stanford campus tour guide

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360° Video Tour

Take a 360° guided video tour of the stanford university campus..

Virtual Campus Walk

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

Campus Photos

See how freedom translates into our people, our place and our mission in this slide show.

Campus Living

Learn about Stanford residential life on this virtual tour of residences, dining halls and lounges.

Around the Quad

Sample the diverse opportunities at Stanford from a snapshot of fellow students passing through the quad.

Garden Tour

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

Learn the lingo of "The Farm" (a popular name for the campus).

Enjoy a Science Art Nature Walk podcast of the campus.

Take a long, easy stroll of new sights on campus—handsome buildings, flowering gardens, light-filled courtyards, shaded arcades—that begins and ends with art.

Online Resources

Explore the campus at your own pace and learn more about Stanford's rich history, distinctive architecture, and notable landmarks.

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Plan your visit to stanford.

Discover Stanford University in person by exploring the campus! We've gathered resources to help you maximize your visit. Below, you'll find details on reaching and navigating campus, lodging and dining options and visitor information!

Getting to Stanford

San Francisco International (SFO) is approximately 25 miles north and San Jose International (SJC) approximately 20 miles south of Stanford. Both airports offer public transport, shuttle, and hire car options that will get you here. Oakland International (OAK) is also an option but is further from campus and can be more difficult to travel to/from using public transport and shuttles. See info about airport shuttles .

Public Transportation

BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) provides limited transit service on the San Francisco Peninsula and throughout the East Bay. BART services do not extend past the Millbrae station. Riders can connect to BART via Caltrain and bus connections at the following stations:

• Millbrae – served by Caltrain
• Fremont – served by the Line U East Bay Express
• Union City – served by the Dumbarton Express

Caltrain connects San Francisco and San Jose (including both airports) with a stop in Palo Alto. Visitors using Caltrain should get off at the Palo Alto station and take the Marguerite shuttle to campus.

See the Stanford Transportation website for more information about getting to campus using public transit.

From Highway 101 North & South - Exit onto Embarcadero Road and travel west, following the signs directing you to Stanford University. About three miles after exiting the freeway, Embarcadero Road becomes Galvez Street as you cross El Camino Real. Stay in the left lane and continue past the stadium. The Track House Parking Lot and Stanford Visitor Center will be on your left.

From Highway 280 North & South - Exit onto Sand Hill Road and follow the signs for Stanford University. Heading east, drive approximately three miles to the Stanford Shopping Center. Turn right onto Arboretum Road (Nordstrom is on your right). Stay on Arboretum until it ends, then turn right onto Galvez Street. The Track House Parking Lot and Stanford Visitor Center will be on your left.

Getting Around Campus

General parking

• Paid parking is available in the Track House Lot , located next to the Stanford Visitor Center .
• Please remember to lock your vehicle and do not leave valuables inside.

Marguerite Shuttle

• Marguerite is Stanford's free shuttle service and is open to the public – no ID required. All buses are wheelchair-accessible and have bike racks. See the live shuttle map .

Bike rentals

• Another favorite way of getting around campus is by bicycle. Bicycles are available for rent at the campus bike shop at Tresidder Union .

Navigating campus

• Stanford campus searchable map
• Parking and transportation map

Lodging Options

The Stanford campus and surrounding areas offer a wide range of lodging options. Stanford does not reserve hotel blocks and all pricing and reservations are handled separately through the hotels and not by the university.

Lodging options near campus

Dining Options

Here is a list of dining options on or near the Stanford University campus. Remember to check with establishments to confirm operating status and hours.

• Campus eateries map
• Cafe and retail food locations on campus
• Dining options at the Stanford Shopping Center
• Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce restaurants and cafes list
• Palo Alto Online's Best of 2022 restaurants
• Palo Alto Online's Best of 2022 food and drink

Visitor and Area Information

Helpful information for your visit including history, facts, news, and weather for Stanford and the surrounding areas.

Stanford information

• Stanford visitor information
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• About Stanford
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• Stanford Daily
• Stanford Magazine
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Bay Area information

• Visit California: Spotlight on Silicon Valley
• Palo Alto Online
• San Francisco Chronicle
• The Mercury News (Silicon Valley)

Stanford University's Land Acknowledgment Statement

Stanford sits on the ancestral land of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. This land was and continues to be of great importance to the Ohlone people. Consistent with our values of community and inclusion, we have a responsibility to acknowledge, honor, and make visible the University’s relationship to Native peoples.

Learn more about the University's relationship to Native peoples

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Stanford Tour Guides – All You Need To Know

Stanford tour guides are undergraduates whose job is to introduce future, prospective students, their parents and simple tourists altogether to the Stanford University. There are more than 80 tour guides who need to perform up to six daily campus tours, but the job of a tour guide does not end here.

Tour Guide Responsibilities

They are also responsible for the receiving of guests at the special Stanford visitor center and answer phone calls. The Hoover Tower is another highly popular place inside the campus and a lot of visitors are interested in seeing it. Needless to say the visiting process also falls under their responsibilities, so there’s a great deal of effort that needs to be invested into the line of work of a tour guide at Stanford. Tourists, executives or middle-school classes are given to group tours around the campus. Regular tourists will receive the simple walking tours, while future undergraduates – high school students along with parents – will be taken on the special prospective undergraduate tours. Golf cart tours are also made available, but there are plenty of advantages of the walking tours as well – tour guides get to exercise a lot, for starters. Here are some interesting details you might like to know.

Becoming A Stanford Tour Guide – Not A Walk In The Park

If you think anyone has a chance to become a tour guide at Stanford, guess again. You will have to go through a long application process consisting of three main components before you are actually handed the job. There are over two hundred applicants on a yearly basis. The few lucky chosen future guides will be thrown a special party and they will receive a special manual with more than 200 pages, discussing all of the facts they should know.

While diversity is one of the main criteria used when selecting candidates and future tour guides here, students who seem to have more outgoing personalities have better chances. Engineers who are known for their poor communication skills when it comes to talking in public are often times hunted down for the position. Athletes who have a difficult time finding open windows to do anything else but go to practice and attend courses are also part of the targeted cohorts.    

What To Expect As A Tour Guide

If you are seriously considering becoming a Stanford tour guide, get ready for some heavy backward walking. You’ll have to prepare to walk more than 5,600 steps during a single prospective undergraduate tour. Also, get ready to see more than two thousands visitors arriving on w weekly basis in the springtime. Many tourists will want to take your picture or have you show up in their videos, so get ready for some memorable experiences as well.  

Sure online guides and information is always available, but going on a real campus tour is going to help many future students make easier choices. One fun thing you can do online is to play lottery games – the Lottery Master site sells online tickets for the biggest international lotteries with hundreds of millions in prizes. Go to LotteryMaster.org and buy tickets for the Spanish Primitiva, the EU EuroJackpot or the US Mega Millions draws, to name just a few.

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Lost and found items

Please note, found items that were turned in during Family Weekend will be held until two weeks after the event. To inquire if your lost item was turned in and coordinate pickup, please email  [email protected] .

Self-Guided Tours

Explore the Stanford campus in person with self-guided tours and limited docent-led tours, and online with virtual experiences. Links with an arrow indicate an external site.

Please note that the limited docent-led tours may have strict capacity limits and/or other entry criteria. Hours and access to some areas may be limited.

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.

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.

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 Friday, February 23, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturday, February 24, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Limited Docent-Led Tour A limited docent-led tour will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis on Friday, February 23, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.

Denning House

Denning House is the convening space for Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford University. Denning House is an award-winning, gorgeous timber-framed facility overlooking Lake Lagunita on the Stanford campus. 

Limited Docent-Led Tours Friday, February 23, 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 - 1:30 p.m.: Limited to 15 participants per session on a first-come, first-served basis. Arrive on time; latecomers will not be admitted. Meet at 580 Lomita Drive for the guided tour.

The d.school (Hasso Plattner Institute of Design) wants to co-design our tour with you! We want to know what you want to know. Come by for an interactive prototype of our new tours program, rebooted since the pandemic shut it down. We'll run you through a bit of history, our new programs, and show you what we love about the school - would love to see you there.

Limited Docent-Led Tours Saturday, February 24, 1:00 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. and 2 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. The d.school is located in Building 550 on Panama Mall . Please enter through either of the doors marked with red stars on this map and join us in the Atrium. Our capacity is 45 people per tour. The first 45 people to check in will get a sticker. Please arrive around 5 minutes early.

Visit the Arts

Experience the creativity and imagination of the arts at Stanford. See information about self-guided arts tours, limited student and docent-led tours and more. 

David Rumsey Map Center at Green Library

The David Rumsey Map Center, opened in April 2016, combines world-class collections of historic and rare maps and atlases with modern digital cartographic technologies. Tour the Center with a curator and view the historic architecture of the Bing Wing of Green Library.

Limited Docent-Led Tour A limited docent-led tour will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis on Friday, February 23, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tour capacity: 30 people. Meet at the Bing Wing entrance of Green Library by 11 am, entrance facing Memorial Church ( Green Library, 459 Lasuen Mall )

SVA: Silicon Valley Archives/Hohbach Hall at Green Library

The Silicon Valley Archives/Hohbach Hall at Green Library are the world’s greatest repository of materials related to the history and development of Silicon Valley. Even in a place where so much attention is focused on the future, it is important to value the past. Also included will be a tour of the newly opened Hohbach Hall.

Limited Docent-Led Tour A limited docent-led tour will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis on Friday, February 23, 2024, at 11:35 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Tour capacity: 30 people. Meet at the Bing Wing entrance of Green Library by 11 am, entrance facing Memorial Church ( Green Library, 459 Lasuen Mall )

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 25 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.

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 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

Hoover Tower

Hoover Tower is the historic home of the Library & Archives and the Lou Henry Hoover Observation Deck and Carillon. Visitors can view portions of the collection in the ground floor exhibition galleries and see the historic Belgian carillon on the 14th floor observation deck, which also offers panoramic views of the surrounding area. The central floors of the tower contain offices and purpose built stacks which hold part of the Library & Archives collections, but are closed to the public.

Self-guided tours are available on Friday, February 23, 2024 and Satuday, February 24, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. No reservations required.

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 Visitor Center

Meet with staff at the Stanford Visitor Center. The Visitor Center will be open from Tuesday, February 20 through Friday, February 23 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 .

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.

Stanford Bookstore

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

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.

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.

Lake Lagunita

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

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.

Terman Fountain

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

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.

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.

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.

Campus Walks

Main navigation.

Enjoy the campus and its surrounding area with a number of themed walks or trails below. Click here for a Stanford campus map that provides estimated travel times when walking. For any walks through buildings, please note that there are restrictions for interior building access due to the pandemic. Please check the website of any department buildings for the most current guidelines and hours.

Architecture at Stanford: Self-Guided Walking Tours

The two self-guided tours linked here highlight architecture and landscape across campus. Visitors can print a map or use the mobile app, and 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.

Birds of Stanford

Learn about the 125 birds to look for on the Stanford campus and explore these self-guided walks and maps .

Dish Recreational Route

This popular recreational area for hiking and jogging is open to the public from approximately sunrise to sunset throughout the year.

Perimeter Trail

The Stanford Perimeter Trail is a partnership between Stanford and Palo Alto to create a set of hiking and biking trails connecting recreational areas in the foothills to those in the Palo Alto Baylands.

Public Art on Stanford Campus

Stanford’s campus features more than 80 works of outdoor public art, accessible to the public 365 days a year. Explore campus with the Stanford Arts Map .

Stanford Campus Nature Walk

A self-guiding podcast tour of plants, animals, and science art on the Stanford Campus.  

Stanford Campus Soundwalk

Joining the COVID-19 Memorial Soundwalk is part of a shared communal experience dedicated to remembering those who have been lost to COVID. This walking route is accompanied by a specially selected playlist of music performed by Stanford faculty and student musicians.

Stanford Redwood City Soundwalk

The COVID-19 Soundwalk at Stanford Redwood City is a walking route on campus, accompanied by a specially selected playlist of music performed by Stanford faculty and student musicians.

Trees of Stanford

Make the acquaintance of over 400 species representing 150 genera and sixty families – 43,000-plus individual trees growing on campus. These Stanford maps , along with the Noteworthy Trees Map and accompanying descriptions , can be used to create pleasant outings or guided tree walks.

Walking the Farm

18 themed walks exploring the Stanford campus, 20 local hikes from the Foothills to the Bay.

Tours and Group Visits

For Visitors of All Ages

Art and ideas from around the world, public tours.

Experience the Cantor Arts Center through one of free Public Tours.

Museum Tour Guidelines

Please confirm all tours with our visitor services staff when you check in at the information desk. tours may be subject to change or cancellation..

• Please remember to reserve your free day tickets before arriving at the museum.
• Public Tours are first come, first served. They do not require separate advance registration.
• All Public Tours are between forty-five minutes and one hour long, free of charge, and meet in the lobby unless otherwise noted.
• If you have more than 10 visitors in your group, please register for either a Private Docent Tour or a Self-Guided Group Tour. Please see below for more information about scheduling Private and Self-Guided Group Tours.

Public Museum Tours

All tours meet in the cantor lobby unless otherwise noted., friday and saturday, 11:30 a.m., saturday and sunday, 1:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m..

Explore the Cantor's collections with a docent who will lead you through a selection of works from different cultures and time periods. Conversation and curiosity is encouraged!

Special Exhibition Tours: Day Jobs

Fridays and saturdays, 2:00 p.m..

Join us for a tour of Day Jobs , an exhibition that examines the overlooked impact of day jobs on the visual arts. Now through Sat., Jul. 20, 2024.

Public Campus Art Tours

Explore the Stanford campus and its distinguished collection of outdoor sculpture. Dress for the weather and wear your walking shoes! Help us preserve our artwork by refraining from touching outdoor sculpture.

Outdoor Sculpture Walk, Campus

1st and 4th sunday of the month, 2:00 p.m..

Meet at the top of the Oval near the benches . This docent tour explores the extensive collection of outdoor sculpture in Stanford’s Quad and south campus. This tour lasts ninety (90) minutes.

Outdoor Sculpture Walk, Museum

2nd and 3rd sunday of the month, 2:00 p.m..

Meet in the Cantor lobby . Learn from a trained docent as you walk among the diverse collection of outdoor sculpture surrounding the Cantor Art s Center.

Papua New Guinea Sculpture Walk

4th sunday of the month, 11:30 a.m..

Meet at the corner of Santa Teresa and Lomita Dr. Fourth Sunday of the month. Now through Sun., Dec. 22, 2024.

Private Tours

School group tours (k-12).

The Cantor Arts Center welcomes all grade levels to enhance their classroom curriculum by exploring the Museum's extensive collection and special exhibitions.

Please use the form below to request your tour or visit.

Private Docent Tours

Celebrate the wide-ranging and diverse Cantor Art s Center collection with a highly trained docent as your guide. If you have special interests, please let us know when you schedule your tour.

Self-Guided Group Tours

Self-guided Group Tours allow you to lead your group of 10- 20 visitors through the m useum at your own pace. Whether you are a family, school, professional, or social group, access our maps and your own curiosity to experience the Cantor Art s Center independently. Audio tours are currently not available.

Stanford Class Tours

Stanford faculty and instructors are invited to bring their classes to the Cantor Art s Center for tours and special class sessions. Before visiting the Cantor, All Stanford classes must register via the Academic Programs page.

Virtual Guided Visits

We are happy to offer your group a Virtual Guided Visit, conducted via Zoom. Virtual Guided Visits are always free. The Virtual Guided Visit may include a general tour of the museum and major highlights of the collection, and lasts 40 minutes (unless otherwise stated.) We offer Virtual Guided Visits for schools and community groups.

Virtual Guided Visit Hours

Mon-Fri 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Pacific Submit your Virtual Guided Visit request at least four weeks in advance. Virtual Guided Visits are not available on weekends.

Special Requests

If you have any special requests regarding your Virtual Guided Visit, please let us know and we will try to accommodate them, depending on availability. Please complete and submit the form below to request a Virtual Guided Visit of the museum.

Request Process

We ask that you submit your Virtual Guided Visit request at least four weeks in advance of your desired date. We will then send an email confirming that your date and time are available, and that your Virtual Guided Visit has been scheduled.

To request a virtual guided visit of the Anderson Collection, please visit this link .

Please feel free to email us with any questions or concerns you may have.

Our digital doors are always open

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Cantor Arts Center

328 Lomita Drive at Museum Way Stanford, CA 94305-5060 Phone: 650-723-4177

Campus Partners

Stanford Arts The Anderson Collection Department of Art and Art History Stanford Live Institute for Diversity in the Arts

©2022 Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University. All rights reserved

Architecture at Stanford: A self-guided tour

Thank You for your interest in touring the Stanford University Campus. The two self-guided tours below 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.

The maps have been formatted to print on 11x17 sheet (2-sided) to assist during the walk but you are welcome to follow along via the virtual map as well. 

We hope you will return to this webpage and provide feedback on your tour by filling out the survey below. The survey should not take more than 5 minutes. We would love to hear from you about the tour and your experience. 

Post-tour Feedback and Sign-up Form

Arch. & Landscape at Stanford 1990-2005

Click here to print a self-guided tour

Click here for Mobile App

Architecture at Stanford 2000-2020

Type search request and press enter

What You Don't Know About Tour Guides

Reading time min

Toni Gauthier

They are often the first Stanford student a visitor ever meets. Tour guides, mostly undergraduates, introduce prospective students, parents and tourists from around the world to the University. Seasoned guide Gus Horwith, '10, began giving tours as a sophomore. The East Hampton, N.Y., native was a classics major, Sierra Camp counselor and former Mendicants singer. Before graduation, he gave S TANFORD some insight on what it's like to hold the whole Farm in his hands.

IT SHOULD FEEL LIKE IT'S JUST YOU AND YOUR GUIDE. BUT IT'S SO MUCH MORE. There are some 80 tour guides on campus. In addition to running up to six tours per day, they receive guests at the visitor center, answer phone calls and take people to the top of Hoover Tower. Campus walking tours are for the average tourist; prospective undergraduate tours (PUnTs) are for high schoolers and their families; and group tours cater to middle-school classes or a party of executives or a band of tourists. Most tours are free, and on golf cart tours ($5 per person), riders get to see more of campus. Horwith prefers PUnTs and says he's never done a golf cart tour. "I had an incident where I got [the golf cart] stuck between bollards during training."

WALKING BACKWARD COUNTS AS A WORKOUT . A PUnT requires the tour guide to take some 5,632 steps—most of them in reverse. Horwith always asks his group to alert him to dangers he's not seeing, and he's never had a major mishap.

THERE WILL BE BEER. BUT NOT FOR FIDO. Students tend to ask more fun, general, campus-life questions. Parents sometimes put on the pressure, asking about drinking on campus or grade inflation. Horwith takes care to answer honestly from his own experiences and with his knowledge of campus policies. When he's asked what the worst thing about Stanford is, Horwith says, "I miss my dog; I wish one residence would allow pets."

BECOMING A TOUR GUIDE? IT'S NO CAKEWALK. There is a three-tiered application process for this very popular job. (More than 200 apply each year.) Those who make it are rolled out of bed with the news, then led—backward, natch—from their dorms to a celebration party. Training includes a 232-page manual filled with Farm facts. "Your first tour is absolutely terrifying," Horwith says. "But at the end you tell [the group] it was your first and you get applause."

ENGINEERS WANTED. Stanford wants its tour guides to mirror the diversity found on campus, but the job does tend to self-select more outgoing individuals. Tour-guide coordinators try extra hard to recruit students from various cohorts on campus, such as engineering majors (less likely to be comfortable speaking to groups) and athletes (often too busy for a job). All tour guides, however, are involved in activities in addition to academics and tour guiding.

AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER. In spring, its busiest season, the visitor center sees up to 2,000 people per week, many of them prospective students. But Stanford is a year-round tourist attraction, with guests from all around the world visiting. Guides are constantly filmed or asked to be in photos. One guide traveled to Kyoto, Japan, and was stopped by a man who had been on one of his tours. Horwith likes having that kind of impact. He knew how important campus tours were in his own college-decision process. "I really wanted to be that person for other prospective students."

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The first-ever drive, chip & putt champion is returning for a spot in the augusta national women's amateur, share this article.

Kelly Xu’s biography on the Stanford University website ends with six words: First female champion at Augusta National.

A decade ago, Xu won the 9-and-under division at the inaugural Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals.

She was 4-foot-8, 61 pounds and called it, “The best day of my life.”

While being awarded her trophy — the first presented to a female at Augusta National — the fourth grader said, “I want to play on the LPGA Tour but not before attending a top university.”

Fast forward 10 years and Xu is a sophomore at Stanford. She arrives this week to compete in her first Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

“It’s a full circle moment,” Xu said. “The Drive, Chip & Putt was one of my first achievements in golf, and it really helped foster my journey. What Augusta National has done, generously allowing us to use their course, has meant so much. If it wasn’t for the Drive, Chip & Putt, I wouldn’t have gotten that push.”

As a 9-year-old, Xu claimed her favorite subject in school was lunch; she said she’d serve Brunswick stew, cornmeal, cornbread, sweet corn, sweet tea and peach cobbler at the Champions Dinner.

Now, the Claremont, California, native majors in political science, and says her choice class this semester is a Chinese policy seminar.

As for her updated spread?

“I’d serve sushi,” she said.

Sadie Englemann, Annika Sorenstam, Rose Zhang and Kelly Xu pose on the 18th tee during a practice round of the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif. on Wednesday, July 5, 2023. (Darren Carroll/USGA)

Xu has made a habit of accomplishing goals since 2014. Following her trophy presentation, the fourth grader admitted that her dream pairing would be with former Secretary of State and Augusta National member Condoleezza Rice.

A decade later, Condoleezza is Xu’s academic advisor at Stanford.

Another aspect that hasn’t wavered is Xu’s respect for Augusta National.

As a child, she called the layout, “The most amazing course in the world,” and echoes the adoration as a 19-year-old.

“My parents are immigrants, and 10 years ago, we didn’t understand the depth of Augusta’s history,” said Xu, who hasn’t returned to Augusta since 2014. “After 10 years of golf, we get it now.”

Xu is vying to become the first competitor to capture a Drive, Chip & Putt title and ANWA crown.

“It’s bigger than I can comprehend right now,” Xu said. “I’m a process person, so my goal is to do 150 percent off the course to help my preparation.

“But, yeah, when I step onto that first tee box, I know the nerves will be insane.”

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College tour season is about to kick off. Here are 10 tips from college tour guides to have a successful campus visit.

• As spring starts, colleges nationwide will welcome parents and students to tour their campuses. 
• College tour guides want people to arrive on time, ask the right questions, and have fun.
• They also recommend students take the tours on their own, without their parents.

Spring break is right around the corner, and for many high-school students and their parents, that means many will be hitting the road to tour colleges around the country.

To make the most of your visit, Business Insider spoke with college students and tour guides. They know the campuses like the backs of their hands, and they know how to walk backward.

Here are the dos and don'ts of college tours from student guides .

1. Get there with no time to spare, but don't be late.

You won't get points for arriving early, so try to arrive on time. But if you do happen to arrive late , there's no need to worry.

"If something comes up and you are late, ask your guide what you missed once the tour finishes," Skyler Kawecki-Muonio, a senior at Sarah Lawrence College in New York, told BI. "They will happily fill you in."

2. Dress to impress, but don't sacrifice comfort.

It's important to look nice, but you don't have to don a jacket and tie. Tour-goers should put their best foot forward with a sturdy pair of walking shoes , and don't forget to dress for the weather.

"At Fairleigh Dickinson, tours go out rain or shine, so make sure to wear clothes that will keep you warm," Emily Bone, a junior at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, said .

3. Don't forget to sign in, but skip the résumé .

Most schools have a check-in desk where you'll receive a campus map and other literature. But don't bother furnishing schools with your portfolio.

"Students can leave their résumés at home," Henry Millar, a senior at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, said. "Tour guides generally do not have any sway in the admissions process whatsoever, so feel free to save the paper."

4. Pay attention on the tour, but do it solo if possible.

Some schools offer to let parents and kids take separate tours, which has advantages.

"Get excited about your child's potential future in college, but give them some space to see what they think of that school on their own," Nathan Weisbrod, a junior at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, told BI.

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Students can comfortably ask questions without a parent present and compare notes afterward .

5. Ask all your questions, but avoid personal interrogations.

This is the time to inquire about any aspect of campus life , and don't feel shy about speaking up.

"Tour guides love getting questions because it allows us to cater the tour, especially in small groups, toward the needs and interests of the families on that specific tour," Halle Spataro, a senior at Bucknell University, said.

But some topics are off-limits, so don't ask your tour guide about their SAT scores , ACT scores , or what they wrote about in their essay .

6. Speak up, but let the student take the lead.

Parents may be tempted to raise their hands again and again, but this tour is about the student, so there should be space to let them shine.

"Try to take the back seat — or the passenger seat — but refrain from driving all of your child's interactions," Julian Jacklin, a junior at Reed College in Oregon, said. "Students who feel they can own that experience usually ask the most questions and engage with the tour more."

7. Say thanks, but don't leave with questions unanswered.

Maybe your guide didn't hear you, or your kid was reluctant to speak up. You can still get the information you want before leaving.

"There's a lot of information students are getting that day and a lot of excitement with being in a new place, which can make people forget to ask certain questions," Lorenzo Mars, a junior at Pepperdine University in California, said.

Therefore, get your tour guide's email address so that you can follow up .

8. You may know exactly what school is right but keep an open mind.

Don't be surprised if a city-living kid is suddenly intrigued by a small-town setting.

"The college search and college experience are all about getting to know yourself better and growing, so on a tour, students have to trust themselves and their judgment of the 'world' they've just stepped into," Thomas Elias, a senior at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, said .

9. Take in as much as possible, but remember to have fun.

Sure, preparing for the next four years can be scary and stressful. But it's also an exciting milestone, so enjoy the ride.

"These tours serve as great opportunities to learn more about colleges — along with their cities, culture, and people," Connor Gee, a sophomore at the University of Mississippi, said. "Have fun with it!"

10. Weigh the pros and cons of the school, but don't stop there.

Your tour may be over, but you can still learn other ways to immerse yourself in college life .

"See if the school offers additional experiences, like eating in the cafeteria or attending a class," Emily Balda, a senior at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, said. "Consider it 'food for thought.'"

Watch: What new Citadel military college "knobs" go through on day one at the controversial school

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Admit Weekend FAQ

Below are the answers to our most frequently asked questions. Click on the question to reveal the answer. We will update this page with additional questions and answers as we approach Admit Weekend. If you have a question that is not addressed on this website, please contact our office at [email protected] .

When is Admit Weekend 2024?

Admit Weekend will be held on Thursday, April 25 – Saturday, April 27 on Stanford’s campus.

What group of students would benefit from attending Admit Weekend?

Admit Weekend is for admitted students for Stanford’s Class of 2028.

When should I plan to arrive?

On-site check-in will begin on Thursday, April 25 at 9 a.m. in the Arrillaga Center for Sports and Recreation. We will provide a light continental breakfast. The Dean’s Welcome will start at 3:00 p.m.

Where do I park?

Free parking is available in the Galvez Lot. View the map of campus for your reference . Toyon Grove is adjacent to the Galvez Lot and available for overflow parking.

Where do I go if I arrive late?

If you arrive on Thursday between 3:00 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. or on Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., please check in at the Office of Undergraduate Admission and Financial Aid (Montag Hall – 355 Galvez St.).

Can I pay my deposit to join Stanford’s Class of 2028 during Admit Weekend?

Yes! Please visit the Office of Undergraduate Admission and Financial Aid (Montag Hall – 355 Galvez St.) and a member of the admissions staff will assist you in paying your deposit.

If I am unable to stay for the full duration of Admit Weekend, can I still attend?

Absolutely! Our program official ends on Saturday, April 27 at 1:00 p.m., but we understand that some of our guests may need to arrive late and/or leave early.

Can I bring guest(s) with me to Admit Weekend?

You are welcome to bring up to 4 guests with you to Admit Weekend. We ask that you indicate how many guests you are bringing with you upon registering.

Where can my family stay during their visit?

The Stanford campus and surrounding areas offer a wide range of dining and lodging options. Stanford does not reserve hotel blocks for Admit Weekend, however some operators may offer special rates. We recommend contacting the hotels directly to inquire about special rates as all pricing and reservations are handled separately through the hotels and not by the university.

Please note that the lodging options linked below are not operated by Stanford University and are included as a courtesy.

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Will I have internet access?

Yes, with the Stanford Visitor network, you can use the university’s wireless network to access the Internet while on-campus.

How to get online

• Select the SSID  Stanford Visitor from your device’s list of available wireless networks.
• Open a browser and load any URL; you will be redirected to an access page (on a mobile phone, the access page should open automatically).
• Click  Accept to acknowledge the terms of use. Your browser will be sent to a confirmation page, and from there you can get online.

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Yes, most majors will have a representative available to speak with during their Open House.

Will campus tours be offered?

Yes, campus tours will be offered throughout the weekend. You may sign up for tours in advance on the Admit Weekend registration form.

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Stanford Dining has a robust variety of menu options for residents with food allergies, food restrictions and/or special diets. Please indicate if you have an accommodation request upon registering .

Will Stanford accommodate accessibility requests?

Absolutely. If you or your guests need a disability-related accommodation or wheelchair access information at any time during Admit Weekend, please submit this request form or contact the Diversity and Access Office at 650.725.0326 or  [email protected] .

All requests should be made by Sunday, April 14 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.

Are there opportunities for admitted students and their guests to observe Passover at Stanford?

Yes! In partnership with Stanford Dining, there will be kosher for Passover meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner served out of Hillel at Stanford throughout the entire holiday. You can find more information about Passover meals and Shabbat on the Passover at Stanford page .

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Students will explore Taylor Swift’s lyrics as literature in new course

In new student-initiated course, students will apply literary analysis tools to Taylor Swift’s lyrics to gain new insights into her multilayered music.

Taylor Swift’s prolific output and quality live performances have delivered her to the pinnacle of pop stardom. But if Swift has cultural staying power, it will likely result from her songwriting skills and smart lyrics, where one can find allusions to F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Wordsworth, and Pablo Neruda.

Swift’s songwriting will become the subject of academic debate at Stanford this spring through four new courses. The superstar’s inclusion in the university’s educational offerings comes thanks in part to energetic, Swift-loving sophomore Ava Jeffs. Like many fans, Jeffs describes feeling like she grew up with Swift as the star moved from teen boyfriend songs to more sophisticated narratives tackling larger literary themes.

Jeffs will co-teach TAPS 89SI: The Last Great American Songwriter: Storytelling with Taylor Swift through the Eras , a student-initiated course (SIC) that will dive into Swift’s musical storytelling and literary lyrics.

“When the first Swift class came up at NYU, focusing on her celebrity, it got me intrigued about bringing more modern figures into our curriculum,” Jeffs said. “I was curious about what it would look like to develop a class around her and her music.”

When Jeffs approached Gabriella Safran , senior associate dean for the humanities and arts in the School of Humanities and Sciences, to ask how she might engage her peers in analyzing Swift’s songs, Safran suggested that Jeffs propose a SIC. Marina Johnson, a graduate student in the Department of Theater and Performance Studies, has since worked with Jeffs to turn the idea into a syllabus. Safran, the Eva Chernov Lokey Professor of Jewish Studies and professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures, and Johnson will serve as the instructors of record for the course.

“The tools we have to analyze verbal art are useful, and Ava can help her students learn to apply them,” Safran said. “The university can help Ava get some tools around structuring a class, time management, and class management.”

“It’s time to teach some lessons”

Like Swift’s Eras tour, the topics explored in the course progress album by album. The syllabus pairs a specific interpretive focus with each album to encourage students to apply their textual analysis skills to Swift’s lyrics. For example, one week students will consider symbolism and foreshadowing on the album 1989 . In another week, they will consider Swift’s use of fictional characters to drive narratives in her album Evermore . The course will also lay out the common pop song structures to show how formal manipulation can create meaning.

“As I got more into reading the words, I started to get intrigued about how you could apply your literary analysis to that medium of storytelling,” Jeffs said.

For instance, the class might explore how the chorus of Swift’s murder ballad “No Body, No Crime” plays with pop formulas. Following a common formula, each chorus repeats the same lyrical hooks: “I think he did it, but I just can’t prove it” and “no body, no crime.” But in each iteration, these lines take on new meanings as the song’s plot progresses through successive verses.

Student-initiated courses

Introduced in 2013, SICs enable undergraduates to develop and lead courses with support and mentoring from Stanford faculty and graduate students. In this case, Jeffs, Johnson, and Safran shaped the TAPS 89SI syllabus. Jeffs will lead course discussions with guidance from Johnson, who will be on hand at all class meetings.

SICs are considered activity courses, like most physical education, wellness, and outdoor courses as well as the thematic classes students in programs such as ITALIC take. Students can obtain less than five percent of the credits they need to graduate through these courses, which are one or two credits each and only offered pass/fail.

The benefit to student course leaders is straightforward.

“Students tend to spend most of their time being students and being on the receiving end of education,” Safran said. “For a student to get the experience of thinking about how to design and deliver a class offers incredibly important, useful life skills.”

Johnson champions peer-to-peer learning as a boon for enrolling students. She became Jeffs’ mentor for The Last Great American Songwriter after she served a similar role last spring for a one-unit, student-led ITALIC course on Taylor Swift’s video for “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).”

“One of the things I love about teaching is that it doesn’t have to happen in a very prescriptive way, as long as there’s a pedagogically sound approach,” Johnson said. “There’s an engagement on a different level when you’re learning from a peer about something about which they’re very passionate and know a lot.”

There are guardrails in place to support students co-teaching SICs. Student course leaders must complete online pedagogical training and work closely with an instructor of record, who oversees the curriculum and submits grades.

Welcoming the new

One of the benefits of SICs is they can help bring new cultural forms and ideas in for academic analysis.

“Our students are interested in the present,” Safran said. “We are also interested in the present. Across the university, people are studying the present in different ways.”

To investigate the literary meanings or merit of Swift’s lyrics, critics have to rely on tried-and-true methods of literary scholarship, such as looking for themes, modifications to widely used forms, and allusions to other writers.

“If you’re a humanities researcher, you’re trained mostly to join a conversation that’s already going on, about familiar issues and materials,” Safran said. “If you want to write about something new, something that just happened, you have to stretch. Older material can help anchor you as you analyze the contemporary material and teach your students to analyze it.”

This course is not the only new course to discuss Taylor Swift. Other Stanford courses will also apply proven methods of analysis to Swift’s new forms of expression. They include A Brief History of Now: Song and Poetry from Sappho to Taylor Swift , taught by Marisa Galvez, professor of French and Italian, and Harry Carter, graduate student in comparative literature; and Taylor Swift and Millennial America , taught by Theresa Iker , postdoctoral fellow in history.

“Taylor Swift is very literate in the sense that she’s citing all these canonical writers,” Safran said. “That's part of her appeal. In the new TAPS course, the students can excavate some of these references and figure out what Swift is doing with them.”

Media contact:  Joy Leighton, Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences: joy [dot] leighton [at] stanford [dot] edu (joy[dot]leighton[at]stanford[dot]edu)

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