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All the United States California Palo Alto

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Palo Alto

11 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Palo Alto, California

Updated January 5, 2024

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Unusual Attractions in Palo Alto

‘The Thinker’, often seen as a separate sculpture

Palo Alto, California

Gates of Hell Sculpture

Rodin's famous depiction of Dante's 'Inferno', amidst a sculpture garden of many of his other works.

Palo Alto, California

Arizona Cactus Garden

A hidden world of exotic succulents and cacti.
The Frenchman’s Tower

Palo Alto, California

The Frenchman's Tower

This odd California folly seems like it was almost designed to accumulate urban legends.
Perry

Palo Alto, California

The Donkeys of Barron Park

The world's most famous donkey lives in this pen.
Hewlett and Packard started working in the garage in 1938

Palo Alto, California

Birthplace of Silicon Valley

A humble garage, world-famous for being the epicenter of a technology revolution.
Front of the tomb

Palo Alto, California

Stanford Mausoleum

Guarded by the Angel of Grief, the Stanford family tomb attracts an odd mix of halloween revelry and somber contemplation.
Nikola Tesla Statue.

Palo Alto, California

Nikola Tesla Statue

This small monument to the great inventor contains a time capsule and a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Photo taken on Obscura Day, April 9, 2011

Palo Alto, California

Pneumatic Tube System at Stanford University Hospital

Four miles of pipelines form the model of still-functioning retro-tech efficiency.
See All 11 Things To Do in Palo Alto
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Explore Palo Alto, California

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Parks 2

Palo Alto Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. rebeccaclara
    2
  2. Clinton
    1
  3. atimian
    1
  4. hrnick
    1
  5. dianemwu
    1
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Places Edited

  1. SEANETTA
    5
  2. Rachel
    3
  3. CoolCrab
    3
  4. breaingram
    3
  5. hrnick
    3
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Places Visited

  1. SarahH
    8
  2. dmochizuki
    8
  3. gardnermcelroy
    8
  4. j5252
    8
  5. SEANETTA
    8
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Recent Palo Alto Activity

  • alyssaclark319

    wants to go to Gates of Hell Sculpture

    1 day ago
  • alyssaclark319

    wants to go to Arizona Cactus Garden

    1 day ago
  • DJ1

    wants to go to The Donkeys of Barron Park

    1 day ago
  • Gerfaut

    has been to Birthplace of Silicon Valley

    about 21 hours ago
  • Gerfaut

    has been to Arizona Cactus Garden

    about 21 hours ago

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