Ten of the most peaceful spots on campus

As the busy academic year rolls along, it always helps to pause, relax, and re-center oneself while enjoying Stanford’s scenic campus.

Earlier this year, Stanford Report published a list of 10 places on campus where community members can take a break. Readers then kindly provided their own recommendations, which we’ve compiled here.

So whether kicking back next to a sunken fountain, inside a blissfully quiet reading room, or atop the iconic Hoover Tower, there are a plethora of places to find peace on campus. Of note, some locations can only be accessed with a Stanford ID.

Also, if there is a place we’ve missed, please email your suggestion to Stanford Report writer Chelcey Adami at cadami@stanford.edu and maybe (probably) we’ll have a part three.

Meyer Green, a 2.45-acre open space near Green Library and the Graduate School of Education, often provides sunny refuge with groves of eucalyptus and cedar trees, plus landscaped, sloped grass perfect for reclining and pausing to enjoy the outdoors.
Image credit: Andrew Brodhead

Also known as the Sunken Pool, Terman Fountain is nestled just off Panama Mall and Lomita Mall. Out of sight from the surrounding roads, visitors can relax next to the calming waters of the long rectangular fountain.
Image credit: Andrew Brodhead

The Lane Reading Room is located on the second floor of Green Library’s Bing Wing and is accessible through the rotunda. With plenty of natural light cascading through ornate tall windows, the Lane Reading Room – constructed between 1916 and 1919 – serves as a bibliophile’s haven.
Image credit: Andrew Brodhead

Float your worries away in the Avery Recreation Pool at the Arrillaga Outdoor Education and Recreation Center off Santa Teresa Street. Next to the lanes, there is an area for people to relax and splash around if they don’t want to do laps, plus a grassy hill to take in some sun. Visit the Center’s website for hours and more information.
Image credit: Andrew Brodhead

The observation deck of the 285-foot-tall Hoover Tower is open seven days a week and offers quiet respite with panoramic views far above the bustling campus. Reservations can be made online at hoover.org.
Image credit: Andrew Brodhead

Inside the Dohrmann Grove, nestled next to the Thomas Welton Stanford Art Gallery, you can hear the whir of bicycles going down Jane Stanford Way and the gurgle of the nearby Tanner Fountain. The grove features a totem pole, *BooQwilla*, by Art Thompson of the Ditidaht Tribe in Canada, as well as a marble sculpture, *Retrofutée*, by French artist Antoine Poncet. The grove is named in memory of Emilie Elizabeth Dohrmann, who died in 1966.
Image credit: Andrew Brodhead

The iconic Oval has greeted thousands of people to Stanford over the years, and people often seek out the expansive island of beautifully manicured grass and ever-changing landscaping to get away. Get some vitamin D along with some R&R on the wooden benches surrounding the middle, or under a nearby tree on the Oval’s outskirts.
Image credit: Andrew Brodhead

Art can heal, so why not relax while strolling through Stanford’s art museums? The Cantor Arts Center offers visitors a collection that spans 5,000 years and more than 38,000 works of art from around the globe, while the Anderson Collection is one of the world’s most outstanding private assemblies of modern and contemporary American art. Both are free to enter and require ticket reservations through their websites.
Image credit: Andrew Brodhead

Alongside Kingscote Gardens off Lagunita Drive, you can find a little oasis featuring a pond with a small stone bridge and the sounds of water flowing from its fountains. Escape the hustle for a bit while sitting on several benches, tables, or on stone steps going up the hill around the pond.
Image credit: Andrew Brodhead

A serene courtyard centers the Mediterranean-style residence complex Lagunita Court, originally built in the 1930s. The red brick path leads visitors to a charming half-moon fountain, and there are benches, tables, and Adirondack chairs in nearly every direction. When it’s cold, take a break inside the entrance hall where you can sink into leather couches and ornate chairs surrounding a grand piano and under a vaulted ceiling with a large chandelier.
Image credit: Andrew Brodhead

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