Things To Do in Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto, CA is a dynamic city situated in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County in the heart of Silicon Valley. Founded in 1894 and named after El Palo Alto, a towering coastal redwood, the city combines a rich historical heritage with cutting‑edge innovation. Home to Stanford University, Palo Alto’s tree‑lined streets host a mix of Victorian homes, mid‑century modern architecture, and verdant green spaces. The city’s downtown areas—University Avenue and California Avenue—feature boutiques, galleries, and farm‑to‑table restaurants. Palo Alto is renowned for its commitment to sustainability, reflected in extensive bike lanes, electric vehicle infrastructure, and award‑winning parks and open spaces.
Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden
1431 Waverley St, Palo Alto, CA 94301, United States
Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden, located in Palo Alto, CA, is a 2.5‑acre historic estate transformed into a nonprofit public garden. Established after Elizabeth Gamble bequeathed her home and grounds to the city in 1981, the site features formal demonstration gardens, orchards, and themed plant collections. Highlights include a rose garden, iris collection, wisteria arbor, and an ornamental greenhouse housing succulents and cacti. The property encompasses the 1902 Colonial/Georgian Revival Gamble House, carriage house, and tea house, all open to visitors on weekdays.
Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo
1451 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94301, United States
Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo, located in Palo Alto, CA, is a family‑oriented science museum and small zoo operated by the City of Palo Alto’s Community Services Department. Founded in 1934 in a school basement, it now occupies a purpose‑built facility adjacent to Rinconada Park. The museum offers hands‑on science exhibits that rotate periodically, covering topics from physics and biology to environmental science.
Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve Trail
Palo Alto, CA 94303, United States
Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve, located in Palo Alto, CA, is the largest remaining tract of undisturbed marshland in the San Francisco Bay, spanning 1,940 acres. Owned by the City of Palo Alto, this vital habitat features tidal marshes, freshwater ponds, and flood basins, supporting migratory shorebirds and endangered species like Ridgway’s rail and the salt marsh harvest mouse. Fifteen miles of multi‑use trails wind through the preserve, leading to attractions such as the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center and the Duck Pond, once a public swimming pool.
Stanford Theatre
221 University Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301, United States
Stanford Theatre, located in Palo Alto, CA, is a restored 1925 neoclassical movie palace on University Avenue. Designed by Weeks and Day and funded by David and Lucile Packard Foundation, it boasts a Persian‑Moorish‑inspired façade, ornate lobby, and a mighty Wurlitzer theatre organ. Specializing in films from 1910 to 1970, the theater curates seasonal retrospectives and festivals celebrating auteurs like Hitchcock and actors such as Cary Grant. During intermissions, organist performances on the original Wurlitzer delight audiences.
Stanford Shopping Center
660 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States
Stanford Shopping Center, located in Palo Alto, CA, is a premier open‑air luxury mall on Stanford University land. Opened in 1955, it pioneered university‑owned retail, featuring anchor department stores and upscale boutiques set among landscaped gardens and public art installations. With over 140 specialty stores—Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Neiman Marcus, and local favorites—the center blends high‑end fashion, home décor, and global cuisine.
Palo Alto Art Center
1313 Newell Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94303, United States
Palo Alto Art Center, located in Palo Alto, CA, is a municipal arts facility offering exhibitions, classes, and community programs for all ages. Founded in 1971 as the Palo Alto Community Cultural Center, it occupies a former city hall building designed by Leslie Nichols. The center presents rotating contemporary art exhibitions featuring local and international artists, interactive family‑friendly installations, and public art projects. Classrooms and studios support workshops in painting, ceramics, printmaking, and digital media, engaging approximately 150,000 participants annually.
Rinconada Park
777 Embarcadero Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94303, United States
Rinconada Park, located in Palo Alto, CA, is the city’s second‑oldest park, established in 1922 and originally named Waterworks. Spanning 11.8 acres, it offers a shaded canopy of mature redwood and oak trees, picnic lawns, playgrounds, and athletic facilities. The centerpiece is the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo, situated alongside a community swimming pool with lap and recreational lanes. Nine tennis courts—six with lights—invite evening play, while baseball and softball fields support organized leagues. The park’s Lucie Stern Community Center anchors its northern edge, providing theater and event spaces.
Mitchell Park Library
3700 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94303, United States
Mitchell Park Library & Community Center, located at 3700 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto, CA, is a joint‑use facility rebuilt in 2014. This environmentally friendly complex comprises a 15,000‑square‑foot community center and a 26,000‑square‑foot library under one roof. Designed to maximize natural light, its architecture highlights sustainable materials and surrounds a courtyard anchored by a mature California Coastal Valley Oak. The community center offers multipurpose rooms, an event ballroom, and Ada’s Café, hosting weddings, conferences, fitness classes, and cultural programs.
HP founding garage - Birthplace of Silicon Valley
367 Addison Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301, United States
HP Garage, located in Palo Alto, CA, is the historic one‑car garage at 367 Addison Avenue where Bill Hewlett and David Packard founded Hewlett‑Packard in 1939. Recognized as the “Birthplace of Silicon Valley,” this modest bungalow‑style garage was originally part of the Spencer family home built in 1905. Encouraged by Stanford Dean Frederick Terman, the founders engineered their first product—a precision audio oscillator—inside this shed, selling units to Walt Disney Studios for Fantasia’s sound system.
Lucie Stern Community Center
1305 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94301, United States
Lucie Stern Community Center, located in Palo Alto, CA, is a Spanish Mediterranean‑style complex designed by Birge Clark and built in 1934. Serving as the city’s primary recreation and performing arts venue, it houses Palo Alto’s Recreation Department and provides two theater spaces—the Stern and Children’s theaters—supporting community theater, dance, and musical performances. The center’s courtyard, fountain, and decorative archways evoke historic campus architecture, while interior spaces accommodate meetings, fitness classes, and social events.