On Campus
Many of the following sights are further described in the free publications available at the visitors' information centers located in Hoover Tower, the lobby of Memorial Auditorium, and the Tresidder Ticket Office; call 725-3335 for more information on any of these attractions. Some descriptions are online at Stanford's Visitor Info pag (http://www.stanford.edu/home/visitors/) and at Cantor Arts Center's tour page (http://ccva.stanford.edu/); another good source of inspiration is Grounds Services' "Points of Interest" website (http://grounds.stanford.edu/points). Guests may also enjoy seeing some of the live entertainment around campus, whether sports events, concerts, or dramatic productions; see "Campus Events" for information about the 24-hour campus events tape and the Tresidder Ticket Office. If they are sufficiently young at heart, take them to a 7 p.m. Sunday Flicks movie showing/paper fight (http://flicks.stanford.edu/).
Attractions easily accessible via Marguerite are marked with an asterisk (*). Unless stated otherwise, admission is free.
Campus tours*
If you are unavoidably busy, what better way to entertain your guests during the day than to send them out on a tour of campus? Student-led, hour-long tours of campus are available daily. The free walking tours start at the visitors' center in Memorial Auditorium at 11 a.m. and again at 3:15 p.m.; tours via golf cart charge a modest fee and start at 1 p.m. Call 723-2560 for more information.
The Cantor Arts Center (see below) also offers docent-led art-themed tours, such as the Outdoor Sculpture Walk and tours of the Cantor Arts Center, Rodin Sculpture Garden and indoor Rodin Gallery, and many of the other campus sights listed here. For details, call 723-3469 or see their website (http://ccva.stanford.edu/; look under "Educational Services and Tours").
Hoover Tower*
Your guests can get a bird's-eye view of campus and the Santa Clara Valley from the observation deck of Hoover Tower, open from 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. except during finals and academic breaks. Admission is $2 for the general public, $1 for seniors and children under 13, and free with Stanford ID. For more information, call 723-2053.
The Dish
This 150-foot-diameter radio telescope in the Stanford foothills is a popular daytime destination for hikers. Gates are located along Junipero Serra Boulevard at Stanford Avenue and Campus Drive East.
The Oval/The Quad/Memorial Church*
The Oval, Palm Drive, the Quad, and Memorial Church are must-sees for out-of-town guests; make sure they stand on the steps leading up to the Quad and look back over the Oval's flower beds and through the twin rows of palm trees lining Palm Drive. "Mem Chu's" intricate mosaics and colorful stained-glass windows are impressive inside and out. The church is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., and between weddings and services on weekends. Docent-led tours of the church are available. Call 723-1762 for more information.
Stanford Bookstore*
Whether visitors are fascinated by the Bookstore itself or merely want to buy souvenirs, the Bookstore is one of the most commonly requested destinations at the campus visitors' centers. The main Bookstore is located in White Plaza; for more details, call 329-1217 or see the description under "University Resources."
Stanford Mausoleum/Angel of Grief
Guarded by 4 marble sphinxes, the Stanford Mausoleum holds the remains of the University's namesake and his parents. The nearby "Angel of Grief" honors Jane Stanford's brother. Both are in the section of the Stanford Arboretum south of Arboretum Road, between Palm Drive and Quarry Road. See http://grounds.stanford.edu/points/gardens/mausoleum.html for more information.
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC)*
This 408-acre facility on Sand Hill Road is home to a 2-mile particle accelerator. The visitor center at SLAC is open from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For tours, call 926-2204 or check their website (http://www.slac.stanford.edu/).
Cantor Arts Center*
The Cantor Arts Center presents a diverse permanent collection on view in 18 galleries, a schedule of changing exhibitions, and ongoing public tours, lectures, and events. Formally known as the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University, the Center includes not only the renovated 1891 historic museum building, but a new 42,000-square-foot wing with spacious galleries, cafe, and bookshop. The Center's renowned Rodin Sculpture Garden (see below) features more than 20 works by Auguste Rodin. Each fall the Center throws a party for Stanford students, with food, music, and special features. Located on Lomita Drive at Museum Way (off Palm Drive), the Center is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Thursday from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Call 723-4177 or see the Center's website (http://ccva.stanford.edu/) for more details.
Rodin Sculpture Garden*
Part of the Cantor Arts Center, the Rodin Sculpture Garden is located at the corner of Lomita Drive and Roth Way. Although Rodins are scattered throughout campus (e.g., the Burghers of Calais in the Quad), this sculpture garden holds most of Stanford's Rodin bronzes, including The Gates of Hell. See the descriptions above of the Cantor Arts Center and campus tours for more information.
Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden*
Ten master carvers from Papua New Guinea came to Stanford in the summer of 1994 to carve these figures in wood and stone. The figures are largely based on the culture and mythology of the Kwoma and Iatmul peoples of Papua, New Guinea, although the Stanford Directory also mentions reinterpretations of Rodin's The Thinker and The Gates of Hell. The garden is located at the corner of Santa Teresa Street and Lomita Drive. For more information, call the Cantor Arts Center at 723-3469.
Stanford Art Gallery*
Operated by the Department of Art and Art History, the Gallery features student shows and other special exhibitions. Located next to Hoover Tower, the Gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and weekends from 1 - 5 p.m. Call 725-0143 for general information and details of current exhibitions.
Earth Sciences Mineral Collection
In addition to artwork, you can take visitors to see Earth Sciences' colorful and impressive mineral collection in Branner Library. The library is in the Mitchell Earth Sciences Building, near the corner of Lomita Mall and Escondido Mall. Call 723-9168 for details.
Lake Lagunita*
Lake Lagunita is not always visually appealing, so show it off to your guests when it's full of water and windsurfers. The easiest place to park for a walk around the lake is probably the parking lot off Lomita Drive near its intersection with Lagunita Drive.
Stanford Shopping Center*
If your visitors like flowers or shopping, send them to the Stanford Shopping Center. You can find a gift for anyone at this beautiful open-air shopping mall - but be forewarned that the price may not be for the faint of heart. The shopping center is bounded by El Camino Real, Quarry Road, Welch Road, and Sand Hill Road, and is open from 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. on Saturdays, and 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Sundays.
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Off Campus
With San Francisco, Marin, and Napa to the north; San Jose, Gilroy, and Monterey/Big Sur to the south; and Lake Tahoe, Sacramento, and Yosemite National Park to the east, Stanford is rich in off-campus attractions. A tiny sample of the closer attractions includes:
- Open space preserves, including the 1.5-mile San Andreas Fault Trail at Los Trancos Open Space Preserve, and the working farm at Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve (http://www.openspace.org)
- Foothills Park (Palo Alto): Open to Palo Alto residents only, this park has fantastic views of the Bay Area, plus a lake for fishing and boating. Call 329-2423 or search http://www.city.palo-alto.ca.us for "Foothills Park" for more information
- Baylands Nature Preserve (Palo Alto): These marshlands at the east end of Embarcadero Road are a great place for bird-watching, walking, and bicycling. Boardwalks and levees take you to the edge of the bay. Call 329-2506 or search http://www.city.palo-alto.ca.us for "Baylands" for information
- Shoreline Park (Mountain View): Take a hike, fly a kite, sail, windsurf, bicycle. Boat rentals and lessons are available. See Park web site
- Fitzgerald Marine Reserve (Moss Beach): Visit at low tide for the closest look at the tidepools' inhabitants: starfish, sea anemones, sponges, etc. Call 728-3584 for details
- Pulgas Water Temple (Woodside): North of Edgewood Road on Caãada Road, you'll find a reflecting pool, gardens, and a Grecian-style temple marking the terminus of the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct. No parking on weekends. Call 872-5934 for details
- Filoli (Woodside): If you've watched the soap opera Dynasty or the movies Heaven Can Wait, The Game, or The Wedding Planner, then you've been introduced to Filoli. The spectacular mansion and gardens, featured in many films, are open to the public Tues.-Sat. from approximately February to November. Docent-led and self-guided tours are available. Call 364-8300 or see http://www.filoli.org for information
- Palo Alto Arts Center (Palo Alto): Check out its Great Glass Pumpkin Patch in October and the Palo Alto Clay and Glass Festival in early July. Call 329-2366 or see their entry under "Educational Opportunities for Spouses" for more information
- Allied Arts Guild (Menlo Park): Local artisans work surrounded by Spanish-style buildings, courtyards, fountains, and gardens. See http://www.alliedartsguild.org or call 322-2405 for details
A little farther from home is San Francisco, one of the most popular vacation destinations in the Unites States. Among many sites to visit, the Exploratorium, in San Francisco's Marina district, is a fun hands-on science museum (http://www.exploratorium.edu or 415-EXP-LORE for information); its Tactile Dome, a pitch-dark three-dimensional maze, requires reservations (415-561-0362). A short but twisting drive north of San Francisco are the towering redwood trees of Muir Woods National Monument (call 415-388-2595 or see http://www.nps.gov/muwo).
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