Stanford University is not just one of the preeminent institutions of higher learning in the United States. It is also home to a number of treasures including the Cantor Center for Visual Art, Memorial Church, and Hoover Tower. As you drive along Palm Drive early in the morning, the golden façade of Memorial Church gleams ahead of you in the distance. The fragrant, sweet aroma of eucalyptus trees surrounds you. Long strips of bark hanging from the trees, sway in the morning breeze. Stanford University is waking up to another typical California day – bright blue skies and gentle temperatures.

Not far from the Oval and the Quad — the heart of the University — the Cantor Center for Visual Arts houses more than 200 works by the French sculptor, Auguste Rodin, the largest collection outside of Paris. About 170 works are found inside the building but more than 20 are in the Sculpture Garden. Included amongst these are “The Gates of Hell,” which took Rodin more than 20 years to complete. Over 19 feet  high, the sculpture depicts a scene from The Inferno of Dante’s “Divine Comedy,” which you must observe for some time to take in all the intricate details. Above the door, a miniature Thinker also sits, seemingly contemplating the scene below. Door panels include depictions of the lovers Paolo and Francesca, while Biblical scenes festoon the sides. If you were hoping to see the Thinker, come back in 2012 when it comes back from South Carolina where it is on loan.

Not far away, near the Quad, is one of Rodin’s most famous sculptures, “The Burghers of Calais” (Les Bourgeois de Calais), commemorating the 1347 siege of the port city by the English King Edward III. The sculpture shows how six of the city’s top leaders prepared to sacrifice themselves to save their fellow citizens. They walked out of the city carrying the keys of the city and, expecting to be executed, but were spared when the English Queen persuaded her husband to be merciful.

Walking through the arches around Memorial Court, you reach the Quad with its distinctive California Revival architecture. Here you will yourself in front of the Romanesque Memorial Church, built by Jane Stanford as a memorial to her husband, Leland. (The University was built by the Stanfords in remembrance of their son, Leland Jr. ).  Affectionately know as “MemChu”, multicolored detailed frescoes cover the exterior sandstone of the building. Over 140 stained glass windows, ornately carved arches and massive mosaics cover the interior. This is one of only two non-denominational churches in the US and is filled with stone inscriptions (such as “Your heartaches may be great, burdens heavy, but look about you and with whom would you change?) placed by Jane Stanford. Look for the 29 Quatrefoils and ancient religious symbols scattered throughout the Church including an arrow, heart, square, anchor, heart, and rose. If you are lucky, there will be someone practicing on the church’s large four pipe organ. The sound echoes and soars inside the building, practically penetrating your bones and giving you goosebumps.

As you leave Memorial Church, look to your right where Hoover Tower soars above the Quad. Part of the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, the 285-foot Tower, completed in 1941 to celebrate the University’s 50th anniversary, houses exhibits related to Herbert Hoover, the 31st President of the US and his wife.  They were both Stanford graduates. The observation platform on the 14th floor provides a 360-degree view of the University, San Francisco Bay and the surrounding hills. You will also see a carillon of 48 bells, the largest inscribed with the message “For Peace alone Do I ring.” The bells cast in Belgium were a gift from the Belgian-American Education Foundation. Members of the Stanford music department practice on the Carillon, the sounds swirling on the wind across the campus.

Spend some time walking around the campus with its many statues and fountains, its exquisite gardens and beautiful architecture. Feel the energy as you cross paths with the thousands of students walking, bicycling or sitting on the grass, studying. Enjoy the atmosphere.

IF YOU GO
Stanford University is located about 35 miles south of San Francisco, easily accessible by car or on the Cal Train which stops in Palo Alto at the end of Palm Drive. The University runs a free public shuttle bus, the Marguerite, which will take you from the train to the campus. If you drive, be sure to park only in a Visitors Parking spot and bring quarters for the meters. The Visitors Center is at 295 Galvez Street. The Cantor Center for Visual Arts is open Wednesday to Sunday 11000 t0 1700, Thursday until 2000. Admission is free. Stanford Memorial Church is open Monday to Friday 0800-1700, Sunday, 1130-1530 (450 Serra Mall, Stanford). Hoover Tower is open 7 days a week from 100 to 1600 with closures noted on the University website. The trip to the top of the Tower costs $2.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2014 Diana Russler