Amazing museum and childhood time travel Growing up I had a ZX Spectrum and it was my favorite possession as a kid. I learned to program on it. I liked sports. I was browsing the ZX Spectrum hashtag on Instagram when I saw a photo of someone in front of this museum with a giant ZX Spectrum in the background and as soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to check it out.I don’t even live in Portugal, but I was visiting my girlfriend’s parents for Christmas and it was the perfect opportunity to visit the museum, which was only a few hours driving distance away.When we got there, Joao welcomed us at the door. He was very friendly and happy to meet his fellow Spectrum fan. He showed us around. The entire collection of the museum belongs to him and it is extensive. Everything about the ZX Spectrum was there, from the original machines to clones, from early machines like the MK14 to later non-Sinclair machines like MGT’s SAM coupe. There was even a Sinclair C5 electric car. Walking into the main room where the collection is housed was like walking into a time capsule. I was taken back to childhood. With games running on actual hardware, ZX Spectrum related documentaries playing on multiple screens, machines displayed in shelves, it was a perfectly executed vintage computer feast. Joao was extremely knowledgeable about everything and was also very happy to share his knowledge and stories. The machines were full of rarities and oddities, like the NTSC Spectrum, the Timex FDD3000, my personal favorite the Sam Coupe and the Portuguese Speci clone.
Not everything in the museum is behind glass shelves either. If visitors wish, they can also use some of the machines at times. There’s a large desk full of machines, both vintage and modern, game peripherals like the DivMMC, and a Spectrum Vega waiting to please those who want to play with them.
Overall it was a great experience and we spent two and a half hours there, which felt like 15 minutes to me. Joao was with us the whole time, guiding us and telling us about the machines, their stories, his personal experience. Interacting with him was one of the best parts of the experience.
Whether you’re a nostalgic fan of the ZX Spectrum, or someone who just wants to learn more about old computing and a bygone era when computers and computing were much different than they are today, we would highly recommend visiting this amazing museum with a lot of excitement, a lot of passion, and a little bit of nostalgia.
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