The Tech Interactive

The Tech Interactive
The Tech Interactive, viewed from nearby Plaza de César Chávez in Downtown San Jose
The Tech Interactive is located in San Jose, California
The Tech Interactive
Location within San Jose, California
The Tech Interactive is located in California
The Tech Interactive
Location within California
The Tech Interactive is located in the United States
The Tech Interactive
Location within the United States
Former nameThe Tech Museum of Innovation
EstablishedOctober 31, 1998; 27 years ago (1998-10-31)
Location201 South Market Street
San Jose, California, US
Coordinates37°19′53″N 121°53′27″W / 37.3314374°N 121.8907276°W / 37.3314374; -121.8907276
TypeScience
Visitors400,000 annually
President and CEO
Katrina Stevens
ArchitectRicardo Legorreta
Public transit access
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Blue Line (VTA) Green Line (VTA) Convention Center
Websitewww.thetech.org
Association of Science-Technology Centers
The atrium inside The Tech Interactive, showing all three levels

The Tech Interactive (formerly The Tech Museum of Innovation, commonly known as The Tech) is a science and technology center in San Jose, California that offers hands-on activities, labs, design challenges and other STEAM education resources.

Description

IMAX Dome Theater showing "Mesmerica" in fall 2019

The building has three floors. On the lower level there is a multi-story sculpture titled Origin, inside a 45-foot-tall (14 m) cylindrical tower. Near the entrance to the building, there is Science on a Roll, a rolling ball sculpture by George Rhoads. The front wall is inscribed with quotations from Silicon Valley entrepreneurs Bill Hewlett, David Packard, Bob Noyce, and Gordon Moore. The building was designed by Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta.

The building hosts the IMAX Dome Theater, which opened in 1998 and shows mainstream movies as well as educational films.

The Tech is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.

History

Planning began in 1978 by members of the Junior League of Palo Alto, with later assistance by the San Jose Junior League. The City of San Jose promised funding for a Technology Center of Silicon Valley in the 1980s, but progress was slow.

The first 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) temporary exhibit opened in 1990, named "The Garage" in homage to the HP Garage. It was housed in San Jose's former convention center. On October 31, 1998, The Tech Museum of Innovation was inaugurated in a 132,000-square-foot (12,300 m2) facility. In May 2019, the organization was renamed as The Tech Interactive.

In 2018, an expansion of Tech Interactive by 63,000 square feet (5,900 m2) was proposed, as part of a major high-rise office development in Park Habitat.[needs update]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Tech Interactive temporarily closed for in-person visits in March, 2020, and published online STEM resources in English and Spanish.

In November 2020, Katrina Stevens became president and CEO of The Tech Interactive, succeeding Tim Ritchie. She is the first woman and first educator to lead the organization.

In 2025, Dream Garden, an AI-powered immersive exhibit, opened as an exploration of artificial intelligence through movement and creativity. The exhibit is part of the AI Sandbox gallery, a space dedicated to exploring AI and developing greater understanding of the technology.

Programs

The Tech for Global Good

The Tech for Global Good is a program evolved from The Tech Awards, a yearly ceremony in which individuals and organizations were recognized for their technological contributions to improving the human condition. In 2016, The Tech announced it was expanding The Tech Awards program from a once-a-year event to a year-round program with educational materials and exhibits. Since then, Tech for Global Good has focused every year on a different theme, such as health care or data. It honors organizations under that theme as its laureates for the year, focusing on their problem-solving abilities in lesson plans, videos and other materials for students.

The Tech Challenge

The Tech Challenge is an international engineering design challenge competition for students Grades 4–12, in which teams of students use the engineering design process to solve a real-world problem, such as designing a structure to withstand an earthquake or a device to deliver water..

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Pizarro, Sal (May 23, 2019). "The Tech unveils a new name and an expanded mission". The Mercury News. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Pizarro, Sal (May 24, 2019). "New Name, The Tech Interactive, and a new mission". The Mercury News. pp. B1, B6.
  3. ↑ "Origin" (PDF). City of San Jose. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 11, 2014. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Pizarro, Sal (March 2, 2019). "The Tech still inspires innovation after 20 years in San Jose". The Mercury News. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  5. ↑ McEnery, Tom (March 5, 2019). "Opinion: Tech Museum embodies the best of Silicon Valley". The Mercury News. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  6. ↑ Herhold, Scott (January 2, 2012). "Herhold: Designer of two San Jose museums dies in Mexico". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  7. ↑ "IMAX Dome Theater, The Tech Museum". IMAX. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Rating for The Tech Interactive". Charity Navigator. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  9. ↑ "About Us: The Tech Today". The Tech Museum of Innovation. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  10. ↑ Avalos, George (November 1, 2018). "Downtown San Jose's Museum Place complex will feature big office tower, Tech Museum expansion". The Mercury News. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  11. ↑ Angst, Maggie (December 3, 2019). "San Jose OK's 20-story downtown Museum Place office tower, Tech expansion". The Mercury News. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  12. ↑ Dorsey, Dustin (December 11, 2020). "San Jose's Tech Interactive creates new ways to spread mission during COVID-19 pandemic". ABC7 San Francisco. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  13. ↑ "The Tech Interactive offers free, easy activities to do at home". www.prnewswire.com. March 20, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  14. ↑ Stetson, Grace (October 26, 2020). "Beloved San Jose museum names its first female president". San José Spotlight. Retrieved August 13, 2026.
  15. ↑ Reports, Staff (March 7, 2025). "THE TECH INTERACTIVE UNVEILS NEW AI-POWERED IMMERSIVE EXHIBIT". The Astorian. Retrieved September 29, 2026.
  16. ↑ May, Patrick (November 13, 2014). "Silicon Valley honors 2014 Tech Award winners". The Mercury News. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  17. ↑ Morgan, James C. (November 18, 2016). "Morgan: Tech Awards grow into 'The Tech for Global Good'". The Mercury News. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Tech Museum of Innovation Announces Expansion of The Tech Awards". The Tech Interactive. November 17, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  19. ↑ "The Tech for Global Good". The Tech Interactive. October 30, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  20. ↑ Singh, Gary (November 6, 2019). "Silicon Alleys: Global Good Awards Honors Innovators | Metroactive". www.metroactive.com. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  21. ↑ "The Tech for Global Good". techfortomorrow.com. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  22. ↑ "The Tech Challenge - About Us". The Tech Interactive. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Cupertino Students Blow Out the Tech Challenge". Cupertino Patch. April 23, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2014.