Albuquerque, New Mexico: Historic Microsoft Headquarters Rock
A plaque on a rock stands in front of the building where Paul Allen and Bill Gates got their start on April 4, 1975. The plaque has been stolen repeatedly, and the nearby area has been reported to be unsafe.
- Address:
- 115 California St. NE, Albuquerque, NM
- Directions:
- On the southwest corner of Linn Ave. NE and California St. NE. I-40 exit 162. Drive south on Louisiana Ave. around 1.5 miles, past the State Fairgrounds on the right. Turn right onto Central Ave. (old Route 66), then make the next right, past the Fairgrounds, onto California St. The rock and plaque will be one block north, on the left.
- Hours:
- Do not visit at night.
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The plaque was there today and in decent shape, with a little bit of graffiti above the text in blue. This area is not safe. Around the corner is a skid row, with open drug use in the daytime. Be careful and protect yourself during the day if you visit, and by all means avoid like the plague at night.
[Barry Groover, 02/28/2025]
The sign and accompanying building remains in good shape.
[Luv2RV, 09/19/2022]The plaque was in place when we visited. Hard to imagine this technology titan starting in such a nondescript building in such a nondescript part of town.
[Geoff B, 08/10/2016]
404 no more. The plaque is back! Shiny and new. Now we can all get back to hating Internet Explorer.
[David Pike, 05/14/2013]
The plaque is still missing, but someone wrote "Paul & Bill" in marker pen on the stone to act as a placeholder until the real replacement arrives.
[Wm Breiland, 06/29/2012]Microsoft needs to chisel their legacy into a boulder. For now perhaps it also calls for an impromptu shrine of candles on floppy disks?
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Update, Oct. 2013: stolen again!