Almanac note · History and culture
A Palo Alto garage became shorthand for Silicon Valley
The HP Garage in Palo Alto is tied to Hewlett-Packard's start in 1938 and to the larger story of Stanford, startups, and Silicon Valley.
The HP Garage is small, so the story can sound almost too tidy: two engineers, one Palo Alto garage, and the start of Silicon Valley. The better way to see it is as a sign of a larger local pattern.
In 1938, William Hewlett and David Packard worked on their first product there, an audio oscillator. Stanford professor Frederick Terman had urged students to start electronics companies nearby. He did not want them to leave for older firms elsewhere.
The ingredients mattered: Stanford people, local shops, early buyers, defense work, and a habit of trying new companies. Silicon Valley did not start from one building alone. Still, this garage gives the big story a street address.
If you go by, remember that it is private property, not a walk-through museum. A quiet look from the public street is enough. Then walk around Palo Alto with the larger question in mind: how did a college town grow into a tech region known around the world?
Where to see it
The private HP Garage site at 367 Addison Avenue in Palo Alto; view respectfully from the street.
Official sources
Official source trail
Reviewed July 1, 2026
California Porch explains the path. The official source is still the place to confirm the current rule, fee, form, map, deadline, or office decision.
Use the official page before you spend money, file paperwork, rely on a deadline, or change a property.
Connected places
Where it fits on the map
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