Things to Do In and Around Palo Alto

The City of Palo Alto is one of the most recognizable cities in Silicon Valley, located 35 miles south of San Francisco. The blend of business and residential areas anchored by a vibrant downtown defines Palo Alto's unique character. Most notably, the city is home to the world-famous Stanford University, which cultural and educational offerings add to the vibrancy, innate charm and beauty of Palo Alto.

The San Mateo County / Silicon Valley Convention and Visitors' Bureau is a fantastic resource to use when planning your visit. Whether you're looking for historic sites, museums, parks, entertainment, or outdoor adventures, you will find something to suit your every mood! The list below is just a sampling of the wide variety of activities that await.

Jump down to: Stanford University Campus | University Avenue and Downtown | Parks & Nature Preserves | Old Palo Alto | Tech History | Arts & Museums | Bay Area Activities

Palo Alto Area

Stanford University Campus

• The Dish, a 150 feet wide radio telescope nestled in Stanford's foothills
• Stanford Theater brings back the authentic movie-going experience of Hollywood's Golden Age
• Stanford Shopping Center, 660 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA 94304, (650) 617-8240
• Hoover Tower - take an elevator to the top of this 285-foot tower for a bird's-eye view of campus
• Cantor Art Center houses 24 galleries and over 38,000 pieces within their collection
• Stanford Memorial Church
• Rodin Sculpture Garden - located within the Cantor Art Center
• Anderson Collection offers a dense collection of 20th-century American art
• Arizona Garden cactus-infused garden

University Avenue and Downtown

• Mills Florist
• Books Inc
• Scoop Microcreamery
• Palo Alto Farmers' Market

Parks and Nature Preserves

• Riconada Park offers hiking trails and numerous amenities to explore, including the Riconada Community Garden
• Bedwell Bayfront Park features 160 acres of parkland with paved and unpaved trails, many of which lead to several viewpoints
• Baylands Nature Preserve encompasses nearly 2,000 acres of undisturbed marshland habitat
• Pearson-Arastradero Preserve encompasses over 600 acres of woodlands, grasslands, and a thriving riparian habitat
• Bair Island Wildlife Refuge covers 3,000 acres and includes a marsh area with three islands: Inner, Middle, and Outer, with connecting pedestrian bridge
• Arastradero Lake features common wildlife sightings including deer, wild turkeys, and the occasional bobcat
• Monte Bello Open Space Preserve a 3,436-acre park full of dense forests, rolling grasslands, magnificent vistas, and earthquake trail showing some of the geomorphology features created by the San Andreas Fault
• Castle Rock State Park a 5,242-acre state park located along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains offering 32 miles of hiking among redwoods and other regional trees
• Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is located along a rocky seashore and hosts a living community of tide pool marine life including algae, crabs, sponges, seastars, mollusks and fish

Old Palo Alto

• Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden 2.5 acres of the garden are on a historic property alongside the restored 1902 home of Elizabeth F. Gamble

Tech History

• Googleplex Campus
• Computer History Museum, 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd. Mountain View, (650) 810-1010
• Hewlett Packard Garage dubbed the Birthplace of Silicon Valley, now on the National Register of Historic Places

Arts and Museums

• Palo Alto Art Center features rotating displays of local and regional artwork
• The Museum of American Heritage houses a collection of over 5,000 artifacts, permanent and rotating exhibits

The Bay Area

Though a bit farther from Palo Alto, these additional sights and opportunities are nearby in the greater Bay Area.

• Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Rd. San Carlos, CA 94070, (650) 654-0200
• Monterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940, (831) 648-4800
• US Army Corp of Engineers Bay Model A 1.5 acre model of the SF Bay. It includes the bay's bathymetry, local topography and includes twice daily tidal changes for visitors to learn about the geography, topography, ecology, as well as the human and natural history of the San Francisco Bay and Delta. Located at 2100 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA 94965, (415) 289-3007
• Exploratorium - Interactive Hands-On Science Museum, Pier 15, The Embarcadero @ Green St.) San Francisco, CA 94111 (415) 528-4444 (NOTE: Thursday night After Dark, adults only, 6-10:00pm)
• California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118, (415) 379-8000
• Other Shops Around Palo Alto and Redwood City
• Parks and Nature Preserves
• Wineries and Breweries
• Beaches