:Museums and collections

Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University
Corner of Museum Way and Lomita Drive, Stanford. Exhibits art in 24 galleries, many from its collection of 25,000 objects from all historical periods, and extensive European and American drawings, prints and photographs. Admission free. The center also has a cafe and bookstore. While at the center, you may want to view Stanford’s outdoor sculptures: the Rodin Sculpture Garden and the New Guinea Sculpture Garden. Free docent tours of contemporary sculptures, including works by Miro and Segal. Hours: Wed-Sun 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thu 11 a.m.-8 p.m.. Call 650-723-4177; 650-723-3469 for tours. Fax 650-725-0464.

Computer History Museum
1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mtn. View. Dedicated to the preservation and celebration of computing history, and is home to the largest international collection of computing artifacts in the world. Speaker series, onsite tours, physical and online exhibits. Hours: Wed-Fri, Sun noon-4 p.m.; Sat 11 a.m.-5 p.m.. Call 650-810-1010. Fax 650-810-1055.

Coyote Point Museum
1651 Coyote Point Drive, San Mateo. Environmental education is the theme for this family-oriented museum in a scenic park overlooking San Francisco Bay. Hands-on interactive displays, outdoor wildlife habitats and a walk-through aviary. More than 150 live species of mammals, birds, snakes and amphibians. Picnic facilities, beach, playgrounds, marina and walking trails. Daily river otter and fox feedings. $6 for adults; $4 for students and seniors; $2 for ages 3-12; free for under age 3. Free first Wednesday of each month and teachers are free at all times. Hours: Tue-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun noon-5 p.m. Closed on Mondays. Call 650-342-7755. Fax 650-342-7853.
E-mail: info@coyoteptmuseum.org.

Hiller Aviation Museum
601 Skyway Road, San Carlos. At the San Carlos Airport. Aircraft on display tell stories about past, future of aviation. Educational videos, interactive displays, museum library and restoration shop. $9 for adults; $6 for youths (age 5-17) and seniors (65+); free for children 4 and under. Hours: Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m., except major holidays. Call 650-654-0200. Fax 650-654-0220.
E-mail: museum@hiller.org.

Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace
434 Galvez Mall, Stanford. Free exhibits on President Herbert Hoover and his wife Lou Henry Hoover (daily 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) and rotating exhibits that focus on library and archival holdings in the Herbert Hoover Memorial Exhibit Pavilion, adjacent to Hoover Tower (Tue-Sat 11 a.m.-4 p.m.). Admission to tower observation deck (daily 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; closed during academic recess) is $2 for adults, $1 for children and seniors, and free for Stanford students, staff and faculty and their immediate families. Hoover Library open Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (650-723-2058) and Hoover Archives open Mon-Fri 8:15 a.m.-4:45 p.m. (650-723-3563). Call 650-723-1754. Fax 650-723-1687.
E-mail: horaney@hoover.stanford.edu.

Jehning Family Lock Museum of Mountain View, The
175 Castro St., Mtn. View. Nearly 1,000 locks and 5,000 keys from around the world, plus safes, keyrings and handcuffs, comprise the collection, now open to the public. Changing exhibits. Free admission. Hours: Sun 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Wed noon-5 p.m., Thu 6-8 p.m.. Call 650-968-3320.
E-mail: info@jehninglockmuseum.org.

Lathrop House
627 Hamilton St. (County Government Center), Redwood City. Carpenter (“steamboat”) Gothic architecture built in 1863, listed on the National Registry of historic places; run by the Redwood City Heritage Association. Changing displays in the dining room. Vintage clothing display upstairs. Also has a gift shop: ”Tarnished Door Knobs.” Staffed by volunteers. Admission by donation. Special tours by arrangement. Hours: 1st four Wed and 3rd Sat of each month, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Some special open houses. Call 650-365-5564.

Los Altos History Museum
51 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos. Includes permanent interactive and two to four changing exhibits yearly, a museum store, the J. Gilbert Smith Historic House and ongoing educational programs, lectures and docent-led or audio history tours. Free admission and parking, wheelchair/stroller accessible. Hours: Thu-Sun noon-4 p.m.. Call 650-948-9427. Fax 650-559-0268.

Mountain View History Center
585 Franklin St., Mtn. View. Second floor of the Mountain View Public Library. Photos, memorabilia and other historical items of Mountain View's early days; Mountain View High School yearbooks beginning 1904, phone books from 1950, several directories of the early 1900s, clipping file from 1967, and the Mountain View Register Leader from turn of the century to 1960s. Hours: Tue 1-5 p.m.; Wed 5-9 p.m.; every other Sat 1-5 p.m.. Call 650-903-6890. Fax 650-903-0358.

Museum of American Heritage
351 Homer Ave., Palo Alto. Early inventions of the 19th and 20th centuries are brought to life. In the Livermore Learning Center, hands-on classes and workshops engage and encourage the public, especially youth, to understand principles and history of technology and consider careers in science and technology. Admission free. Hours: Fri-Sun 11 a.m.-4 p.m. or by reservation. Call 650-321-1004. Fax 650-473-6950.
E-mail: mail@moah.org.

NASA Ames Exploration Center
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Mtn. View . Within view of the historic Hangar One at Moffett Field, the Exploration Center offers rotating interactive exhibits and displays describing Ames’ inventions for NASA space and aeronautics missions. The center also features an SGI Reality Theater. Children grades 4-6, can sign up for Aerospace Encounter, an interactive program to stir enthusiasm for science, math and technology. Hours: Tue-Fri 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat-Sun noon-4 p.m.. Call 650-604-6274. Fax 650-604-1559.

Palo Alto Art Center
1313 Newell Road, Palo Alto. A nationally recognized visual arts center presenting approximately 12 exhibitions annually that focus on contemporary fine art, craft, design and new art forms. Fine art classes in painting, drawing, new media, ceramics and jewelry. An adult docent program, Art Dialogues provide free tours of current exhibitions. Project LOOK!, a museum education program, offers docent-led tours with hands-on activities for children. The Gallery Shop features jewelry, ceramics, glass, wood and paper works by Bay Area artists. Volunteer opportunities. Admission to galleries is free with a suggested $1 donation. Hours: Gallery: Tue-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thu evenings 7-9 p.m.; Sun 1-5 p.m.. Call 650-329-2366. Fax 650-326-6165.
E-mail: artcenter@cityofpaloalto.org.

Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo
1451 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Fun and learning go together for children and their families in the displays and mini-zoo of the Palo Alto Junior Museum. The zoo houses raccoons, bobcats, ferrets, tortoises, geese and lots of snakes. The museum emphasizes hands-on, interactive exhibits. Hours: Museum: Tue-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Zoo: Tue-Sat 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Sun 1-4 p.m. for both. Call 650-326-6338. Fax 650-473-1965.
E-mail: info@friendsjmz.org.

Rodin Sculpture Garden
Lomita Drive and Roth Way, Stanford. Twenty of Rodin's bronze sculptures are located adjacent to the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University. -- the world's largest collection of Rodin’s bronzes outside of Paris. Rodin's Burghers of Calais are located nearby on campus. Rodin tours are Wednesday at 2 p.m., Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. and meet in the Cantor Arts Center lobby. Tours of other campus sculptures take place on the first Sunday of every month at 2 p.m. No reservations are required for groups of less than 10, and tours are free. Call 650-723-4177. Fax 650-725-0464.

San Mateo County History Museum
2200 Broadway, Redwood City. The association operates three museums, including the Woodside Store and Sanchez Adobe in Pacifica, and offers classes for children and adults, monthly programs and historical demonstrations. It also publishesa twice-yearly journal, a monthly newsletter and informational guides on county history. Hours: Tue-Sun 10 a.m.-4 p.m.. Call 650-299-0104. Fax 650-299-0141.
E-mail: info@historysmc.org.

Sanchez Adobe
1000 Linda Mar Blvd., Pacifica. Operated by the San Mateo County Historical Association, the adobe was constructed in 1846 by Francisco Sanchez. Restored as the Sanchez family home, it is one of the county's most significant historical buildings. Free admission. Tours and children's educational programs available by appointment. Hours: Tue-Thu 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat-Sun 1-5 p.m.. Call 650-359-1462.
E-mail: sanchezadobe@historysmc.org.

Stanford Outdoor Art Tours
Cantor Arts Center, corner of Museum Drive and Lomita Way, Stanford. Guided tours of Stanford University's outdoor art collection of more than 70 sculptures. Campus Sculpture Walk meets the first Sunday of each month at 2 p.m., rain or shine, at the Main Quad entrance where The Oval meets Serra Street. Tour lasts about one-and-a-half hours and explores the Stanford campus and many 20th-century sculptures in the quad and south campus area. Other tours include the collection of Rodin bronzes inside and outside the museum, art and architecture of Memorial Church and special temporary exhibit tours. Free. Call 650-723-3469 or 650-723-4177. Fax 650-725-0464.

Stanford Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden
Stanford . Located at Santa Teresa Street (off Campus Drive West) and LomitaDrive, near Roble Hall. Tours: Third Sundays of the month, 2 p.m., rain or shine. Large, carved sculptures by artists from the Sepik River region of New Guinea can be found among the trees. In 1994, 10 master carvers from Papua, New Guinea, came to Stanford for four months and produced 40 painted wood and stone relief sculptures. Call 650-723-3469. Fax 650-725-0464.

Tech Museum of Innovation
201 S. Market St., San Jose. Hands-on technology museum dedicated to inspiring the innovator in everyone. Exhibits feature robotics, engineering, genetics and life technologies. All ages can engage in high-tech play in the Imagination Playground. Eight-story IMAX theater. Hours: Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m.. Call 408-294-TECH (8324). Fax 408-279-7167 .
E-mail: info@thetech.org .

Woodside Community Museum
2961 Woodside Road, Woodside. Located in the restored Mathisen Family farmhouse, on the west side of Town Hall, the original house was completed the day before the 1906 earthquake. The museum building houses offices for the Friends of Wunderlich and Huddart Parks and the Town's History Committee. Exhibit space is used for changing displays, and artifacts related to Woodside history. Hours: Sun 2-5 p.m. or by appointment. Call 650-851-1294.