OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia

Stanford has lots of amazing things to see. The tallest building on campus is Hoover Tower, which rises 285 feet into the sky. You can go to the top and see for miles around! Memorial Church is covered in colorful mosaics made of tiny pieces of glass and stone. The Main Quad is a big open area in the center of campus with arches and long covered walkways. There is also a sculpture garden with cool outdoor art and the Cantor Arts Center, a free museum with paintings and sculptures.

A man named Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane, started the university in 1891. Leland was a railroad builder and the governor of California. They named the school after their son, Leland Stanford Jr., who had died from a sickness when he was just 15 years old. They wanted to build a school that would help all the children of California. The university has been open for over 130 years and has grown into one of the best schools in the world.

• Stanford’s campus is over 8,000 acres, which is bigger than the entire city of Mountain View!
• Students ride bikes everywhere because the campus is so big. There are about 13,000 bikes on campus.
• The school mascot is the Cardinal, which is a shade of deep red, not a bird.
• Many famous companies like Google and Hewlett-Packard were started by Stanford students.
• Stanford has its own zip code because the campus is so large.