Taken from the viewing platform, 250 feet up the Hoover Tower at Stanford University, this panorama shows part of the view over the university. In the other direction is a carillon of 48 bells cast in the Belgium town of Tournai.

Hoover Tower Viewing Platform - Palo Alto visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Hoover Tower Viewing Platform' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from California.

Built in 1941, the Hoover Tower was built to mark the 50th anniversary of Stanford University. The tower is part of the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace. The institution was founded by Herbert Hoover, an alumni of the university's first class in 1895 who became the 31st President of the United States.

The Hoover Tower is 285 feet high, and the viewing platform is on the 14th floor, 250 feet above the ground. Easily the tallest structure at Stanford University, this platform offers a fantastic place to get panoramic views over the University campus and of the surrounding area of Palo Alto and the Stanford Foothills. There is a composite panorama from Hoover Tower taken through the bars and stitched together to show the view from here as it would appear without the bars.

A carillon is a musical instrument of at least 23 bells, that are played via baton keyboard. Herbert Hoover had seen a carillon that chimed from the Belgian Pavilion of the 1939 New York World's Fair. His public service career had started in Belgium with a food relief program in 1914. Installing a carillon in the Hoover Tower reflected both these events in his life. The carillon in the Hoover Tower had 35 bells. The university has a carillonneur to play the bells. In 1971 the quality of the bells was noticed to have deteriorated. In 1989 an earthquake broke the timing mechanism of the automatic player. Plans were then set to repair and refurbish the whole carillon. In 2000 the bells were removed and sent to Dutch bellfounder Royal Eijsbouts in Asten. Here it was determined that 11 of the old bells needed replacing. These were re-installed into the Hoover Tower in 2002.

The Hoover Tower is open to the public, and access to the tower is ticketed with a tour guide.

Hoover Institution
Main Quad, Stanford University
Palo Alto, CA 94305-6010
United States
Phone: (650) 723-2300

From The Oval of the University take the Serra Mall east to the Hoover Tower entrance.