Stanford University is located 35 miles southeast of San Francisco and 20 miles northwest of
San Jose on 8,180 acres in the heart of the Silicon Valley.
The homepage of the Stanford University
offers information and facts about Stanford.
Some of them are concluded here:
Arizona Cactus Garden
The Arizona Cactus Garden, located near the Mausoleum in the Arboretum, was planted in the
1880s by the Stanfords, adjacent to the site of their proposed residence at the Palo Alto
Stock Farm. The home was never built, and the garden was abandoned during WWII. It is now
being restored. The garden, filled with cacti and succulents, is open daily to the public
at no charge.
Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts
After its 10-year closure by earthquake damage, the museum at Stanford has been renovated,
expanded and reopened as the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts. The Cantor Arts
Center includes the historic museum building, a new 42,000-square-foot wing, collections and
special exhibitions on view in 24 galleries, an enhanced Rodin Sculpture Garden and other new
outdoor sculpture garden areas. The new wing provides galleries for special exhibitions and
the Center's collection of modern and contemporary art, an auditorium, café and bookstore.
Campus Sculpture
Stanford has an extensive collection of outdoor art throughout campus. Among more than 70
sculptures are works by Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, Josef Albers, Alexander Calder, George
Segal and Joan Miro. Stone River by Andy Goldworthy, Miwok by Mark di Sovero and Three
Sentinels by Beverly Pepper are among the newest sculptures on campus. The Papua New Guinea
Sculpture Garden features the carving methods, cultural traditions and mythological heritage
of the Kwoma and Iatmul people of Papua New Guinea. The B. Gerald Cantor Rodin Sculpture
Garden contains more than 20 works by Auguste Rodin, including Gates of Hell.
Thomas Welton Stanford Art Gallery
The newly reopened Thomas Welton Stanford Art Gallery, part of the Department of Art & Art
History, houses studio art classes and offers exhibits featuring Stanford students and
faculty members.
Hoover Tower
This 285-foot landmark offers views of campus, the foothills and the Santa Clara Valley.
The Lou Henry and Herbert Hoover rooms contain documents and memorabilia from the Hoovers'
lives and travels. The observation deck is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and closed
during finals, the first week of class, some holidays and academic breaks. The Tower houses
a carillon of 48 bells.
Herbert Hoover Memorial Exhibit Pavilion
The Pavilion, located next to Hoover Tower, has changing exhibits. Posters, photos, and
videos from the Hoover Institution Archives document aspects of modern history.
Stanford Memorial Church
The dominant architectural feature of the Main Quadrangle, Memorial Church was dedicated in
1903 in memory of Leland Stanford and has been non-sectarian since its inception. One
especially striking feature of the church is the brilliant mosaic covering the interior
walls and depicting scenes from the Hebrew Bible. The stained glass windows depict scenes
from both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. The church features some 20,000 shades of
color in the tile mosaics, 34 shades of pink alone in the cheeks of the four angels in the
dome. Memorial Church features four organs, including the Fisk-Nanney organ, which has 73
ranks and 4,332 pipes.
The Dish
The 150-foot diameter radio telescope, located in a habitat conservation area in the
Stanford foothills, is a popular destination for about 300,000 hikers annually. Known
simply as "the Dish," it was constructed in the 1960s to probe the scattering properties of
the Earth's ionosphere. It weighs 300,000 pounds and is owned and maintained by SRI
International.
Rosenberg Athletic Hall of Fame Room
The Sydney and Theodore Rosenberg Athletic Hall of Fame Room in the Arrillaga Family
Sports Center honors Stanford athletes. Trophies, pictures and memorabilia dating from
the university's founding are on display.
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC)
Stanford has operated this 426-acre facility since 1962, including a two-mile-long linear
accelerator, for the U.S. Department of Energy. Dedicated to research in high-energy physics
and synchrotron radiation programs, SLAC provides facilities for more than 3,000 scientists.
Using the B Factory, physicists are studying why we live in a matter-dominated universe.
At the Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, researchers use x-rays for research in areas
ranging from biomedicine to environmental remediation.
For further information, please ask the Visitor Information Services (VIS) on the Campus of
Stanford:
The Visitor Information Services (VIS) center is located in Memorial Auditorium. Visitors may
obtain parking passes, maps and information at this location. VIS provides one-hour campus
walking tours free to the public each day at 11 a.m. and 3:15 p.m.- except during the winter
break and on some holidays - starting at Memorial Auditorium. Private walking tours for groups
of 10 or more may be arranged by calling (650) 725-3335 at least two weeks in advance. VIS
also offers golf-cart tours each day at 1 p.m., except during finals, the first week of class
and academic breaks. These tours are $5 per person, and reservations are required. Call VIS
for tour and parking information and driving directions at (650) 723-2560. Visitors interested
in information about undergraduate admission or tours for prospective students are encouraged
to contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission at (650) 723-2091.