A View from a Campanile

On two Bay Area campuses, a short elevator trip will render panoramic views more than 200 feet above the turf. These are perfect post-rain-day outings. The views through storm-scrubbed air are always pristine.

Stanford's Hoover Tower stands 285 feet above Palo Alto and is the baby here, completed in 1941 to celebrate Stanford's 50th birthday. The tower is home to a carillon of 48 bells, all cast in Belgium. Adults pay $2 for the ride to the top which affords an incredible panorama on a clear day.*

At UC Berkeley, the Campanile (circa 1914), also known as Sather Tower, is more than 300 feet tall. But the visitor platform rises to about 200 feet -- which is plenty enough to see San Francisco across the Bay. Circling the platform gives you views from all sides of the tower, incomparable on a crystal day. The Sather Carillon comprises 61 bells which play three times a day during the week, with a longer concert on Sundays. (See the full Berkeley Carillon schedule here.) The ride here is also $2.*

A third and much smaller tower, not open for rides, but boasting a serious architectural pedigree is the campanile at Mills College. Standing at 72 feet, this bell and clock tower was designed in 1904 by Julia Morgan, the famed architect perhaps best known for her work on Hearst Castle. This bell tower has four bells named , Hope, Peace, and Joy.

Related: Photos of Stanford's Main Quad.

^{* Discounts for seniors, for children, for students and faculty}

^{Top Photo: View from Stanford's Hoover Tower
Middle Photo: Sather Tower's Bells
Bottom Photo: Mills College Campanile
Photos © Ingrid Taylar}