Cantor Arts Center & Rodin Sculpture Garden

There's no denying the structural beauty of the Stanford University campus. When the magic-hour sun soaks the sandstone in amber -- and the lights come up on the Rodin Sculpture Garden -- and horses trot around the arena at Red Barn -- the atmosphere is almost southern bucolic.

It's all free, including admission to the Cantor Arts Center. The Center and its outdoor Rodin Sculpture Garden are just off Museum Way as you approach the Oval on Palm Drive. The collection at the museum covers a wide swath, from Mediterranean antiquities to modern installations in the contemporary galleries. The Center is also home to the largest collection of Rodin bronzes outside of Paris.

You can read an overview of Cantor Arts Center here. And check out this Visitors' Guide to Stanford for some additional attractions while you're in the campus area.

For a stroll that takes you along San Francisco Bay, visit the Palo Alto Baylands, a nature preserve with a network of trails around wildlife ponds and wetlands areas. The park is about a three-mile drive, east of Stanford University.