Stanford Campus Tour

The campus of Stanford University is widely considered to be among the most picturesque of all university campuses in the United States. One of the finest ways to immerse yourself in the Stanford experience and gain a deeper familiarity with the institution is to take the Stanford campus tour. Not only are people interested in visiting Stanford for the distinctive architecture of its buildings, but also for the numerous sights and activities that may be enjoyed there.

Stanford University is in the heart of Northern California’s dynamic “Silicon Valley,” which is home to Yahoo!, Google, Hewlett-Packard, and many other cutting-edge companies that were started by and continue to be led by Stanford alumni and faculty. Stanford University is located 35 miles south of San Francisco and 20 miles north of San Jose.

Is the Stanford campus open to the public?

Is the Stanford University campus accessible to the general public? The color-coded tier system for reopening during the pandemic in California came to a conclusion on June 15, and now Stanford University is terminating its temporary campus zones program and inviting members of the Stanford community and tourists to return to outdoor areas.

The Stanford University museums and outdoor areas on both campuses are open to the general public and invite their attendance. Other buildings on the university campus are not now accessible to members of the general public. There are parking lots for guests conveniently located in every area of the main campus.

Visitor programs and walking tours of the campus

Visitors are welcome to take a self-guided tour of the campus on weekends and university holidays, in addition to the campus visit alternatives that are provided Monday through Friday.

It is highly suggested that you wait to plan your travel until after you have received a confirmation email with your upcoming bookings to visit Stanford University. This is because the Stanford campus tour and other sessions fill up quickly, and you do not want to miss out on attending the university.

Note the following: The events that are mentioned under “Discover Stanford Campus Visit” are umbrella events that include all of the many kinds of programs provided (listed below). You will have the opportunity to organize your schedule for the day and choose the individual sessions that you are interested in attending when you are in the process of registering for the event.

You can choose from a variety of programs offered by the university to obtain additional information about the undergraduate student experience and to assist you in applying to Stanford. Take into consideration that on the day of your visit, some of the following alternatives could not be accessible:

Prospective undergraduate student tour

Your student guide’s primary focus will be on providing you with information and insight into the extraordinary possibilities and adventures that are available to you as an undergraduate student at Stanford.

If a prospective undergraduate student tour is not an option within the registration form, this indicates that the event is either at capacity or that the organization does not do tours. Instead of taking the Stanford campus tour with a guide, you are invited to add a self-guided tour to your itinerary so that you can find out more about the campus.

Admission Information Session

The purpose of the Discover Stanford information session is to provide high school students and prospective transfer students with the opportunity to learn more about the programs, places, and people that define Stanford University’s commitment to undergraduate education within the context of a top-tier university.

A representative from the Office of Undergraduate Admission will lead this information session, which will last for a total of forty-five minutes. The representative will talk about the things that set Stanford apart from other universities, as well as the admissions process and Stanford’s dedication to providing financial aid.

Student Forum

The Student Forum is an opportunity for prospective students (and only students) to have a conversation in an informal setting with three to five current undergraduate students to get a better understanding of what it is like to be a student on the Stanford campus.

The student hosts will not discuss issues related to enrollment or funding, but rather will focus on student life in general, including academics, athletics, activities, housing, dining, weekends, the social scene, and other topics.

Please be aware of the following policies regarding visits:

• Prior registration is necessary for participation in any guided tours or informational presentations. There will be no exceptions to this rule.
• There is neither a waitlist nor a mechanism for walk-ins for any of the programs that are currently at capacity. No exclusions.
• Due to limited availability, all registrants limit their parties to no more than three additional guests, for a total of four individuals per registration.
• Stanford strongly recommends wearing face masks while indoors, and while outdoors in crowded settings when maintaining a distance of six feet or more from others during the Stanford campus tour.
• Please be aware that as part of the application process, Stanford does not consider shown interest to be a factor. At any point, you have the option to either cancel your registration or make changes to it. Should you choose to apply to Stanford, participation in campus visit opportunities is completely voluntary and will have no impact whatsoever on the admissions decision they make.

Does Stanford have a virtual tour?

Is there a way to virtually explore Stanford? There is no substitute for going to a college campus in person and experiencing the atmosphere for oneself on a personal basis. However, because of covid restrictions, many were taken into consideration. There is no need for those who are unable to attend and do the in-person Stanford campus tour to be concerned because the university provides options for those individuals.

Virtual Tour

The university is always expanding the virtual visit alternatives that are available to you. Consequently, you might think about seeing the 360-degree video tour. This student-led tour lasts for 13 minutes and looks best when viewed in 1080p high definition.

It is recommended that you watch it on a mobile device, with cardboard, or with cardboard or 360° glasses to get the most out of the experience. In every other case, you can move around on a screen that is fixed by clicking and dragging, or by using the compass in the top left corner of the screen.

Virtual Admission Information Sessions

This is a virtual information session that will last for a total of 45 minutes and will be led by a representative from the Office of Undergraduate Admission. During this session, the representative will discuss the aspects that set Stanford apart from other universities, in addition to the admissions process and Stanford’s dedication to providing financial aid.

Please be aware that as part of the application process, Stanford does not consider shown interest to be a factor. Participation in online activities is completely voluntary and will not be taken into consideration in the application assessment process.

The website for Stanford Undergraduate Admission provides applicants with additional resources and information regarding the application process.

Themed Panels

These one-hour online forums are live discussion sessions with current Stanford undergraduates, and they are intended solely for prospective students applying to the undergraduate program. Prospective undergraduate students will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about issues such as academics and possibilities for learning beyond the classroom at Stanford during these panel discussions.

As a result of the fact that these sessions are supposed to be taken in addition to the Admission Information Session, queries regarding admission will not be addressed during these sessions.

How long is the Stanford campus tour?

How long does it take to explore the Stanford campus? The tour normally lasts around 90 minutes and will cover nearly all of the central locations of the campus along a 2-mile path that is both flat and easily accessible.

Note that the Stanford Visitor Center is normally open from Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (except for federal holidays and some breaks between quarters) to provide information to people who are interested in touring the Stanford campus.

What can you see at Stanford?

Where can you go and what can you see at Stanford? As a result of the illustrious combination of Stanford University and the flourishing technology industry, the university has received widespread acclaim on a global scale as a cultural mecca for explorers, innovators, and some of the most successful technology businesses in the world. Make use of this guide to discover more about the opportunities and experiences that Stanford has to offer.

Hoover Tower

The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace includes the Hoover Tower, which was finished in 1941 and opened to the public. Herbert Hoover, the 31st President of the United States, was a member of Stanford University’s Pioneer Class of 1895 and is the inspiration for the building’s name.

The first nine floors of the structure with a height of 285 feet (87 meters) are home to nearly 1.6 million volumes of research on social, political, and economic shifts that have occurred in the 20th and 21st centuries. The observation platform located on the 14th floor is accessible to guests and provides a bird’s eye view of the university as well as a significant portion of the Bay Area.

Memorial Hall and Memorial Auditorium

Memorial Hall and Memorial Auditorium are among the best spots to visit while taking the Stanford campus tour. Memorial Hall was formally dedicated in 1937 as a way to commemorate students and staff members who had passed away during World War I. Plaques bearing their names and the names of those who lost their lives in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Iraq War, and the Afghanistan War may be found in the lobby. The Department of Theater and Performance Studies (TAPS) and KZSU, which is a student-operated radio station, are both located in Memorial Hall on campus.

Wallenberg Hall

Research on education at the university level is conducted at Stanford in Wallenberg Hall, which bears its name. The faculty of Stanford University are welcome to use the facility’s advanced resource classrooms to try out innovative approaches to instruction and education.

McClatchy Hall

McClatchy Hall is the location of several academic departments, including sociology, communication, and urban studies.

The Oval and Palm Drive

The Oval and Palm Drive serve as signs pointing visitors in the direction of the university. Picnics, games of volleyball, and simply taking in the beautiful California weather are all great activities that may be enjoyed on the Oval by students, faculty, and people of the surrounding community. Palm Drive is a path that leads to University Avenue and the central business district of Palo Alto. It is surrounded by approximately 150 Canary Island palm trees.

Jordan Hall

The Department of Psychology and the Department of Linguistics are both located in Jordan Hall.

David Packard Electrical Engineering

The administrative offices of the Department of Electrical Engineering, as well as the undergraduate instructional laboratories and the Bytes Café, are located in the David Packard Electrical Engineering Building on campus. When they were both undergraduates at Stanford studying electrical engineering in the 1930s, David Packard and William Hewlett crossed paths. They then went on to discover Hewlett-Packard (HP) in the garage that belonged to Packard in Palo Alto.

Nanoscale Science and Engineering

This state-of-the-art laboratory features some of the most cutting-edge nanoscale patterning and characterization equipment available anywhere in the world.

Yang and Yamazaki Environment and Energy Building (“Y2E2”)

Y2E2 reflects Stanford’s commitment to finding solutions to global environmental problems by bringing together specialists from a wide range of fields, including ecologists, economists, engineers, legal scholars, and policy analysts.

Jen-Hsun Huang Engineering Center

While taking the Stanford campus tour, one of the best places to look forward to is Jen-Hsun Huang Engineering Center. The Huang Center serves as the primary location for the School of Engineering on campus and was created to foster an atmosphere rich in inventiveness, as well as cooperation, and creativity.

It is home to the Terman Engineering Library. It was named for Frederick Terman, who served as the dean of the School of Engineering in the 1950s. It is generally agreed that he was the driving force behind the development of academic-industry cooperation as well as the ethos that gave rise to Silicon Valley. Additionally, Huang serves as the location of Google’s first server and a replica of the legendary HP garage.

The Main Quad

The architectural styles of the Quad are Richardson Romanesque and Mission Revival, both of which were planned and developed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The twelve original classrooms that were there when Stanford first opened its doors in 1891 can be found on the Quad.

Today, it is home to the School of Humanities & Sciences and serves as the center of numerous traditions at Stanford, such as the Senior Dinner on the Quad, which is held for students who are about to graduate.

Burghers of Calais, Auguste Rodin, 1889

The Burghers of Calais is a memorial that honors the personal sacrifice of six notable Frenchmen who, during the English siege of Calais in the middle of the Hundred Years War, gave their lives for the sake of their fellow citizens in the city. One of the most extensive collections of Rodin sculptures in the world may be found at Stanford. Cantor Arts Center and the Rodin Sculpture Garden also feature other pieces by Rodin that are available for viewing.

Memorial Church

Memorial Church is another stop of interest during your Stanford campus tour. The church was created by Jane Stanford as a memorial to her late husband, Leland Stanford Sr., who passed away in 1893. The Church was inaugurated in 1903, and while it was designed with a Christian focus, it does not adhere to any particular religious denomination and welcomes people of all faiths.

Class Plaques and Time Capsules

There are commemorative class plaques placed along the walkway of the Inner Quad. These plaques reflect the year that each graduating class received their diploma. During Commencement Weekend, there is a special ceremony where each graduating class puts their plaque in place. The majority of plaques also include time capsules, which contain artifacts symbolizing each graduating class as well as the year in which they did so.

Cecil H. Green Library

In addition to general collection resources that are not kept in the smaller research branches, research collections for the social sciences and humanities are housed in the two wings of Green Library. The university’s greenhouses account for almost one-third of its 9.3 million total physical volumes.

Clock Tower

The Clock Tower was constructed in 1983, and it now serves as a home for a collection of bells and clockworks that were once located in a tower above Memorial Church. During the earthquake that occurred in 1906, the church’s tower collapsed.

White Plaza

White Plaza is the name of the landscaped space that spans 200,000 square feet and connects the Main Quad to the Tresidder Memorial Union. White Plaza is the epicenter of student life, serving as the location for everything from rallies and demonstrations to career fairs and concerts. Thus, you should include the White Plaza. Hence, you should include the White Plaza in your Stanford campus tour.

Old Union

Home to the Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU), the Office of Student Affairs, the Office for Religious Life, The Axe & Palm Café, and a variety of student services organizations such as El Centro Chicano, the Native American Cultural Center, and the Asian American Activities Center, Old Union is located on the Stanford University campus.

Tresidder Memorial Union

Tresidder is Stanford’s student union. It offers a wide range of amenities, such as a convenience store, a variety of dining options, conference spaces, a bike shop, two branches of a bank, and a hair salon.

The Row (Mayfield Avenue)

Upper-class students have several housing alternatives to choose from on The Row, including houses with academic, cross-cultural, and language themes, as well as cooperative, self-operated, and Greek houses.

The Stanford campus tour may be one of the things that pique your interest in attending the university. Stanford University is one of the most selective universities in the United States and the world. Because of the number of applicants and the percentage of those who are accepted, it is consistently ranked as the most selective.

You will require aid from college admissions professionals like AdmissionSight if your objective is to be admitted to Stanford. Our services are specifically designed to help students improve their applications to catch the attention of admissions officers. At AdmissionSight, we take the uncertainty and guesswork out of the application process so you can focus all your effort on perfecting yours.

If you’re interested in learning more about what we offer and how the process works, feel free to contact us.