The idea of creating a museum at the School of Computer Science (ETSII) of the Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC) has been circulating among the different management teams of our School for many years.
Around 2013 or 2014, Professor César Cáceres Taladriz began collecting old computers and components, which he accumulated in his office. He took the opportunity to show them to his students in a couple of courses, “Introduction to Computing” and “PC Lab.”
The Museum began to take more concrete shape in February 2019, when the School Board approved the appointment of Professor Ángel Serrano Sánchez de León as Museum curator. As a first step, the Twitter profile @ETSIIMuseo was created.
In the beginning, we had practically nothing. Since we relied on donations from the general public, our collection grew very slowly. Then Covid hit, and that slowed down the cataloguing of the objects we were receiving even further.
In these early years, the student Christian Fabian Díaz Silva, from the degree in Computer Engineering, collaborated intensively with the Museum, and presented his Final Degree Project on Museums dedicated to Computing and Video Games in July 2020.
The pandemic caught us completely off guard and brought about an almost total halt to the cataloguing work between March 2020 and September 2021.
In the first quarter of 2022, Alejandro Vargas Lugo, better known as ‘Alexvar’, joined us as a volunteer. A student in the double degree program in Computer Engineering and Video Game Design and Development, he has been an invaluable help in cataloguing and repairing broken computers. During the 2024/2025 academic year, Alejandro enjoyed a collaborative grant with us while he completed his studies.
Starting in 2023, we began holding public events well before the official opening. Specifically, in February, we participated in the ETSII Job Days on the day dedicated to video game companies. There, we showcased some of the computers and video game consoles from our collection, and the attendees were able to play classics like Super Mario Bros., Sonic, La Abadía del Crimen (The Abbey of Crime), Prince of Persia, and Doom, among others. In November, we also held a “machines powered on” event as part of Science and Innovation Week .
The year 2024 began with the creation of our YouTube channel: @ETSIIMuseo. In June, we participated in open days for prospective students and their families. The installation of the exhibition began in October and was completed in December. In November, with the exhibition partially installed, we held our first guided tour for secondary school students.
In February 2025, we also created our Bluesky account: @ETSIIMuseo.bsky.social. But most importantly, after six years of preparation, the official opening of the Museum took place on February 28, 2025. We have named our Museum the “Museum of Computing and Video Games.” Our exhibition is permanent, not temporary.
During the first semester of 2026 and continuing through the summer of that year, Irene Pérez Santiago, a Software Engineering undergraduate, held a collaboration scholarship to work at the ETSII. Her assigned duties also included participating in various outreach activities for the Museum, such as guided tours for secondary school students.
We hope you enjoy your visit! Please contact us if you need more information.