Discovering Stanford University: A Visitor's Guide
Stanford University, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, is renowned for its beautiful campus, prestigious reputation, and contributions to education, research, arts, and athletics. Founded in 1885 and opened to students in 1891, Stanford offers a wide range of experiences for visitors, from prospective undergraduate students to art enthusiasts and sports fans. This guide provides comprehensive information to help you plan your visit to Stanford and make the most of your time on campus.
Planning Your Visit
The Stanford University campus is one of the largest and most beautiful in the country and deserves a visit regardless of the reason for your stay in the area. Visitor Information Services (VIS), a division of Stanford’s Office of Undergraduate Admission, oversees the Stanford Visitor Center at 295 Galvez Street. The Visitor Center provides campus tours and admission programs (both in person and virtually) for prospective undergraduates and their supporters, as well as campus information and self-guided tour resources for the general public. VIS also promotes exposure and access to higher education for other college-bound groups through seasonal tours and offerings. The Visitor Center is open Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, except during some academic breaks and holidays. You can also call 650-723-2560 or visit visit.stanford.edu for more information.
Discover Stanford Campus Visit Events
We invite you to join us on our beautiful campus to Discover Stanford! The "Discover Stanford Campus Visit" events listed are umbrella events that encompass all of the various programs we offer (listed below). Stanford offers several different programs to help you learn more about the undergraduate student experience and applying to Stanford.
Tours and Information Sessions for Prospective Undergraduate Students
The Office of Undergraduate Admission offers a variety of tours and programs, both virtually and in person, for prospective undergraduate students and their supporters. Live virtual offerings are available on a semi-weekly basis during most times of the year.
Prospective Undergraduate Student Tour
Learn all about Stanford University during a 2.5-hour combined information session and campus tour. An Admission Officer will lead a 45-minute information session covering undergraduate admission and financial aid. The representative will discuss characteristics that make Stanford distinctive, as well as Stanford’s admission process and commitment to financial aid. This tour typically lasts about 90 minutes and will cover nearly all of the central areas of campus over the course of its flat and accessible 2-mile path. Your student guide will focus particularly on sharing with you the amazing opportunities and experiences that come with being an undergraduate student at Stanford. If a Prospective Undergraduate Student Tour is not available in the registration form, it means that registration is full or that we are not offering tours.
Read also: Stanford Admission GPA Guide
Student Forum
The Student Forum provides a casual, comfortable opportunity for prospective students (and only students) to chat with 3-5 current undergraduate students to learn more about what it's really like to be a student on the Stanford campus.
Parent & Supporters Forum
The Parent & Supporters Forum, designed for parents, family members, and other supporters of prospective undergraduate students, is an informal, 45-minute question-and-answer session with a couple current Stanford undergraduates who represent a variety of backgrounds and interests and a professional staff member. Bring your lunch, and don't worry if you're running late - this is a very relaxed program!
Limited Availability
Please note that we are currently only able to offer a limited number of tours, information sessions, and student forums through Friday, January 2, 2026. PT. Please note that Stanford does not track demonstrated interest as part of the admission process. You may cancel or update your registration at any time.
Fall Quarter Tours and Programs
Fall quarter tours and programs kick off on Friday, September 19 and continue throughout the fall each weekday through Friday, December 12 (other than Thanksgiving week Nov 24-28, when campus is open for visits but guided tours will not be offered). Admission information sessions and discussion panels ("Student Forum" and "Parents/Supporters Q&A") are offered multiple times per week.
Winter Quarter Tours and Programs
Winter Quarter tours and programs (running from Tuesday, January 6 through Friday, March 13) will be posted for online registration starting on Monday, October 27.
Read also: Navigating Stanford Scholarships
Group Tours
Group Tours for Fall 2025 are offered to qualifying groups/organizations of 10 or more on weekdays from October 6 through December 5 (with exceptions on certain dates). Scheduling for Winter Quarter will begin on Monday, October 27. Please note that we will not grant requests for group visits through commercial or third-party tour operators. All requests and communications must come from and be processed through a qualifying organization.
Exploring the Campus
The Quad
The Quad is the academic center of the university, with the classrooms and offices of various departments located around the perimeter.
Stanford Memorial Church
Stanford Memorial Church was established by Jane Stanford in memory of her husband, Leland Stanford, as a symbol of the family’s commitment to an education informed by religious, spiritual, moral and ethical values. Dedicated in 1903 as a non-sectarian religious center, “Mem Chu” remains the most prominent architectural feature of the Main Quadrangle and is home to University Public Worship. The non-denominational Memorial Church is generally open each weekday and is open to the public. The church features five organs, including the Fisk-Nanney organ, which has 73 ranks and 4,332 pipes.
Hoover Tower
The 285-foot Hoover Tower was built in 1941 and dedicated as part of Stanford’s 50th anniversary celebration.
The Dish
The 150-foot-diameter radiotelescope in the Stanford foothills called the Dish was constructed in the 1960s to probe the scattering properties of the Earth’s ionosphere. It is still in use and is owned and operated by SRI International. Annually, more than 600,000 people hike the service roads surrounding the Dish within Stanford’s 315-acre habitat reserve, which also supports academic programs, environmental restoration and habitat conservation.
Read also: From Indians to the Tree
Arts and Culture
Art lovers will find many great Stanford resources, but be sure to visit the Cantor Arts Center, which offers free admission. The Cantor, which offers free admission, is a popular cultural resource for the entire region. Visitors can also enjoy the adjacent Rodin Sculpture Garden. The Rodin Sculpture Garden is the largest collection of Rodin bronzes outside Paris. While on campus, check out the Stanford Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden, which is located on Santa Teresa Street off Campus Drive West near Roble Hall, or go on a self-guided Outdoor Sculpture Walk.
Athletics
Stanford's intercollegiate athletic program has been consistently rated the best in the nation, and visitors will find a multitude of sports happening on any given weekend. Stanford Athletics venues are all located on the eastern side of the campus, a short walk from Town & Country Village at the corner of El Camino Real and Embarcadero Road.
Parking
Paid parking is available daily, either in coin-metered spaces ($1.50 per hour, two-hour limit) or at pay-and-display or pay-by-space lots. Machines at lots accept credit cards, cash, or coins.
Stanford's History and Legacy
Stanford University’s full name is Leland Stanford Junior University, It is named in memory of the only child of Leland and Jane Stanford, Leland Stanford, Jr., who died of typhoid fever in 1884 at age 15. Stanford University was officially founded the year following young Leland’s death and opened its doors to its first students on October 1, 1891. The Stanfords were a prominent family in the late 19th century, with Leland Stanford having served as both governor of California during the first two years of the Civil War, and later as a United States senator. He is perhaps best known as one of the “Big Four” of California, heading up the Central Pacific Railroad and the drive to complete the first transcontinental railroad. Leland Stanford, Jr. was a bright and inquisitive boy who loved to learn. He developed a passion at a young age for collecting art and archeological artifacts, and hoped to one day create his own art museum. Immediately following their son’s death, the Stanfords determined that they would use their wealth to do something to honor their beloved son ’s passions for education and the arts, and to benefit other children. After considering multiple options, they chose to build a university and a museum on the 8000+ acres of land that comprised their Palo Alto Stock Farm.
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