Welcome to Palo Alto
Whether you are visiting for business, for pleasure or to attend a conference or other event at Stanford University, you will quickly discover the unusual blend of intellect, innovation, culture and natural beauty that makes Palo Alto so special.
The area is home to Nobel prize winners, Silicon Valley CEOs, venture-capital firms, HP, Facebook and one of the most renowned universities and medical centers in the world.
While Palo Alto developed as a sleepy college town, the emergence of Stanford University as the leading academic high-technology research center in the nation in the 1970s led to hundreds of start-up businesses with connections to Stanford professors and their inventions. Thus Palo Alto became known as the birthplace of Silicon Valley and attracted engineers and others from all over the world to pursue their dreams.
Palo Alto is known for the quality of its public schools, not surprising considering the close ties to Stanford and the fact that more than three-quarters of the adults in the community have advanced degrees.
The Stanford campus itself is the biggest visitor attraction, and visitors could easily spend a day or longer exploring the beautiful (and large) campus.
But at a minimum any visit should also include a walk or drive through the tree-lined (and among the costliest in the nation) residential neighborhoods, a walk in the foothills or baylands and some great shopping and eating in the several business districts.
For more information, please go to: http://www.destinationpaloalto.com
Cal Ave Farmers’ Market
Every Sunday, Palo Alto’s California Avenue holds a weekly farmers’ market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fresh and local produce, fish, breads and much more are available. Stroll the bustling avenue, sample various fruits and veggies, and listen to live music.
- Visit the official website at: http://www.urbanvillageonline.com/markets/california-avenue/
Getting Around
Palo Alto and Stanford are served by a transportation network that includes the regional Caltrain system, which operates frequent trains up and down the Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, the free Stanford Marguerite shuttle bus service, local taxis and an extensive network of pedestrian and bike paths.
While most visitors arrive by car, it is feasible to land at either San Francisco or San Jose airports, connect to nearby Caltrain stations in Millbrae and Santa Clara (via BART at SFO and shuttle bus at San Jose) and arrive at the downtown Palo Alto train station. From there, the Marguerite Shuttle provides service to various locations on the Stanford campus and to selected other stops in Palo Alto. The Sheraton and Westin hotels are both located next to the train station. Airport van shuttle services regularly operate from both airports to Palo Alto and Stanford.
Parking on the Stanford campus is very restricted and costs $1.50 per hour (purchase tickets at kiosks in public lots.) A better way to get to campus from hotels is to hop on the Marguerite, which operates several loops connecting to downtown Palo Alto, Stanford Shopping Center, the Medical Center, the California Avenue and San Antonio shopping districts and the El Camino corridor. Some shuttles operate only on weekdays and only during the academic year, so check the website for details.
A busy 24-hour general aviation airport (PAO) is located in the Palo Alto Baylands. The Palo Alto Airport Association website provides useful information and links.
Marguerite Shuttle
General Information, Routes and Schedules http://transportation.stanford.edu/marguerite/MargueriteSched.shtml
Marguerite Route Map (pdf)
Real-Time Marguerite Map (Shows actual current location of all shuttles)
http://fops-cf.stanford.edu/stanford_ivl/flashdetect.cfm
Parking on Campus
If you don’t have a permit to park on the Stanford campus you will need to use one of the pay visitor parking lots. Some lots have meters and others have kiosks (accepting cash or credit cards) that issue variable length permits at $1.50 per hour. Parking enforcement in visitor pay parking lots is Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking for evening events, including sports events, is generally free. More information on visitor parking.
Source: http://transportation.stanford.edu/parking_info/VisitorParking.shtml
Parking in Palo Alto
Parking in most downtown Palo Alto lots is free for two hours (and parking garages for three hours) during weekdays and Saturdays, after which a car is not allowed to re-park in the same “color zone” the rest of the day. It can be very difficult to find parking in the evening, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. A number of the better restaurants offer valet parking.
Source: http://www.destinationpaloalto.com/pages/d/getting-around?visitor_info_id=14
Attractions
The Palo Alto area offers things to do for all ages and interests. A trip to the Stanford University campus is the highlight for most visitors, where attractions include Hoover Tower, Memorial Church, Cantor Arts Center, Rodin Sculpture Garden and a central campus bustling with activity.
But surrounding Stanford are plenty of other places worth visiting. Although not open to the public, the original (and restored) garage where David Packard and Bill Hewlett started Hewlett-Packard can be seen from the street. The Computer History Museum in Mountain View offers a low-key view of the development of Silicon Valley.
Gardening enthusiasts should be sure to visit the
Sunset Magazine Gardens in Menlo Park, the Gamble Garden in Palo Alto and the
Filoli Estate & Gardens located on a beautiful estate west of Redwood City about a 15-minute drive north on Interstate 280.
Kids will enjoy the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo, the small Museum of American Heritage in downtown Palo Alto, the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, and Great America, an amusement park located about 10 minutes south of Palo Alto on Highway 101 in Santa Clara. Or for a fun family activity between October and April, go ice skating at the Winter Lodge, an outdoor rink in the Midtown Palo Alto shopping district.
Art lovers shouldn’t miss the many galleries around town or the Palo Alto Art Center, a popular venue for Bay Area and local artists.
Other popular attractions include the Allied Arts Guild, a collection of shops in nearby Menlo Park, the Stanford Linear Accelerator, a particle physics research facility operated for the government by Stanford, and the Stanford Research Park, home to many high technology companies.
When you’re worn out from sightseeing or shopping, get outside and get some exercise by taking advantage of one of the area’s many recreational opportunities. [See Recreation section.)