What historic buildings can you see in downtown Palo Alto?
Downtown Palo Alto is home to a collection of historic buildings that reflect the city's growth from a small university town into the heart of Silicon Valley. Notable landmarks include the Cardinal Hotel, the historic Ramona Street buildings, the Hamilton Building, the former Varsity Theatre, and the Stanford Theatre. Many can be explored on foot in a self-guided walk through downtown.
Downtown Palo Alto may be known today for its restaurants, cafés, shops, and connection to Silicon Valley, but much of its earlier history is still visible in the buildings that line its streets.
This self-guided walking tour begins and ends at the Cardinal Hotel and highlights some of downtown's most interesting historic architecture—from 1920s movie palaces and Spanish Colonial Revival landmarks to one of Palo Alto's most distinctive historic districts.
Take your time, look above the storefronts, and discover a side of Palo Alto that's easy to miss when you're simply passing through.
Historic Downtown at a Glance
- 🚶 Walking Time: About 60–75 minutes at a leisurely pace
- 📍 Starting & Ending Point: The Cardinal Hotel
- 📏 Distance: Approximately 1 mile
- ⭐ Perfect For: History lovers, architecture enthusiasts, photographers, and anyone curious about downtown Palo Alto's past
Stop 1 — The Cardinal Hotel: A Historic Palo Alto Hotel Since 1924
235 Hamilton Avenue
Your walk begins at the Cardinal Hotel, built in 1924 during an important period of commercial growth in downtown Palo Alto.
Designed by architect William H. Weeks, with Palo Alto architect Birge Clark serving as supervising architect, the Cardinal was built during a period when Hamilton Avenue was developing into an important part of downtown.
Nearly a century later, the Cardinal remains a working hotel and a tangible connection to Palo Alto's early downtown years.
Don't Miss: Take a moment to notice the hotel's historic lobby and revolving entrance before heading out on your walk.
Stop 2 – The Medico-Dental Building
261–267 Hamilton Avenue
Just across Ramona Street from the Cardinal stands the Medico-Dental Building.
Built in 1927 and designed by noted Palo Alto architect Birge Clark, the Spanish Colonial Revival building is part of the Ramona Street Architectural District. It was originally designed for medical, dental, and professional offices and remains one of the most prominent buildings on the block.
Don't Miss: Stand near the corner of Hamilton and Ramona and look at the Medico-Dental Building and Cardinal Hotel together. The two historic buildings create an impressive entrance to Ramona Street.
Stop 3 – Historic U.S. Post Office
380 Hamilton Avenue
Continue along Hamilton Avenue to one of Palo Alto's most distinctive civic buildings.
Built in 1932, the historic U.S. Post Office was designed by brothers Birge and David Clark in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. Its stucco exterior, red tile roof, arched arcade, decorative lighting, and carefully considered details give the federal building a distinctly California character.
The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Don't Miss: Walk beneath the arcade and look closely at the lamps, tile work, windows, and other details that are easy to miss from across the street.
Stop 4 — What Happened to Palo Alto's Historic Varsity Theatre?
456 University Avenue
Make your way to University Avenue and one of downtown Palo Alto's most memorable historic buildings: the Varsity Theatre.
Completed in 1927, the Varsity was designed by the Reid Brothers in the Mission Revival style. Its dramatic entrance, arches, courtyard, and theater façade made the building itself part of the movie-going experience.
Longtime Palo Alto residents may also remember the building as the former home of Borders Books & Music, but its original identity as a grand neighborhood movie theater is still clearly visible in its architecture.
Don't Miss: Step through the University Avenue entrance and look into the courtyard. Imagine arriving here for an evening at the movies in the late 1920s.
Stop 5 – Former Palo Alto Fire & Police Station
Now Avenidas
440–450 Bryant Street
From University Avenue, turn toward Bryant Street for another important example of Birge Clark's influence on downtown Palo Alto.
Built in 1927, this Spanish Colonial Revival building was designed as Palo Alto's Fire and Police Station. Its arched ground-floor arcade, second-story balconies, stucco walls, tiled roof, and wrought-iron details make it one of downtown's most distinctive historic civic buildings.
The police and fire departments eventually moved elsewhere, and the building was adapted for a new community purpose. Today it is home to Avenidas, a nonprofit organization serving older adults and their families.
Don't Miss: Look up at the second-floor balconies. The elegant ironwork is one of the building's most distinctive historic features.
Stop 6 — Stanford Theatre: Palo Alto's Historic Movie Palace
221 University Avenue
Return to University Avenue and continue toward the Stanford Theatre, one of downtown Palo Alto's best-known landmarks.
Opened in 1925, the Stanford Theatre served for decades as one of Palo Alto's premier movie houses. Designed by the San Francisco architectural firm Weeks and Day, it remains one of the most recognizable buildings on University Avenue.
Unlike the Varsity, the Stanford Theatre still operates as a theater. Following an extensive restoration, it became dedicated to presenting classic Hollywood films and preserving the experience of seeing them on the big screen.
Don't Miss: Look beyond the marquee at the architectural ornamentation above the entrance. If the theater is open during your walk, the restored interior is well worth seeing.
Stop 7 – Ramona Street Architectural District
Ramona Street between University and Hamilton Avenues
For the final stop, turn onto Ramona Street for the walk back toward the Cardinal Hotel.
This single block is one of downtown Palo Alto's architectural treasures. The Ramona Street Architectural District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is known for its Spanish and Early California character—arched passageways, wrought iron, tiled roofs, intimate courtyards, and small-scale storefronts.
The district developed largely during the 1920s, with contributions from designer Pedro de Lemos and architects including Birge Clark and William H. Weeks. Rather than being one uniform development, its individually designed buildings came together to create a remarkably cohesive streetscape.
Walk slowly through the block and notice the arches, balconies, rooflines, ironwork, and courtyards above and around today's cafés, restaurants, and shops.
As you reach Hamilton Avenue, you'll find yourself back where the walk began—with the Medico-Dental Building on one side of Ramona Street and the Cardinal Hotel on the other.
Don't Miss: Stand midway along Ramona Street and look in both directions. The intimate scale, courtyards, arches, and varied rooflines are what make this block feel so different from a typical commercial street.
Local Tip
Some of downtown Palo Alto's best historic details aren't at eye level.
As you walk, occasionally stop and look up. Above today's signs and storefronts you'll find decorative brickwork, ornamental windows, tiled roofs, arches, cornices, and wrought iron that reveal how much of the earlier downtown still survives.
And because these buildings continue to function as a hotel, theaters, offices, restaurants, shops, and community spaces, this isn't simply a collection of preserved landmarks. It's a historic downtown that remains very much a part of everyday Palo Alto.
Questions About Historic Buildings in Downtown Palo Alto
What historic buildings can I see in downtown Palo Alto
Downtown Palo Alto includes historic landmarks such as the Cardinal Hotel, Medico-Dental Building, former Varsity Theatre, former Palo Alto Fire and Police Station, Hamilton House, and Stanford Theatre. Many are located within an easy walk of one another.
Can you take a self-guided historic walking tour of downtown Palo Alto?
Yes. Many of downtown Palo Alto's historic buildings are concentrated around University Avenue and the surrounding streets, making them easy to explore on foot. This guide provides a self-guided route beginning at the Cardinal Hotel.
What happened to the Varsity Theatre in Palo Alto?
The historic Varsity Theatre no longer operates as a movie theater. The building was later home to Borders Books & Music, and although its use has changed again since then, its distinctive entrance and courtyard remain part of University Avenue.
What is one of the oldest hotels in downtown Palo Alto?
The Cardinal Hotel opened in 1924 and has welcomed guests in downtown Palo Alto for more than a century. Its location near University Avenue places it among the historic buildings visitors can see while exploring downtown.
Sources and photo credits: Historical information and imagery from the Palo Alto Historical Association and other sources credited throughout the article.
