Travel Guide Stanford

The prestigious Stanford University is located in the heart of Silicon Valley, just a 10-minute walk from Palo Alto. Its history began in 1876, when California governor and railroad magnate Leland Stanford decided to buy land in the valley to build a simple farm. Upset by the death of his son in 1884, he set about founding a university to invest in the future of California's children.The Stanfords called on the landscape architect of New York's Central Park to build the Stanford campus, which opened in October 1891 with 559 male and female students. Today, there are 18,000 students. The private university is renowned the world over, particularly for the excellence of its teaching in electronics and computer science.The Campus is reputed to be one of the most beautiful in the United States, featuring a magnificent arboretum with over 350 plant species, including eucalyptus, Washingtonia filifera, Canary date palm, Quercus agrifolia, Himalayan cedar and St. Lucia fir. It also includes the Arizona Cactus Garden, a botanical garden populated by cacti, succulents, jade trees and aloes. It was originally planted between 1880 and 1883 by the Stanford family and organized by landscape architect Rudolph Ulrich. The complex also includes the Stanford Mausoleum, where the Leland and Stanford families are laid to rest.