Stanford University Campus Walk

Stanford University Campus Walk

Photo: Simonwillison, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)

Welcome to Stanford, a university that began as a memorial. When Leland and Jane Stanford lost their only son, Leland Jr., to typhoid fever in 1884, they decided to build a university in his name. It opened in 1891 on their horse farm on the San Francisco Peninsula, and its sandstone arches and red tile roofs still set the tone today.

This walking loop visits ten stops: the Oval and Palm Drive, Bing Concert Hall, the Cantor Arts Center, the Arizona Cactus Garden, the Rodin Sculpture Garden, the Engineering Quad, Memorial Church, White Plaza, Hoover Tower and the Main Quad. Plan on about an hour and forty minutes, with roughly three and a half kilometers (just over two miles) of walking on paved paths and campus roads. The museums are free; check their websites for current hours.

Start at the Oval, the big lawn at the top of Palm Drive. The free Marguerite shuttle runs to campus from the Palo Alto Caltrain station. For the garages and labs where Silicon Valley began, pair this walk with the Silicon Valley Tech Heritage tour.

10 stops on this tour:

The Oval and Palm Drive - A Grand Front Door

Bing Concert Hall - Every Seat Close to the Music

Cantor Arts Center - A Museum Born of Grief

Arizona Cactus Garden - A House That Never Was

Rodin Sculpture Garden - Facing The Gates of Hell

Engineering Quad - Where Ideas Get Built

Memorial Church - Gold, Glass and a Fallen Spire

White Plaza - The Claw and Campus Life

Hoover Tower - A Library Standing on End

Main Quad and Memorial Court - Where It All Began

Plan your visit

  • Route: 10 stops · about 2.6 miles · walking loop
  • Time: about 1.5 hours at an easy pace, with stops
  • Start: The Oval and Palm Drive (directions)
  • Cost: free tour
  • Audio: narrated - tap ▶ Listen at the top of any stop

Stops on this tour

  1. The Oval and Palm Drive - A Grand Front Door
  2. Bing Concert Hall - Every Seat Close to the Music
  3. Cantor Arts Center - A Museum Born of Grief
  4. Arizona Cactus Garden - A House That Never Was
  5. Rodin Sculpture Garden - Facing The Gates of Hell
  6. Engineering Quad - Where Ideas Get Built
  7. Memorial Church - Gold, Glass and a Fallen Spire
  8. White Plaza - The Claw and Campus Life
  9. Hoover Tower - A Library Standing on End
  10. Main Quad and Memorial Court - Where It All Began

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