Cantor Arts Center
Welcome to Stanford’s art museums! The Cantor and Anderson Collection at Stanford University are your home for explorations of visual art on the university’s campus.
With collections that span thousands of years, the museums offer endless opportunities for intellectual engagement. Whether you are pursuing research, joining us as a tour guide, attending a social event or simply wandering our galleries or seeking a peaceful place to study, we are eager to invite you in and offer support.
Serving the Stanford campus, the Bay Area community, and visitors from around the world, the Cantor Arts Center provides an outstanding cultural experience for visitors of all ages. Founded when the university opened in 1891, the historic museum was expanded and renamed in 1999 for lead donors Iris and B. Gerald Cantor. The Cantor’s collection spans 5,000 years and includes more than 38,000 works of art from around the globe. These include our renowned collection of Rodin bronze sculptures, which are displayed inside the museum as well as in our outdoor Rodin Sculpture Garden. With 24 galleries and more than 15 special exhibitions each year, the Cantor is an established resource for teaching and research on campus. Free admission, tours, lectures, and family activities make the Cantor one of the most visited university art museums in the country.
Learn more about the Cantor Arts Center
Visit the Cantor Arts Center website to learn more about the collection and see information about current exhibitions and visiting the Cantor Arts Center .
The Cantor welcomes Stanford student families to the annual Stanford Family Weekend. Reservations are not required, but are encouraged. Reserve your free tickets. The museum is open to the public from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, Wednesday–Saturday.
Public Tours at Cantor and Across Campus
Family Weekend Highlights Tour: Friday from 1:00pm-2:00pm & Saturday, from 12:00pm-1:00pm
Private Highlights Tour led by a Stanford Student Guide. Our Student Guide will meet guests in the Main Lobby of the Cantor and guide the group through select galleries. Tickets are not required, but participants are encouraged to register in support of our efforts to improve visitor experience. Either way, guests can check in with our Visitor Services team upon their arrival to let them know they are joining the special Family Day tour!
Rodin Sculpture Tour: Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
This exhibition celebrates Auguste Rodin’s relentless pursuit to convey complex emotions, diverse psychological states, and pure sensuality through the nude. A century after his death, Auguste Rodin continues to be recognized for making figurative sculpture modern by redefining the expressive capacity of the human form.
Cantor Collections Highlight Tour: Saturday and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Explore the highlights of the Cantor's permanent collection as a docent leads you through a selection of works spanning varied cultures and time periods.
Papua New Guinea Sculpture Walk: Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Created on-site at Stanford by artists from Papua New Guinea, the garden contains wood and stone carvings of people, animals, and magical beings that illustrate clan stories and creation myths. Meet on the corner of Santa Teresa and Lomita Drive.
Public Sculpture Walk: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Explore the Stanford campus and its distinguished collection of outdoor sculpture. This docent tour explores the extensive collection of 20th century outdoor sculpture in Stanford’s Quad and south campus. Meet at the top of the Oval near the benches.