Hoover Tower

The observation deck of the Hoover Tower offers spectacular views of the Santa Clara Valley. It houses a carillon of 48 bells, the largest inscribed «For Peace Alone Do I Ring.» The original 35 bells were cast of bronze in Tournai, Belgium, and were a gift of the Belgian-​American Education Foundation. The observation platform is located on the 14^th floor of Hoover Tower. The 285-​foot Hoover Tower was built in 1941 to celebrate Stanford’s 50^th anniversary.
The lobby features memorabilia of Herbert Hoover, the 31^st U.S. president and a member of Stanford’s Class of 1895. The adjacent pavilion exhibits items from the Hoover Institution Archives.

The Hoover tower has always a min in the amazing part of the Stanford campus skyline it’s currently undergoing a lot of construction right now but it’s still a beautiful place to come and visit

I had a very nice experience in the Hoover Tower. Walking up the stairs into the tower building, I was in awe of this grand historical building, absolutely amazing. The workers here are very pleasant, especially the elevator attendant, very personable. The 360 degree view is breathtaking on a clear sunny day, I stood there for awhile just taking it all in. If you want to get your tourist on while visiting the Bay Area, take a ride to Stanford University, pay a couple bucks, and you will get a serene view that is really indescribable.

The tower and campus are amazing. But the people managing the Hoover Towel, who sell the tickets, should be nicer to the visitors!!! I hope the customer service at Hoover Tower can match the reputation of Stanford U!

Usually it’s fine but I’ve been stand here waiting to check in for blood draw … I’m the only one in line-​there are 3 gals on their computer and no one has the time to check me in. Are you joking?
Horrible customer service! Multiple people waiting and they are all aggravated. Epic fail!

Hoover Tower provides a gorgeous view of the surrounding area. The only reason I docked Hoover Tower a star is mainly because I’m a big chicken and have and will most likely again cry when at the top. Fear of heights! Ah!
The largest bell of the original 35 bells at Hoover is inscribed, «UNO PRO PACE SONO» which means «for peace alone do I ring.» If I was a bell, I would want that inscribed on me as well.
Great spot to bring tourists!

Saw the Hoover Tower from the outside and it definitely pales in comparison to the Campanile at the UC Berkeley campus! Nonetheless, it’s still a sight worth seeing since you are at Stanford already! :)

Great 360 degree views of the surrounding campus, hills, and even the city on a clear day. The interpretive staff on site were very welcoming and had some great stories. I went with a local student so it was free. Worth a brief stop on a clear day!

Main positive: provides gorgeous views of the surrounding area. Some cool bells up at the the top, along with a device for ringing them. (They only get rung on special occasions.) Interpretive staff in the elevator and tower and some limited signage help the experience. Note the policy of no photos downstairs – otherwise a very zealous guard will loudly & enthusiastically chastise you. (This seems to happen every few minutes.) Interesting exhibits about Mr. & Mrs. Hoover on either side of the entrance. But nothing about their vacuum cleaners. ;-)
Tips: cost goes up from $ 2 to $ 3 in January 2015. Groups of 10 or more can get in for $ 1/​person. (Groups might need reservations.)

We went as a group of 16 and the total was $ 16 because it is $ 1/​person if your group has over 10 people.
I had printed out a copy of the self-​guided tour beforehand so it was interesting to read a little blurb about some of the structures I was seeing. There were maps posted that labelled what you are seeing, too – very useful!
The staff were very friendly. The number of people who were allowed up there was managed very well – no fighting for a spot. It was timed just right for you to have a good look at everything.

Free for Stanford affiliates and their guests, $ 2 for the general public. There are pictures taken from each side of the building that tell you what you’re looking at, very easy to decipher.
You have to wait for someone to take you upstairs. I wish they had told us something about the tower or at least posted some information

$ 2 to get up, and the views are awesome. There isn’t much to do up there other than the views, so it’s not a way to kill a whole ton of time, but it’s great nonetheless. On my visit, the skies were so clear that you could make out downtown San Francisco, which was quite impressive.

A spectacular 360 view of Stanford and beyond. On a flawless day (of which I’m sure are abundant in Palo Alto), a Saturday nonetheless, the wait time was only a few minutes. The crowd up at the top was minimal – no pushing and shoving required for views. So lovely! I enjoyed narration identifying and elaborating on points of interest from my two friends, one a student and the other employee, without which would have made the trip up top slightly less interesting though no less visually pleasing. To top it off, the staff in the tower were two dear men with an obvious passion for their work. I was able to enjoy my trip up the tower at no cost as a guest, but a small fee may be required if unaccompanied by Stanford ID bearers.

If you are visiting Stanford for the first time, this is a must-​see. I have been here at least 5 times in the last couple of months with friends who are visiting the area, and they all loved the experience and the view. As mentioned in the reviews below, general admissions tickets are usually $ 2 per person, but if you are a student or a Stanford affiliate, you can get free tickets for yourself and up to 5 guests. Hours are generally 10a-​4p, but for more information check out their official webpage:
The staff here are always so friendly! When you enter, you purchase your tickets and wait in line for the elevator to take you to the top. They will ask you to leave your big backpacks on the ground floor, but small purses are okay to bring. Once you reach the top, you will, guaranteed, be taken away by the amazing view of Stanford and the neighboring Palo Alto communities below. On clear, sunny days you can even see as far as the Bay Bridge. If you have any questions, the guides are very welcoming and happy to answer. They don’t really allow you to stick your phone/​camera out the bars though, so just be wary of that.
The lines have always been manageable when I’ve gone, but during the summertime expect traffic to be higher /​wait times to be around 10 minutes. Still worth it though!

Go up to the top for a neat view of the Stanford campus and hills! (Although it gets very windy at the top!) Students get in free, and can bring up to 5 guests. Otherwise it’s $ 2 for adult admission. It’s a fun trip, and it’s not too crowded so it shouldn’t take more than 5 – 10 min for the whole trip up and down (depending how long you want to stay at the top).
Note: They don’t allow you to bring backpacks up, so you’ll have to leave them against the wall! But since there’s barely any traffic, your belongings should be fine.

Hoover Tower is definitely a top choice for sights to see on an expansive Stanford Campus. I went around noon and it was fairly quiet up there (only a couple people). You enter and then wait for an elevator attendant to take you up (either free if you have a Stanford affiliate or a couple dollars). After talking to the attendant, it seems that the Hoover Tower becomes crowded during the summer and during game days, just FYI.
When we went up to the top, we saw an amazing 360 degree view of the entire campus. It was breathtaking and quite a serene sight. I would definitely recommend it and a great chance to all the campus has.
Definitely go!
Tip: Come here with a Stanford affiliate and get up to 5 guests free!

Great views, free for students plus five guests. I often come up here to photograph the campus below. You enter the building and a friendly guide will take you up the elevator to the observation deck. The most classic views are of MemAud facing north and of the Main Quad facing west. You can also see a few of Palo Alto’s mini-​skyscrapers and the Dumbarton Bridge quite clearly, with Fremont Hills and San Francisco visible afar.
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Hoover Tower is a must if you’re visiting Stanford’s campus. Stanford students and faculty get to bring up to 5 guests in for free! But even if you don’t know any Stanford affiliates, the trip up the tower is well worth the $ 2 admission. You go up the elevator in groups of 7 or so at a time, and once you’re up there you can stay however long you want to take pictures. The view is incredible — you can see all of Stanford’s orange-​roofed buildings, the surrounding hills, and even the very distant San Francisco skyline if you go on a cloudless day. The bars in the windows are a bit annoying for picture-​taking, but you’re guaranteed to enjoy the view nonetheless! And don’t forget to use flash when taking photos of people, otherwise the people in your photos will be extremely backlit.

Besides Twin Peaks, which is the best place to view the skyline of San Francisco?
The answer is Hoover Tower at Stanford University. At the roof of the building, you not only can explore in the ‘library of war, peace and revolution’, but also can see the entire campus of Stanford and the distant skyline of San Francisco. The palm trees, the sculpture quad and the skyscrapers form a beautiful painting. However, I wish there were no bars in the window that block the view.
It is definitely worthwhile to visit the Hoover Tower and the rest of the Stanford Campus if you are in the area!

$ 2 for non-​Stanford visitors. Free for Stanford staff and students.
This tower is actually located on top of a library. They will ask you to stay quiet when you walk towards the elevator.
The view is pretty good up on the tower. There is always a guide there who can explain any questions you may have.