To celebrate the 75 anniversary of NASA, it held an open house at the Ames Research Center in Moffet Field of Mountain View, California – the heart of Silicon Valley.

Despite the reservation system to limit the number of people, it was like a zoo traveling in and out of the center. The bus shuttle between the front gate and the center of the complex seemed a bit silly that created lots of traffic and long lines for the visitors. And there were many long lines trying to have a hands on cockpit experience and a few popular spots.

For me, it’s the first time visiting the center, having lived in the valley for well over 25 years and driven by almost every week day going to and from work. I was surprised by how huge the place was. The hanger, long a symbol of Moffet Field, where it served as a garage for the aircraft was a lot bigger and elegant than I thought. The old planes and helicopters were museum pieces and had lots of history behind them. Here are some of the pictures I took:

Overall, it was a good day to venture into a place long held a mystery and pride in the minds of the Silicon Valley residents.