Self-Guided Tours

Self-Guided Tour Map - Stanford Campus

Shows Visitor Center, self-guided tour route, points of interest with descriptions, and photo locations. Also includes additional options not shown on the indicated route, such as the Arts District, Athletics District, and Campus Residences.

Self-Guided Tour of Stanford Gardens

Welcome to Stanford! Those who work and study on this beautiful campus are fortunate to enjoy a variety of diverse gardens with an ever-changing palette of colors, scents, and animal visitors. If you love gardens and trees, Stanford is an excellent place to experience them.

Stanford Public Art Tours on Stanford Mobile

Explore Stanford's expansive public art collection on campus or virtually with the newest mobile feature, Public Art Tours.

Stanford Arts District and Other Arts Facilities

The vibrant Arts District now marks the entrance to campus on either side of Palm Drive. World class museums, a premier concert hall, and expansive academic space dedicated to Art & Art History have joined other existing campus venues to create a thriving home for the arts at Stanford.

Stanford Athletics District

Self-guided tour of the Stanford Athletics District fields and facilities.

Huang Engineering Center Innovations Tour

These touchstone artifacts scattered throughout the Huang Engineering Center illustrate the kinds of world-changing innovations that have emerged from the School of Engineering.

Curious objects around Stanford campus

Witness to more than 130 years of history, the Stanford campus is full of interesting – and in some cases, mysterious – items, dispersed throughout the grounds. With abundant help from the Stanford community, Stanford News highlights a few.

Please note: some objects and locations may not be publicly accessible

Architecture at Stanford

LBRE offers two self-guided tours that highlight architecture and landscape across campus. Each tour should take about 60-120 minutes depending on the number of stops and your personal interest. The tour can be completed in half the time on a bike and can be split into shorter segments as well.

Arch. & Landscape at Stanford 1990-2005 and Architecture at Stanford 2000-2020 

Each self-guided tour is available as a printable 11x17 pdf or via mobile app.

Stanford and the 1906 Earthquake Self-Guided Walking Tour

Amidst the physical destruction to the Stanford campus from the 1906 earthquake rose the resolve of the young university to rebuild. Though far from the total “Destruction of Great Stanford University” that was reported in the newspapers of the day, Stanford's buildings did suffer tremendous damage. While most buildings of the inner Quad survived, Memorial Church was almost completed destroyed as were the newly built Library and Gymnasium. See the online Quake '06 Centennial Walking Tour, or download the pdf map below.

Memorial Church

Stone carvings, mosaics, and stained glass make Stanford Memorial Church the University’s architectural crown jewel. It was one of the earliest, and is still among the most prominent, interdenominational churches in the West.

Memorial Church will be open to families for self-guided tours on Saturday, February 25, 2023, from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

A limited docent-led tour will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis on Friday, February 24, 2023, at 11:00 a.m.

Windhover Contemplative Center

Windhover is a spiritual refuge on the Stanford University campus meant to both inspire and promote personal renewal. 

Windhover will be open to families for self-guided tours on Friday, February 24, 2023, from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

A limited docent-led tour will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 11:00 a.m.

Trees of Stanford

These maps enable one to visit and get acquainted with particular trees and learn their names. A major step on the path to familiarity is learning a name; thus armed, the explorer can look up information and talk to others about discoveries.

Campus Walks

Enjoy the campus and its surrounding area with a number of themed walks or trails on the Community Engagement website.

Stanford Dish

See gorgeous views of campus and the bay on this 3.5-mile trail. No pets or animals allowed within the Dish Area except trained service animals. The Dish is a special area to both Stanford and the surrounding communities, and it serves many purposes. The Dish itself is a radio telescope that is still in use. Other research and teaching programs also use the dish area. Hours during Family Weekend: 6:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. See the Dish website for current status. You can also walk the dish virtually with this self-guided virtual field trip.

Please note that on Sunday, February 26 the dish trail will be closed from 6:30 a.m - 12:00 p.m. for the annual Stanford Dish Run. The Dish Run is open to all but registration is required, and the cost to participate for general public is $35, students $30.

Hoover Tower

An iconic destination on the Stanford University campus for exhibitions, observation deck, and carillon concerts. The Hoover Tower exhibition galleries and observation deck will be open during Family Weekend from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM Friday and Saturday. Please see the access guidelines and restrictions below.

The Hoover Tower is now fully open to the public; please note that groups are limited to 4 individuals. Family Weekend registered participants can visit the Tower for FREE if they show they are registered for Family Weekend. To see the exhibitions, free reservations may be made online or onsite.

O'Donohue Family Stanford Educational Farm

The O'Donohue Family Stanford Educational Farm is Stanford's living laboratory for hands-on learning in sustainable agriculture. If you would like to experience the farm, we encourage you to visit during our general operating hours on Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

Stanford Visitor Center

Meet with staff at the Stanford Visitor Center. The Visitor Center will be open from Tuesday, February 21 through Friday, February 24 from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

The staff will be available to help provide information on how to tour the campus on your own, whether navigating via our self-guided tour map or any of the many resources available under the "Explore Campus" tab on the Stanford visitor website at: visit.stanford.edu/explore-campus.

Stanford Libraries

Stanford Libraries are home to many interesting collections and exhibits. Please note that access during the weekend may be limited, see the Stanford Libraries page for more information.You can also visit virtually and explore the vast collection of online exhibits and resources. 

Stanford Bookstore

Purchase some Stanford gear while on campus. Visit the bookstore website for open hours and more information.

The Oval and Palm Drive

The Oval and Palm Drive mark the gateway to the University. The Oval serves as a relaxing spot for students, faculty, and community members to have picnics, play volleyball, and enjoy the California weather. Palm Drive, lined with roughly 150 Canary Island palm trees, leads to University Avenue and downtown Palo Alto.

Main Quad & Memorial Court

Frederick Law Olmsted planned and designed the Quad in Richardson Romanesque and Mission Revival architectural style. The Quad holds Stanford’s 12 original classrooms from its opening in 1891. Today it houses the School of Humanities & Sciences and is home to many Stanford traditions, such as Senior Dinner on the Quad for graduating seniors. Memorial Court is the main entrance to the Main Quad from Palm drive and features several sculptures by Auguste Rodin.

Arizona Cactus Garden

The garden, also known as the Cactus Garden, was designed for Jane and Leland Stanford by landscape architect Rudolf Ulrich between 1881 and 1883. During the early years of the university, the Cactus Garden became the meeting place for many courting Stanford students. Visit this iconic campus destination.

Stanford Family Mausoleum and Angel of Grief

Visit the Stanford Mausoleum Area to see the Stanford Family Mausoleum; the Stanford Family statue; the Angel of Grief.

Lake Lagunita

Lake Lagunita is still a beautiful pace to go for a run, walk or just enjoy the view. 

Meyer Green

Stanford's newest open space features curving walkways and gentle grassy slopes surrounded by groves of eucalyptus and cedar. Read about the opening of Meyer Green.

Terman Fountain

Visit a new fountain on campus. This is a popular location for students to wade and relax in while on campus.

Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden

This garden contains 40 wood and stone carvings of people, animals, and magical beings that illustrate creation stories and cultural traditions. Ten artists from the inland Sepik River area created the sculptures on-site during a five-month visit in 1994. Visit this iconic campus destination.

Anderson Collection

Stanford University is the home to the core of the Anderson Collection, one of the world’s most outstanding private assemblies of modern and contemporary American art. Visit the Anderson Collection website to learn more about the collection and see information about current exhibitions and visiting the Anderson Collection.

The Anderson Collection welcomes Stanford student families to the annual Stanford Family Weekend. Reservations are required for your visit. Reserve your free tickets. The museum is open to the public from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, Wednesday–Saturday.

There will be student guides working within the museum to answer questions and introduce key works of art. There will also be limited capacity first-come, first-served tours. Learn more about tours at Anderson.

Friday, 3:00pm-4:30pm 
Stanford Student Guides will be available in our galleries to answer questions about our collection of modern and contemporary art. Free all-day museum reservations are available in advance or at the door. 

Saturday, 12:30pm & 2:30pm
Public docent-led tours of the Anderson Collection. Tours are approximately one hour, do not have a maximum capacity and are included with the free all-day reservation of the museum. Reservations are available in advance or at the door. Tours meet on the second floor at the top of the staircase. Note this tour is open to the public and not exclusive to Family Weekend.  

Saturday, 3:30pm-4:30pm 
Stanford Student Guides will be available in our galleries to answer questions about our collection of modern and contemporary art. Free all-day museum reservations are available in advance or at the door. 

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 required for your visit. Reserve your free tickets. The museum is open to the public from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, Wednesday–Saturday.

There will be student guides working within the Museum to answer questions and introduce key works of art. There will also be limited capacity (approximately 10 people) first-come, first-served tours. Learn more about tours at Cantor.

Rodin Sculpture Tour:  Friday and Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm
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.

Sunday, February 26: 
11:30-12:30 pm Papua New Guinea Sculpture Walk
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.

2:00-3:30 pm Public Sculpture Walk
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.
 

Science and Engineering Quad

Watch the virtual tour of the Science and Engineering Quad from Family Weekend 2022. Or visit the Science and Engineering Quad (SEQ) on your own. Located west of Stanford’s historic Main Quad and the Oval; the Jen-Hsun Huang Engineering Center — in the southeast section of the quad — is the School of Engineering hub and home of the Dean’s Office. Known for its distinctive octagonal rotunda, the Huang Center celebrates Stanford’s central role in the rise of Silicon Valley.

There will also be a limited docent-led tour for 75 people on a first come, first served basis on Friday, February 24 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. This tour will speak to the Science and Engineering Quad project. The environmentally friendly decisions, the storytelling art, the groups housed in the SEQ, the donors (Shriram, Huang, Spilker, Yang & Yamazaki).

d.school

At the d.school (Hasso Plattner Institute of Design) students from engineering, medicine, business, law, the humanities, sciences, and education take elective classes to learn methods from across the field of design to tackle complex challenges. Visit the space we’ve created to inspire creativity in our students and learn more about what we do!

A limited docent-led tour will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for the first 50 individuals on Friday, February 24 from 11:30 -12:30 p.m. at 416 Escondido Mall. The building will be open for self-guided tours during this period.

Stanford Arts Map

Use this comprehensive map of outdoor art, art venues and art departments on campus to explore the arts at Stanford.

Garden Tour

Discover the location of each garden on campus, including descriptions of the history, features, and notable plants.

Virtual Campus Walk

Follow the path for a virtual self-guided walking tour featuring photos and information about many sites of central campus.

Student-narrated 360° tour

Take a 360° guided video tour of the Stanford University campus.

University Archaeology Collections

The Stanford University Archaeology Collections (SUAC) is Stanford's home for hands-on artifact study. SUAC presents original, rotating exhibits of artifacts and photographs from our cultural heritage collections, spanning disciplines, periods, and global cultures.

See SUAC's Events Page for details about exhibits currently on view at the Archaeology Center. See the Archaeology Center's Events Page for information about talks, conferences, and other events held there. 

Cultivating Community Through Campus Planning

A virtual tour of the past, present, and future of Stanford architecture, landscape, and planning. Discover popular and unseen parts of the campus and the thought processes and values behind their evolution.

School of Humanities and Sciences Virtual Tour

The School of Humanities and Sciences, encompassing 23 departments and 25 interdisciplinary programs, is the foundation of a liberal arts education at Stanford. This virtual video tour will give you a taste of our beautiful spaces and offerings.

Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve

Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve (JRBP) is located near Stanford University's campus in the eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Experience this beautiful preserve virtually and learn how the field station provides undergraduate educational experiences and plays an active role in educating the general public. Please note: Jasper Ridge is not open to the public during Family Weekend.