“The Farm” is a campus nickname that originated from the days when horses rather than students roamed what was once the horse stock farm of university founders Leland and Jane Stanford. Today, the beautiful campus is home to a vibrant community supported by world-class academic resources, comfortable campus housing and award-winning dining.

This guide highlights the many campus resources and activities available to you during your stay. For additional information, please reach out to your Housing Service Center (HSC). Take an enjoyable walk in our beautiful campus using this handy campus "walking time" map.   It’s a pleasure having you as our valued guest this summer on The Farm.

Staying On The Farm             Eating On The Farm              Exploring The Farm

Staying On The Farm

Eating On The Farm

Food Allergy Concerns

• SDHA offers various options for guests with food allergies, sensitivities and special dietary needs through our Food Allergies @ Stanford program.
• Our dining and culinary staff are trained to work with students and guests with food allergies and other special dietary needs.
• We label the following allergens in the dining halls: coconut, egg, fish, milk, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat. We also identify items that are vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free.
• If you have a food allergy, please inform the dining hall manager so that appropriate accommodations can be made.
• While we take many precautions to correctly identify ingredients and prevent cross-contact, we are unable to guarantee the absence of potential food allergens in our food or facilities. 

Please direct additional food allergy questions to nutritionist@stanford.edu.

Exploring The Farm

Campus Tours

Important Note: If you need to show proof that you are on campus as a summer visitor or conference participant, visit your Housing Service Center to obtain a gold Conference ID Card.  The gold ID card does NOT grant a waiver of the tour fee, but you can use it to show that you are on campus as a summer conference participant or guest.

• Free walking tours for prospective students are conducted by Visitor Center student staff. Check walking tour hours with the Stanford Visitor Center or visit visit.stanford.edu/explore-campus to learn about campus destinations and self-guided tours to interesting campus sights.
• Plan to join golf cart and group tours by checking available hours at visit.stanford.edu. Advance booking is required for most golf cart or group tours. A nominal fee is charged per person but there is no charge for persons with disabilities accompanied by one companion.
• The Hoover Tower Observation Platform and Hoover exhibits typically open for tours during the summer. Ticket information and other details can be found at the Hoover Institution website.  Please review visiting hours carefully and plan your trip in advance.
• The Hoover Institution Library & Archives provides valuable resources for history scholars and enthusiasts, and rare and fragile materials are accessible exclusively in the Stanford reading room. Registration and reservations are required for access.
• The Knight Henessy Denning House (580 Lomita Drive) a striking architectural landmark on the Stanford campus, serves as the dynamic heart of the Knight-Hennessy Scholars community. Built in 2018 through the generosity of Roberta and Steve Denning, it fosters connection, learning, and artistic inspiration. This timber-framed masterpiece offers in-person and virtual tours subject to tour availability.  Come explore its stunning art collection and distinct architecture.

University Bookstore Locations

• Stanford Bookstore (519 Lasuen Mall): Shop for Stanford merchandise, books, gifts, apparel, and more.
  Store hours are Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., but hours are subject to change. Check summer hours and other services by visiting the Stanford Bookstore website.

• Stanford Athletics Shop (corner of Galvez Street and Campus Drive under the track bleachers): Stanford athletic gear, clothing, and gifts. Open Monday - Friday 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Visit the physical store for on-the-spot shopping or shop online.

  
   

Campus Services at Tresidder Memorial Union

• Banking Services. Stanford Federal Credit Union and Wells Fargo Bank both offer full-service banking on campus. Bank of America, Stanford Federal Credit Union, and Wells Fargo ATMs are located at Tresidder.
• Campus Bike Shop rents out bicycles on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Rental rates include locks, helmets, and maps. For online bike rental reservations, store hours, and rates, visit campusbikeshop.com. Monday - Friday  9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; Saturday  9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
• Stanford Store. This student-run business offers Stanford merchandise. Proceeds benefit Stanford student organizations. store.stanford.edu. The store is located in Tresidder Memorial Union behind Starbucks.
• Stanford Hair provides haircuts, color, relaxers, and perms. Located in Tresidder Union. Monday - Friday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. For more information, visit the Stanford Hair Salon website.
• Performances & Special Events. Visit the Stanford Events page for a comprehensive list of campus events and performances. Call (650) 725-2787
• Tresidder Marketplace. Tresidder Marketplace offers Stanford apparel and miscellaneous convenience store items such as beverages, snacks, and health & beauty aids. Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Closed Weekends.
   

Recreational Facilities

• Stanford’s Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation (DAPER) sells daily Guest Athletic Facility Passes to conference attendees ages 18 and over who want to use the campus recreational facilities.
• Conference attendees may purchase guest passes for their own use during the official dates of the conference upon presentation of a photo ID and their Conference ID card. Obtain your conference ID card from your Housing Service Center.
• Passes are $22 each and valid for the entire day.  They can be purchased at Arrillaga Center for Sports and Recreation (ACSR) at 341 Galvez Street or Arrillaga Outdoor Education and Recreation Center (AOERC) at 285 Santa Teresa Street during normal business hours. Visit DAPER's Membership Options for additional information, facility hours and locations.

Swimming Pool

• The Avery Recreation Pool, located at the AOERC facility,  is open to conference guests and their immediate families with the purchase of a guest pass.
• Guests age 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult and can only swim during family swim hours. Review the pool rules and other information by visiting the Recreation & Wellness website.

Tennis

• The Taube South Courts are closed for renovations, but the West Campus Courts are available on a first come, first served basis if they do not conflict with scheduled activities (P.E. classes, tennis camps, special events, or a current reservation with a printed confirmation). Visit Recreation & Wellness Racquet Sports for information about reservations, including creating a free account.
• Tennis racquets and balls are not provided and tennis shoes are required on the courts at all times.
• Summer conference guests must purchase a Guest Athletic Facility Pass to use the courts.

Golf

• The Stanford Driving Range is open to the public 7 days a week. The range features 50 well-spaced driving stations, five target greens, and lights for night play. Visit stanfordgolfcourse.com/golf/learning-center.
• There is a small pro shop with gloves, balls, bags, shirts, wedges, and golf apparel for sale onsite.  Visit stanfordgolfcourse.com.

Arts at Stanford

Cantor Arts Center (Lomita Drive at Museum Way) encompasses 24 galleries with art from ancient Egypt to the 21st century.

• Outdoor sculpture installations include Andy Goldsworthy’s “Stone River” and one of the largest collections of Rodin bronzes outside of Paris.
• Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) revolutionized figurative sculpture, pushing the expressive limits of the human form. This powerful installation at the Cantor Arts Center features nearly 100 of his most influential works—the largest collection in any U.S. museum—alongside pieces by his mentors and admirers.  Free Rodin sculpture tours are offered at 11:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Go to the Arts at Stanford website for the latest information.
• This summer, Cantor Arts Museum presents Jane!, an exhibition that explores the life, legacy, and mysterious murder of university co-founder Jane Stanford through a captivating lens of Gilded Age extravagance. Visitors can discover historical keepsakes, spiritualist records, and institutional memories that unearth the complex and campy history of Stanford's matriarch. Exhibit dates for Jane! are on the Stanford Events Calendar or the museum's schedule through the Cantor Arts Center Exhibition Index.
• Presented by the Asian American Art Initiative, the groundbreaking exhibition Animal, Vegetable, nor Mineral: Works by Miljohn Ruperto, marks Cantor’s first foray into virtual reality experiences alongside sculpture, photography, and film. The display features 13 innovative works that challenge how humans historical view, classify, and name the natural world. Read more about this multimedia installation on the Cantor Arts Center Exhibition Page.
• Modern and Contemporary American Abstraction at Cantor Arts showcases a spectacular array of recently acquired mid-century masterpieces from legendary abstract expressionists. Highlighting the evolution of American abstraction, it features rarely seen works by icons like Franz Kline, Helen Frankenthaler, and Jackson Pollock. Explore the full artist roster on the Cantor Arts Center Abstraction Page.
• The Cantor Arts Center acquired 233 masks from Ruth Asawa’s family home in Noe Valley, never before displayed in full outside their original setting. The masks became part of The Faces of Ruth Asawa, a long-term installation which highlights the artist’s deep connection to clay and offers fresh insight into her diverse body of work.
• Docent-led tours of current exhibitions are offered Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Cantor Arts Center is open Wednesday - Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Admission is free but day reservations are required. Book online at museum.stanford.edu. Phone: (650) 723-4177

The Anderson Collection (314 Lomita Drive), adjacent to Cantor, is one of the world’s most outstanding private assemblies of modern and contemporary art.

• Docent-led tours are offered weekly on Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
• Admission is free but day reservations are encouraged. Book online at anderson.stanford.edu. Phone: (650) 721-6055

Stanford Jazz Festival and Workshop 

• For over five decades, the Stanford Jazz Festival has been home to iconic performances, from legends like Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz to groundbreaking artists like Joshua Redman and Bill Frisell.
• This summer, the 54th annual Stanford Jazz Festival takes place from June 21 to July 31, 2026, featuring over 25 events, including performances by the Branford Marsalis Quartet, Billy Childs Quartet, Anat Cohen, and George Cables. The festival brings international jazz stars and local artists to the Stanford campus for six weeks of concerts and education. Stanford Jazz also brings back to campus Jazz Camp for students aged 12 to 17 and Jazz Institute for adults and advanced youth.
• Tickets for the Stanford Jazz Festival are available at the Stanford Jazz Ticket Website. For information and group discounts, call (650) 736-0324 or visit stanfordjazz.org.

Stanford Repertory Theater 

• Stanford Repertory Theater’s Voices of the Earth - from Sophocles to Rachel Carson and Beyond is available to all Stanford conference participants and visitors.
• If you would like to see the full-length audio/visual presentation, listen to their radio broadcast, or read the script, it’s all free. Visit stanfordreptheater.com and click on the Voices of the Earth tab. Registration takes 20 seconds, and you will receive a password that give you free access to all the material, provided it is for non-commercial purposes.

Stanford Live! Summer 2026 Performances

• Summer@Live returns to Frost Amphitheater with a vibrant mix of global sounds.Join us on the Stanford campus for an exciting summer lineup featuring iconic singer-songwriters, indie-rock bands, and symphonic masterworks at the Frost Amphitheater and Bing Concert Hall.
• Highlights at the Frost Amphitheater include Paul Simon's highly anticipated multi-night acoustic engagement titled "A Quiet Celebration" on June 3 and 4, followed by the acclaimed indie-groove band Goose on August 15. On September 19, Brandi Carlile will present her acoustic-forward "The Human Tour" alongside special guest CMAT.
• The San Francisco Symphony Summer Series is also set to delight audiences with its signature outdoor classical performances at the Frost Amphitheater. On July 16, conductor Nicolas Ellis will lead the symphony through Shakespeare-inspired masterworks in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which features selections from Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky. The following week on July 23, conductor Steven Reineke will be joined by Broadway star Lena Hall for "James Bond Forever," delivering powerful symphonic renditions of classic Hollywood 007 themes. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit live.stanford.edu.

Office for Religious & Spiritual Life (ORSL)

• The Office for Religious & Spiritual Life (ORSL) and Memorial Church are located within the Main Quad.
• The ORSL welcomes all genders and sexual identities, all religious and non-religious traditions, and all cultural backgrounds.  
• University Public Worship (UPW), a non-denominational Christian service, is held in Memorial Church on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. Multi-faith UPW services are held periodically. Roman Catholic Mass is held every Sunday at 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Visit web.stanfordcatholic.org.
• Visit the ORSL website for summer hours and other church services at the Memorial Church for the public.
   

Photo credits:

• R&DE Strategic Communications
• Stanford University, Human Resources Department, Photographs used for New Employee Orientation (PC0118). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
• Ian Terpin / University Communications
• Jeff Goldberg / Esto
• Linda A. Cicero / Stanford News Service
• Stanford Institute for Creativity and the Arts