Theatre, and Upstage Theater, its 600‑seat Main Theatre and two smaller stages present a diverse calendar—from Broadway‑quality plays to youth performances and special lectures.
Google Visitor Experience
2000 N Shoreline Blvd Ground Floor, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States
Located at 2000 N Shoreline Blvd within the Googleplex campus, the Google Visitor Experience is a public destination featuring interactive art installations, the Café @ Mountain View serving local seasonal fare, “The Huddle” event space for workshops, a brick‑and‑mortar Google Store, and rotating Pop‑Up Shops highlighting community makers. Designed to foster connections between Google and the Mountain View community, it offers free admission, self‑guided tour maps, and a calendar of events ranging from family activities to tech talks.
Mountain View Public Library
585 Franklin St, Mountain View, CA 94041, United States
Located at 585 Franklin Street, the Mountain View Public Library is a modern, two‑story facility serving as the city’s central hub for learning, community engagement, and cultural preservation. Built in 1997, the building features open reading areas bathed in natural light, dedicated teen and children’s spaces, group study rooms, and a history center on the second floor that houses archival photographs, newspapers, and a portrait of Crisanto Castro, whom Castro Street is named after. Outside, a section of the Berlin Wall stands as a striking historical monument, installed in 2013 to remind visitors of freedom and resilience. The library’s rotating calendar includes weekly storytimes—both indoors and in adjacent Pioneer Park—Spanish‑language story hours, technology workshops, author talks, and free passes to California State Parks available for checkout.
NASA Ames Research Center
De France Ave, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States
Situated at Moffett Field (address via Google Maps: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Boulevard, Mountain View), NASA’s Ames Research Center has been a cornerstone of aeronautics and space research since its founding in 1939. Although general tours of the secure research campus are restricted, the adjacent NASA Ames Visitor Center—the “NASA Ames Exploration Center”—welcomes the public with free admission Monday through Friday (10 a.m.–6 p.m.) and weekends (10 a.m.–5 p.m.). Inside, more than 30 interactive exhibits place visitors in the role of an Ames scientist: designing rovers, testing experimental materials, and exploring real spacecraft artifacts such as spacesuits from the Mercury and Gemini programs and a heat‑shield test article.