Local Activities
Local Activities
We love being a part of Palo Alto and look forward to sharing our city with you. Below are our recommendations for exploring Palo Alto and the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Please let us know how we may assist in personalizing your visit.
- Local Attractions
- Stanford University
- Restaurants within walking distance
- Coffee Shops within walking distance
- Shopping
- Spa Excursions
- Golfing (great public courses)
- Theatres
- Museums and Performing Arts
- Sporting and Concert Venues
- Day Outings and Recreation
- Palo Alto Guide Assistance
Local Attractions
- Bryant Street Gallery
- Filoli Center
- Gamble Garden Center
- Hewlett Packard Garage
- NASA Ames Research Center
- Palo Alto Art Center
- Sunset Magazine
- Glenoaks Equestrian Center
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- Paramount's Great America
- Northern California Scenic Coastline
Stanford University
- Hoover Tower
- Stanford Sports and Stadium, Go Cardinals!
- Stanford Linear Accelerator
- Stanford Memorial Church
- Stanford Theatre
- Stanford University Tour
Restaurants within walking distance
- Café Rosso and Bianco
- Café Fino
- Cheesecake Factory
- Coupa Café
- Darbar Indian Cuisine
- Empire Grill and Tap Room
- Evvia
- Gordon Biersch
- Il Fornaio
- Janta
- Junnoon
- MacArthur Park
- Mandarin Gourmet
- Mantra
- Miyake
- Nola
- Osteria
- St. Michael's Alley
- Tamarine
- Thaiphoon
- Three Seasons
- Zibibbo
Coffee Shops within walking distance
- Caffe del Doge
- Coupa Café
- Lytton Roasting, Coffee, and Tea
- Neotte Tea Bar
- Peet's Coffee and Tea
- Satura Cakes
- Sehbali Café and Hookah Bar
- Starbucks
- Tea Time
- University Café
Shopping
- Allied Arts Guild
- California Avenue (
Avenue of the Arts
) - Downtown Palo Alto
- Stanford Shopping Center
- Town and Country Shopping Center
Golfing (great public courses)
- Crystal Springs
- Deep Cliff
- Emerald Hills
- Mariners Point
- Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course
- Santa Clara Golf and Tennis Club
- Shoreline Golf Links
- Sunnyvale Golf Course
Theatres
- Aquarius Theatre
- CineArts @ Palo Alto Square
- Guild Theatre
- Stanford Theatre (historical landmark)
Museums and Performing Arts
- TheaterWorks
- Mountain View Center of Performing Arts
- Cantor Center for Visual Arts
- Computer History Museum
- Intel Museum
- Museum of American Heritage
- Tech Museum of Innovation
- Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo
- Coyote Point (for children)
- San Francisco's Exploritorium
- San Jose's Children Discovery Museum
Spa Excursions
- Skin Spirit
- Theremae
- Juut
- Water Course Way
Sporting and Concert venues
- Shorline Amphitheater
- SBC Park
- Monster Park
- HP Pavillion
Day Outings and Recreation
- Sonoma and Napa Wine Country
- Santa Cruz Wine Country
- City of San Francisco
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Carmel-by-the-Sea
- Halfmoon Bay
- Parks - walking, hiking, and views
Ano Nuevo, Muir Woods, famous walk the Stanford Dish hike, etc.
Palo Alto Guide Assistance
| Palo Alto Online | http://paloaltoonline.com/ |
| City of Palo Alto | http://www.city.palo-alto.ca.us/ |
| Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce | http://paloaltochamber.com/ |
| Destination Palo Alto | http://destinationpaloalto.com/ |
| Palo Alto Downtown Association | http://www.paloaltodowntown.com/ |
Local Attractions
Bryant Street GalleryA Downtown gallery that features emerging American artists as well as established names in the contemporary art world.
532 Bryant Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-321-8155
www.bryantstreet.com
Distance: 0.25 miles
This art museum at Stanford reopened in January 1999 after a 10-year renovation occasioned by the Loma Prieta earthquake. It now offers a wide-range of exhibitions and educational programs that celebrate the work of the visual artist.
Lomita Drive and Museum Way
Stanford, CA 94305
650-723-4177
museum.stanford.edu
Distance: 1.3 miles
Discover how computing became the amplifier for our minds and changed the way we work, live and play.
1401 North Shoreline Boulevard
Mountain View, CA 94043
650-810-1010
www.computerhistory.org
Distance: 6.5 miles
Filoli, a magnificent estate and formal gardens in Woodside, is a property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Visit the spectacular gardens in person from mid-February through October.
86 Cañada Road
Woodside, CA 94062
650-364-8300
www.filoli.org
Distance: 11 miles
This 2.5-acre property includes an historic home, carriage house, tea house, and formal and demonstration gardens. Free admission.
1421 Waverly Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-329-1356
www.gamblegarden.org
Distance: 1.5 miles
The Intel Museum showcases Intel's history in 10,000 square feet of fun and interactive learning for children and adults. Admission is free.
Robert Noyce Building
2200 Mission College Boulevard
Santa Clara, CA 95054
408-765-0503
www.intel.com/museum
Distance: 14 miles
The NASA Ames Exploration Center gives visitors the opportunity to experience NASA technology and missions first hand. The facility boasts the largest Immersive Theater on the West Coast. Admission is free.
Main Gate to NASA Ames
Moffett Field, California 94035
650-604-5000
www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/home/exploration.html
Distance: 7.2 miles
The Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo is a kid's place to think, create and play.
1451 Middlefield Road
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-329-2111
www.city.palo-alto.ca.us/community-services/museum-index.html
Distance: 1 mile
Not only is the Stanford Linear Accelerator the premier home of particle physics research, hosting projects that resulted in three Nobel Prizes, it's a building that's 2 miles long. Drop in on their Visitor Center, in person or on the Web. Call in advance for a tour.
2575 Sand Hill Road
Menlo Park, CA 94025
650-926-2204
www.slac.stanford.edu
Distance: 1.9 miles
Stanford University is recognized as one of the world's leading research and teaching institutions. The campus offers many opportunities for exploration and recreation. Contact Visitor Information Services to plan a guided tour and learn more about visiting Stanford's beautiful 8,200 acre campus.
Visitor Information Services
551 Serra Mall, Memorial Auditorium Lobby
Stanford, CA 94305
650-723-2560
www.stanford.edu
Distance: 1.75 miles
If you're a home gardener, visit Sunset Magazine's display gardens at the headquarters of their magazine. Here they plant for different regions in the West and test their new gardening projects.
80 Willow Road
Menlo Park, CA 94025
650-324-5400
www.sunset.com/sunset/general/article/0,20633,784093,00.html
Distance: 0.8 miles
The Tech Museum of Innovation is singularly focused on inspiring the innovator in everyone it reaches. Hands-on and interactive exhibits, divided among themed galleries, offer guests a truly memorable experience.
201 South Market Street
San Jose, CA 95113
408-294-TECH
www.thetech.org
Distance: 19 miles
Local Coffee Shops
Caffé del DogeThis is the first US location of Caffé del Doge, the celebrated artisan Venetian roasting company. Caffé del Doge coffees are made with only the finest of Arabica beans, originating from the highest-altitude estates, including Jamaica, Ethiopia and Guatemala, just to name a few.
University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-323-3600
www.caffedeldoge.com
Distance: 0.4 miles
Coupa Café is California's only café offering gourmet Venezuelan coffee. The Café serves pastries, Chuao Chocolatier Bonbons and El Rey chocolates, as well as specialized breakfast items, gourmet arepas and paninis, tossed-to-order salads, and specialty drinks - including beer and an extended Chilean and Argentinean wine list.
538 Ramona Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-322-6872
http://www.coupacafe.com/
Distance: 0.1 miles
At Lytton Roasting Company, retail and wholesale coffee is roasted on the premises.
401 Lytton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-324-4320
Distance: 0.25 miles
Neotte is passionate about finding and bringing the best quality Chinese teas for the public.
429 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-330-1738
http://www.neotte.com/
Distance: 0.1 miles
Peet's Coffee and Tea has plenty to offer for caffeine lovers who enjoy their coffee or tea good and strong.
Location 1:
436 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-319-0367
http://www.peets.com
Distance: 0.1 miles
Location 2:
153 Homer Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-325-2091
http://www.peets.com
Distance: 0.6 miles
A nice coffee bar featuring espresso prepared with the renowned monsoon
beans from Malabar, Sehbali also offers a wide arrange of genuine India Chai and Lassis. Free wireless Internet access is available.
235 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-566-8860
http://www.sehbali.com/
Distance: 0.3 miles
This location has T-Mobile HotSpot wireless broadband Internet service.
276 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-321-8600
Distance: 0.3 miles
http://www.starbucks.com/
The only tea lounge in the area that offers fine teas from around the world, Tea Time also offers free Internet access.
542 Ramona Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-328-2877
http://www.tea-time.com/
Distance: 0.3 miles
Good coffee and tea in a nice atmosphere with a great selection of tasty desserts.
271 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-322-5301
Distance: 0.25 miles
Local Golf (Public Courses)
Crystal SpringsThis course, meandering along the Buri Buri Ridge of the old San Mateo Rancho, offers you breathtaking vistas of the 20-mile-long Crystal Springs Reservoir, the Coastal Range, and abundant wildlife.
6650 Golf Course Drive
Burlingame, CA 94010
650-342-4188
www.playcrystalsprings.com
Distance: 18 miles
With Stevens Creek winding through the course, Deep Cliff has quickly become the finest 18-hole executive golf course in Northern California
10700 Clubhouse Lane
Cupertino, CA 95014
408-253-5357
www.playdeepcliff.com
Distance: 14 miles
This 30 acre multi-use facility, which includes a 9-hole golf course and pro shop, is perched above Redwood City in the beautiful Emerald Hill region of San Mateo County.
938 Wilmington Way
Redwood City, CA 94062
650-369-1991
http://www.emeraldhillslodge.com
Distance: 10 miles
Mariners Point features a 9-hole par-3 golf course, driving range, putting course and chipping greens set along the majestic San Francisco Bay and lighted for night time play seven days a week.
2401 E. 3rd Avenue
Foster City, CA 94404
650-573-7888
http://www.marinerspoint.com/
Distance: 14 miles
This golf facility consists of a recently renovated 18-hole championship length course, lighted driving range and practice putting green area.
1875 Embarcadero Road
Palo Alto, CA 94303
650-856-0881
http://www.city.palo-alto.ca.us/community-services/golf-index.html
Distance: 3 miles
Robert Muir Graves designed this 18-hole championship golf course that features gently rolling fairways, 58 bunkers and several water hazards.
5155 Stars and Stripes Drive
Santa Clara, CA 95054
408-980-9515
http://santaclara.americangolf.com/
Distance: 13 miles
This 18-hole course, located adjacent to San Francisco Bay, is a scenic design developed on gently rolling terrain with the feel and character of a Scottish-links course.
2940 North Shoreline Boulevard
Mountain View, CA 94043
650-903-GOLF (4653)
http://www.ci.mtnview.ca.us/city_hall/comm_services/shoreline_golf_links/
Distance: 8 miles
Sunnyvale Golf Course is a par 70 regulation 18-hole flat course with wide-open fairways and large greens that are medium speed.
605 Macara Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94085
408-738-3666
http://www.sunnyvale.ca.gov/Departments/Parks+and+Recreation/Parks/Golf+Courses.htm
Distance: 9 miles
Local Restaurants
Café Rosso and BiancoThis café serves Mediterranean pastas, salads, authentic wood-fired Italian pizzas and the finest meats and seafood available.
473 University Avenue (at Cowper Street)
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-752-0350
http://www.cafecoppola.com/
Distance: 0.05 miles
Café Fino serves cocktails, lunch and dinner; and offers jazz and classic entertainment Monday through Saturday evenings.
544 Emerson Street
650-326-6082
http://www.maddalenasrestaurant.com/
Distance: 0.4 miles
The Cheesecake Factory is a unique, upscale casual dining restaurant offering more than 200 menu selections including appetizers, pizza, pasta, seafood, steaks, salads, sandwiches and more.
375 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-473-9622
http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/
Distance: 0.15 miles
Coupa Café is California's only café offering gourmet Venezuelan coffee. Coupa Café serves pastries, Chuao Chocolatier Bonbons and El Rey chocolates, as well as specialized breakfast items, gourmet arepas and paninis, tossed-to-order salads, and specialty drinks - including beer and an extended Chilean and Argentinean wine list.
538 Ramona Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-322-6872
http://www.coupacafe.com/
Distance: 0.3 miles
Darbar serves up some of the best prepared, most elegant, and simply best tasting Indian food
in the Bay Area.
129 Lytton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-321-6688
http://www.darbarcuisine.com/
Distance: 0.5 miles
A local tavern with a wonderful outdoor patio, serving lunch and dinner as well as a weekend brunch.
651 Emerson Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-321-3030
Distance: 0.4 miles
At Evvia, they prepare Aegean cuisine in the style of innovative California fare. Evvia is the sister restaurant to the acclaimed Kokkari in San Francisco.
420 Emerson Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-326-0983
http://evvia.net/about-evvia.html
Distance: 0.4 miles
Dan Gordon and Dean Biersch opened the original Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant in downtown Palo Alto in 1988 at the site of the once historic Bijou Theatre. Fresh, hand crafted beer and premium, made from scratch food is what the Gordon Biersch experience is all about.
640 Emerson Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-321-3030
http://www.gordonbiersch.com/
Distance: 0.4 miles
Step inside Il Fornaio and take a culinary journey through Italy. Early mornings bring rustic, crisp crusted bread hot from the oven accompanied by the scent of fresh brewed espresso. During lunch and dinner hours, pastas and flavorful sauces simmer while meats and vegetables roast over hot coals.
520 Cowper Street (in the Garden Court Hotel)
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-853-3888
http://www.ilfornaio.com/
Distance: 0 miles
This cozy restaurant, with its popular Indian dishes, offers diners a wide variety of appetizers, main courses, vegetarian dishes and desserts.
369 Lytton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-462-5903
Distance: 0.25 miles
Floyd Cardoz of Tabla in New York consults on this upscale restaurant offering a modern approach to Indian cuisine. Voted one of Esquire Magazine's 20 Best New Restaurants of 2006
and one of the San Francisco Chronicle's 2007 Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants.
150 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-329-9644
http://www.junnoon.com/
Distance: 0.4 miles
MacArthur Park is located just outside the gates of Stanford University; the building itself is a California historical landmark. The menu at gained a reputation for its fine American cuisine and Oakwood-smoked baby back ribs.
27 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-321-9990
http://www.macpark.com/
Distance: 0.6 miles
Quality food in elegant surroundings is the hallmark of the Mandarin Gourmet dining experience. Here you will enjoy high end Chinese food with an intensive and inventive menu.
420 Ramona Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-328-8898
http://www.mandaringourmet-paloalto.com/
Distance: 0.35 miles
Voted one of the San Francisco Chronicle's 2007 Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants,
Mantra features an exciting menu that pairs California freshness with bold but not overpowering flavors and spices of India. There's also an elegant lounge with a small-plates bar menu
632 Emerson Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-322-3500
http://www.mantrapaloalto.com/
Distance: 0.4 miles
Miyake is a hip, modern sushi joint serving lunch and dinner that caters predominantly to the college crowd.
140 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-323-9449
Distance: 0.4 miles
Nola is a bit of New Orleans located in the historic Ramona Street Building in Downtown Palo Alto. Their menu consists of Creole, Cajun and Southwestern cuisine.
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-328-2722
http://www.nolas.com/
Distance: 0.3 miles
At Osteria, the chefs specialize in classical Tuscan cuisine, including house-made pasta such as pappardelle Osteria, spinach raviolini and linguine al pesto.
247 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-328-5700
Distance: 0.35 miles
Satura Cakes specializes in fantastically delicious cakes made with fresh, high-quality ingredients.
320 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-326-3393
www.saturacakes.com
Distance: 0.1 mile
This delightful hidden gem serves comfort food with a California twist, and a wine list focused on Santa Cruz Mountains' offerings.
806 Emerson Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-326-2530
http://www.stmichaelsalley.com/
Distance: 0.55 miles
Tamarine is a contemporary Vietnamese restaurant featuring the light, but flavor-intensive culinary delicacies of Vietnam. The restaurant features an art gallery displaying the works of emerging artists from regional areas throughout Vietnam
546 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-325-8500
http://www.tamarinerestaurant.com/
Distance: 0.1 miles
At lunch, downtown workers and shoppers alike crowd the indoor and outdoor seating areas of this popular eating spot, which boasts delectable Thai and Asian cuisine. Dinner is also served.
543 Emerson Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-323-7700
http://thaiphoonrestaurant.com/
Distance: 0.4 miles
Three Seasons offers an appealing Vietnamese menu focused on small plates. Dishes come alive with flavors of other Southeast Asian cuisines, using lots of fresh cilantro, garlic and crispy bits of fried shallot.
518 Bryant Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-838-0380
http://www.threeseasonsrestaurant.com/
Distance: 0.25 miles
Named one of the 20 best American restaurants by the readers of Gourmet magazine, Palo Alto's Zibibbo offers an inventive pan-Mediterranean menu that changes with the seasons in the tranquil surroundings of a renovated Victorian home.
430 Kipling Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-328-6722
http://www.restaurantlulu.com/Zibibbo_about.html
Distance: 0.15 miles
Local Shopping
Allied Arts GuildThe Allied Arts Guild is an enchanting complex of shops, gardens, artists' studios and a restaurant nestled in a quiet corner of a lovely residential community.
75 Arbor Road at Cambridge Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 94025
650-322-2405
http://www.alliedartsguild.org/
Distance: 2 miles
Palo Alto's pedestrian friendly downtown is dotted with unique shops and restaurants, galleries, movie theatres and bookstores.
Palo Alto Downtown Association
542 High Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-462-1795
http://www.paloaltodowntown.com/
Distance: 0 miles (Garden Court is located in Downtown Palo Alto)
Stanford Shopping Center is the San Francisco Bay Area's premier shopping and dining experience. Discover Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, Macy's plus 140 other world class stores, restaurants and services.
680 Stanford Shopping Center
Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
650-617-8200
Distance: 1 mile
http://stanfordshop.com/>
Local Theatres
Aquarius TheatreFeaturing some of the finest in independent and foreign language cinema, the Aquarius is one of the few theatres in the San Francisco Bay Area to regularly offer up midnight movies.
430 Emerson Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-266-9260
http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/SanFranciscoPeninsula/AquariusTheatre.htm
Distance: 0.4 miles
A two-screen theater featuring art and independent films.
3000 El Camino Real
Palo Alto, CA 94306
650-493-3456
Distance: 2.5 miles
Located in Menlo Park, the Guild features the some of the finest in independent film and foreign language cinema.
949 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA 94025
650-266-9260
http://www.landmarktheatres.com/Market/SanFranciscoPeninsula/GuildTheatre.htm
Distance: 1.1 miles
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation refurbished this Palo Alto landmark to its original splendor! See classic Hollywood films along with the theatre's Mighty Wurlitzer organ when it plays during the intermissions before and after the 7:30pm show.
221 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-324-3700
http://www.stanfordtheatre.org/stf/
Distance: 0.3 miles
