Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Getting to the Googleplex
• Method 2 of 3: Walking the Campus
• Method 3 of 3: Guided Tour with a Google Employee

Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California is open to the public. You will spend some unforgettable hours walking around the campus called Googleplex. There are no regular tours of the campus, and most of the buildings are restricted to company employees. However, visitors can walk around the grounds on their own and see many of the popular attractions: the company's unofficial mascot - a Tyrannosaurus statue, self-driving cars, and a sculpture park dedicated to different versions of Android. However, if someone you know works for Google, you may be allowed to inspect the company's offices from the inside. Either way, a visit to Google headquarters is a must for anyone traveling around the San Francisco Bay Area!

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Getting to the Googleplex

1. 1 By car. The Googleplex campus is located in Mountain View, California. The exact address of Google's headquarters is 1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, California. From San Francisco, take the US-101 South Highway to the Googleplex until the turn onto Rengstorff Avenue, and then to Amphitheater Parkway.
   • If you are not traveling from San Francisco, take a different highway and take the turn that takes you to Amphitheater Parkway.
   • You can get the best route using the Google Maps application.
2. 2 By train and bus. In Mountain View, buses 32 and 40 run to the Googleplex campus. Both buses depart from San Antonio Station, which is served by Caltrains from San Francisco, San Jose and South San Francisco Bay.
   • To save time and money, you can buy a daily pass for these types of transport.
   • Mountain View city buses are operated by the Santa Clara County Transportation Authority.
   • Caltrain is a commuter train system that spans the San Francisco Bay Area.
   • Santa Clara County City Transportation Daily Pass will cost you $ 7.00; one-way ticket - $ 2.25.
   • A daily Caltrain pass costs $ 7.50; one way ticket - $ 3.75.
3. 3 Parking. You can park your car at one of the five free parking lots at the north end of the Googleplex campus. The parking lot is accessed from North Shoreline Boulevard, where you will exit from Amphitheater Parkway.
   • The parking lots are marked with letters: A, B, C, D and E.
4. 4 Walk down Bill Graham Parkway and cross to the other side at the intersection with Amphitheater Parkway. It takes about 5-10 minutes walk from the parking to the Googleplex campus. Walk along Bill Graham Parkway, which is located west of the car parks, to the intersection with Amphitheater Parkway. Crossing to the other side, you will find yourself on the Googleplex campus.

Method 2 of 3: Walking the Campus

1. 1 Take a walk around the campus. Most of Google's buildings are not open to the public, but there is a lot to see outside. You will have to walk a lot, because the Google campus is spread over several hectares. In order not to forget what you have already seen and what has not, try to memorize especially noticeable landmarks and sights.
   • For example, look out for the address signs on the walls of buildings and the sculptures at the entrance.
   • Wear comfortable shoes when walking around campus.
2. 2 Visit the main building complex of Google. Most of Google's office buildings are restricted to employees and their guests, but you can visit the central Google headquarters complex. It is located west of Charleston Park. Life in the central complex is noticeably more intense than in other buildings of the company, which are scattered throughout the territory.
   • Charleston Park is a large green area within the city limits of Mountain View.
   • The central complex of buildings is located near parking lots, so it is convenient to make it the first point of the walking route.
   • There is a volleyball court and a small green lawn not far from the central building.
   • In addition to the Google headquarters, the central complex includes Google buildings 41, 42 and 43.
3. 3 Examine the Tyrannosaurus Statue. The full-size statue of a tyrannosaurus, which was installed on campus by Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, serves as a reminder: who does not evolve will die out like dinosaurs. Include this attraction on your Google Campus Walking Tour. A tyrannosaurus, nicknamed Stan by the company's employees, stands outside the Google headquarters.
   • Google employees love to decorate Stan with toy flamingos.
4. 4 Take a selfie in the Android Garden. Every time Google releases a new version of its operating system, a new funny figurine is installed outside the Android office. All but the last statues are thematically associated with sweets. The Android Figurine Garden is at the southeast end of Landings Drive, a street that winds its way around the campus.
   • For example, you can take a photo against the background of a transparent robot filled with colorful dragees - it was dedicated to the release of Android 4.1.
   • The sculptures stand on the lawn in front of the Android office building. The main entrance to the building is crowned with a large Android statue.
5. 5 Don't miss Google's self-driving car. One of the "chips" Googleplex - self-driving cars that drive around the campus and sometimes deliver passengers to different buildings. Drones drive along the same streets as regular cars and cyclists.
   • A subsidiary of Google's self-driving car project is called Waymo.
6. 6 Play volleyball at one of the courts. The Googleplex has several volleyball courts. If they are not busy with Google employees, anyone can play volleyball on them. The sites are scattered throughout the campus. The easiest one to find is the one in the center of the campus opposite the main Google building.
7. 7 Go to the Google store for souvenirs. There is a gift shop on the Google campus that is open from 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM, Monday through Friday, and offers a wide variety of Google branded merchandise: mugs, T-shirts, mouse pads, lunch boxes and more. A souvenir shop is a great way to end your walk.
   • Google also has an online gift shop: https://www.googlemerchandisestore.com/.

Method 3 of 3: Guided Tour with a Google Employee

1. 1 If you know someone among Google employees, ask them to give you a guided tour. Most Google buildings are restricted to employees. An exception is sometimes made for guests invited by company employees. If you know someone who works at Google headquarters, you can ask him to arrange a visit to the Google office for you.
   • Be polite and try to adjust to the work schedule of the person who invited you.
2. 2 When you're in the Google office, don't distract your employees. If you're lucky enough to get inside one of Google's offices, take a look at how unusual the work environment is. If you want to take photos, be sure to ask permission. Be quiet and do not distract employees from their work responsibilities.
3. 3 Go to the Google Visitor Center Mini Museum. The Google Visitor Center is located next to the Android Sculpture Garden in the Landings Building and is dedicated to the history of Google. The cultural and historical exposition is available only to the company's employees and their guests. Ask your guide to include this mini-museum on your tour, and you will learn a lot about how the company grew and developed. Note: The museum may be closed for visits from 2019.
4. 4 Stop by for a bite to eat at one of the cafeterias. The Googleplex is home to a variety of excellent cafes and restaurants offering a wide variety of food options, from set menus to gourmet cuisine. Cafeterias and restaurants are open to company employees and their guests. The healthiness of dishes in restaurants can be judged by the special color markers: green, yellow or red.
   • A green label indicates that the food in the cafeteria is extremely healthy.
   • The yellow-labeled restaurant serves both wholesome and unhealthy meals.
   • Red means that the food in the restaurant is not healthy, but very tasty. Not recommended for those on a diet.
5. 5 Admire the nap chairs. Ask your guide to show you the nap facilities found in many of the buildings on the Googleplex. These are specially designed chairs with a hood that dampens external noises. In such chairs, company employees can take a nap or just work in a relaxed atmosphere. The seats have a built-in Bose music system and a timer that will wake you up at a certain time.
   • The nap chairs were developed by MetroNaps using NASA technology.
6. 6 Ask permission to visit the Google Garden. Many of the fruits and vegetables served in cafeterias are organically grown in the Google Garden. The garden uses a watering technology developed by Google called Earthbox, which does not water the plants from the top, but from the bottom. Ask to include the garden on your Googlplex tour.
   • In addition to the beds, the Google Garden has meadows for employees to relax and places for meditation.
   • The garden also hosts classes for members of the local gardening community.