Rodin Garden

What a wonderful place to enjoy art. I had no idea this existed and stumbled upon the garden one day visiting a friend on campus. absolutely delightful experience. The statues are laid out in a very relaxing way and there is plenty of space to enjoy each piece in a meticulous garden. And its free :)

Located inside Stanford University in Palo Alto is Rodin Garden! A cute little garden to take a stroll around on a warm sunny day. If you are interested in art sculptures, this is a great place to visit and explore. Even if you not too interested, still it’s great to spend an afternoon here.

Looking for fine art for free? Um, yeah, here it is! This collection is wonderful. There are several works that you might recognize from your college art books and classes. Every time I visit there is something new to view, not because the collection changes, but because the light brings out new details in the pieces. Really, this is a true hidden gem in the Bay Area.

I didn’t even know this existed but I’m really glad I stopped by one Sunday afternoon. Between the sculptures being amazing and the garden being free, there’s no reason not to come here.

So I’ve been to several Rodin sculpture gardens now: Philly, Paris and Stanford. These are probably by far the most famous of them out there and the one here at Stanford is the largest outside of Paris. Most are in front of the Cantor Arts Center but there are a smattering of them throughout the campus with the most famous being the Burghers (sp?) in the Quad. It’s really great that a university like Stanford respects the arts and ensures that students regardless of specialty are given an opportunity to enjoy these spectacular sculptures.

Such a cool garden of art, totally free and so amazing! Just to see Rodin’s Gates of Hell is amazing but there’s a dozen more sculptures to see. Easy parking, easy to get to, close to the center of the campus but by the Cantor Art Gallery.

i just saw a review for this place. I love it too! Very much recommended for families on a nice-​weather day. =)

Largest collection of Rodin’s work outside of Paris. The parking might be a little hard to find, especially on the weekends, but the area is pretty nice.

Visited the garden once the sun had set, which made it relatively hard to see the various pieces of art. Although it is open 24 hours, I would definitely recommend visiting during the day if possible since there are few lights in the evening and they are quite small. I had to use the flashlight on my phone to look at the details on his famous piece, The Gates of Hell, but glad I still got to see it!

Ummm… how can anyone give this place less than five stars???
It is:
1) the largest Rodin collection outside of Paris;
2) on a beautifully maintained campus; and
3) totally FREE!
It is worth seeing the sculptures in the campus main quad as well as those in and around the garden/​museum.

If you’re a fan of Rodin, look no further. Who knew that the world’s largest collection of Rodin bronzes outside of Paris can be found here on the Stanford campus?
If you’re nearby and searching for the Rodin Garden, disobey Miss Siri as she goes all dumb blonde on you when trying to find this place. She tells you to drive down streets that have car blockades. We’d have had a full on Palo Alto 911 episode if I’d have plowed through those concrete barriers. Instead, we hoofed it over to a campus map, stuffed Siri, drove until we found a «Rodin Sculpture Garden» sign, and followed things from there. Siri… pfffft.
The outdoor garden has ample parking right nearby and the 20 sculptures won’t take long to enjoy. Especially because there’s so little information on display to describe the works. So, what you get is the name of a piece and the piece, period, end of story. It’s easy and reasonable to assume you can get through this in a very short time. The one place where you’ll want to spend more time is likely at the «Gates of Hell», fronted by «Adam» and «Eve». I might’ve slept through Art History but I do remember a few things about the Gates of Hell. Read up a little and then spend some time pondering what you’re seeing. This is a pretty incredible, controversial sculpture. Your appreciation of it will be helped by arming yourself with a little background info even if you need to get it off your phone while sitting in your car moments beforehand.
The sculpture garden is amazingly informal. It’s open at all hours with lighting for nighttime viewing. No guards are there to tell you not to touch sculptures, climb all over the sculptures (hello little boy), or put your small dog into an outcropping on the Gates of Hell for a photo op (hello me). This art just feels like it’s there for people to enjoy. A late afternoon picnic amongst the sculptures would be a nice use of the space and nobody would discourage it.
If you find yourself really taken with the whole idea of Rodin sculptures on the Stanford campus and are clamoring for more, your desires can be met. Nearby, in Stanford’s Cantor Arts Center there are approximately 200 Rodin works including «The Thinker» (you surely know that one, yes?). His «Burghers of Calais» are also nearby, outdoors. Admission to the museum, like the sculpture garden, is also free.
Free docent led tours of the sculpture garden and the galleries are available (check web site for times) if you really want to learn something about what you’re seeing. I see little need to muck up this fine free adventure with an overage of knowledge. The Stanford campus is a beautiful place to spend some time: View some art then walk around and drink in the rest of the setting. The entire place is quite remarkable.

Very impressed by the level of detail and massiveness of Rodin’s «Gates of Hell». The Rodin Garden is a sculpture garden right outside the entrance to Cantor Arts Center. Seems like a nice place to have lunch and admire the artwork when it’s sunny. Supposedly at night the lighting makes the sculptures look even more impressive and foreboding.
If you’re even more artistically-​inclined, visit the free art exhibits inside the Cantor Arts Center and don’t forget to donate!

Pleasant place under the trees to see good Rodin scupltures…
best to bring along a picnic lunch and share with a friend.

I love the Cantor Arts Center! The Rodin Garden has a bunch of cool sculptures too. If its a nice sunny day you should have lunch outside. I like the gates of hell ;p… The Cantor Arts center is free, and they accept donations.

Happy 172^nd birthday, Rodin!
«The Gates of Hell» is a magnificent piece, prominently standing among Rodin’s other works in the garden. It’s now that I see the gates in person that I get why my high school English teacher said «The Thinker» was supposed to be Dante contemplating «The Divine Comedy.»
I didn’t say she was right, but I see what she was getting at. A smaller version of «The Thinker» sits above the doors, intricately covered with scenes the circles within.
Above him are the «Three Shades,» who my friend and I joked, are performing the «Singles Ladies» dance. A larger version of them is along the sidewalk, facing the parking lot.
It’s free to visit the sculptures, which are illuminated after dark for people who’d prefer to view them at night.
There are about 20 Rodin pieces here by the museum, but in the relatively nearby Memorial Court (near Stanford Memorial Church) there’s Rodin’s «The Burghers of Calais» with each of the aspects of the statue separated out.

Not sure what else you could want of a sculpture garden. Free, beautiful area, and extremely remarkable pieces by Rodin.

Its impressive
Its open 24 hours
Its free
The gates of hell are scary on multiple levels: o

101N was packed on my way back home from a meeting in SV. So, why not divert to Stanford and continue on the route I should always take: 280. We take so much for granted! It is such a delight to be able to admire Rodin’s sculptures free-​of-​charge, free-​of-​crowds, so up-​close you can even touch them. Try that in Paris!

It is little known, and hidden away, but there is a Rodin Garden on the Stanford Campus that is amazing. Those Rodin sculptures in Paris, London, Legion of Honor, etc. get their just publicity, but seeing the Burgers of Calais and The Gates of Hell during the sunset at Stanford is breathtaking.