Overview:
The Hoover Tower completed in 1941 is located on the picturesque Stanford University Campus and is a 285 foot tower which is home to the Hoover Institution Library and Archive. These vast archives were collected over a 25 year period and donated by President Herbert Hoover to his alma mater for the purpose of founding a "library of war, revolution, and peace." The library is thought to be the largest collection of modern social and political documents and the sole purpose of it is to learn from our past experiences so that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past. The Tower was modeled after the cathedral tower at Salamanca and was designed by architect Arthur Brown Jr. An interesting fact about Arther Brown Jr is that he attended Stanford Universities fiercest rival The University of California at Berkeley.
The View and the Carillon
While the view from the top of the observation deck is sensational, another interesting aspect in the Tower is the Carillon of bells at the top. A Carillon of 48 bells up from the original 35 are cast in bronze and from Tournai, Belgium. Inscribed on the 35th bell is “UNO PRO PACE SONO,” which translates into “for peace alone do I ring.” The bells were cast by Marcel Michiel and were initially meant for the Belgium Pavilion at New York State Fair, however after being rejected by the Washington National Cathedral (because they had already ordered a set) eventually found a home at the Hoover Tower, where they first played on March 18,1941.
Tour and General Information
Nearby Attractions
Located just a few blocks from the the Hoover Tower and Stanford University sits the town of Palo Alto. In P. A., as the locals refer to it, University St, is a great place to grab a bite to eat or a few drinks after a long day touring the Tower and campus. Along with places to eat and drink, Palo Alto is also home to quite a few other attraction which include a large shopping center as well as good number of parks and museums. Parking here is free, but keep in mind it is also scarce because of the rapidly growing population.
https://visit.stanford.edu/plan/guides/hoover.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Tower
http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,851278-1,00.html
http://www.downtownpaloaltorestaurants.com/Downtown_Palo_Alto.html
