Amazing museum and a time travel to childhood I owned a ZX Spectrum growing up and it was my most favorite possession as a kid. I learned to program on it. I loved the games. I was browsing the ZX Spectrum hashtag on instagram when I saw a photograph of someone posing in front of this museum with the giant ZX spectrum in the background and the second I saw it, I knew I wanted to visit.I don't even live in Portugal, but I was going to visit my girlfriend's parents for Xmas and it was the perfect opportunity to visit the museum which was within a few hours driving distance.
When we arrived there, we were greeted by João at the door. He was very friendly and happy to meet a fellow spectrum fan. He showed us around. The entire collection at the museum is owned by him and it is extensive. Everything ZX Spectrum was right there, from the original machines to the clones, from earlier predecessors like the MK14 to later non-Sinclair machines like MGT's SAM Coupé. There was even a Sinclair C5 electric car. Walking into the main room where the collection is was like walking into a time capsule. I was transported back to my childhood. With games running on actual hardware, ZX Spectrum related documentaries playing on multiple screens, the machines on display in cabinets, it was a perfectly executed vintage computer feast. João was extremely knowledgeable about everything and he was very happy to share his knowledge and stories as well. Among the machines there were rarities and oddities, like an NTSC Spectrum, the Timex FDD3000, my personal favorite the Sam Coupé, and Portuguese Speccy clones.
Not everything in the museum is behind glass cabinets either. Visitors can get some hands on time with some of the machines as well, if they choose to. There's a big desk full of machines, both vintage and modern, sporting peripherals like the DivMMC, and a spectrum Vega all waiting to please those who want to play with them.
Overall it was a great experience and we spent a great two and a half hours which felt like 15 minutes to me. João was with us the whole time guiding us and telling us about the machines, their stories, his own personal experience. Chatting with him was one of the best parts of the experience.
Whether you're a nostalgic fan of the ZX Spectrum, or someone who would like to find out more about vintage computing and a bygone era when computers and computing was very different than what they are today, we would highly recommend seeing this wonderful museum put together with great enthusiasm, lots of passion and a bit of nostalgia.