Things to Do

If you find yourself with some time on your hands, there is lots to do in the area.  Here's a small sampling.

In and around the Palo Alto area:

Stanford University

• Walking Tours—11am and 3:15pm daily. 70-minute tours of the central campus. Depart from the Vistor’s Center, 295 Galvez Street, near Stanford Stadium.
• Hoover Tower—285ft-high Hoover Tower offers superb views of the campus and surrounding Santa Clara Valley. At the entrance level there are exhibits on President Herbert Hoover, who was among the first class of students to attend Stanford in 1891.
• Cantor Museum and Center for Visual Arts—Originally dating from 1894, the collection spans works from ancient civilizations to contemporary art, sculpture and photography.
• Rodin Sculpture Garden—Next to the Cantor Center for Visual Arts, this open-air garden features a large collection of sculpture by Auguste Rodin, including reproductions of his towering Gates of Hell.

Stanford Shopping Center—One of the largest shopping centers in the Bay Area, located on the north end of the Stanford University campus. The center features 140 stores, restaurants and cafes in an outdoor setting.

Stanford Theatre—This restored movie house screens vintage Hollywood gems and international classics. Silent film selections are accompanied by a “mighty” Wurlitzer organ.

NASA Ames Exploration Center (Mountain View)—The research center here has contributed to discoveries in hyper-velocity flight, and its gigantic wind tunnel is still used for advanced aerospace research. A one-third scale model of a space shuttle is out front. Inside is a Mercury capsule, a moon rock, astronaut suits and the Immersive Theater with a circular screen that shows awesome footage from the ongoing Mars mission.

United States Geological Survey (Menlo Park)—Learn about natural science through tours and hands-on experiences. Tours and activities are geared to the interests and ages of each group. The Visitors Center features a special earthquake monitoring system where you can see how the force of an earthquake is measured. Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m.–5 p.m.

A Little Further Afield:

City of San Jose—Approximately 30 minutes south of Palo Alto, San Jose is the largest city in Northern California. A few suggestions of things to do here:

• Tech Museum of Innovation—An innovative and modern museum, “The Tech” is an exploration of technology and how it affects our lives. Four major theme galleries showcase everything from robotics to earthquakes and satellites to Silicon Valley.
• San Jose Museum of Art—This former post office is now home to a permanent collection, and it features rotating exhibits as well.
• San Jose Municipal Rose Garden—A lovely place for a stroll, this 5 1/2–acre Rose Garden – a one-time prune orchard –is exclusively devoted to shrubs of the rose family and features over 4,000 rose shrubs with 189 varieties represented. It is one of the most attractive of its kind in the world, and draws thousands of visitors each year.
• Winchester Mystery House—Tour the house and gardens once owned by wealthy widow Sarah Winchester, who kept construction going on the 160-room Victorian mansion for 38 years.
• San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles—a museum focused on textiles, including historic and contemporary quilts, and all forms of woven and wearable art, with many pieces by famous local and national artists.

Beaches—The Pacific Ocean is only about a 30-40 minute drive. A couple of our favorite beaches/beach spots are:

• Half Moon Bay
• Santa Cruz
• San Gregorio Beach

City of San Francisco—Approximately one hour north of Palo Alto, San Francisco offers a huge range of attractions, nightclubs, museums, art galleries, restaurants, festivals, entertainment and sightseeing tours. Highlights include the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower, Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, the San Francisco Zoo, and Union Square.  Accessible by car or CalTrain, although navigating around San Francisco via public transportation can be challenging.

Monterey Bay—This is a bit of a trek (about a 90 minute drive), but the coast along Monterey Bay and southward is some of the most beautiful scenery in California. The highlight of any trip to this area is the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but be forewarned, this place really requires at least a full day to explore it completely!