Exploring the Rich Sporting History of Palo Alto, CA

Palo Alto has a longstanding reputation for being an innovative, affluent, progressive, vibrant, multicultural, academic and techsavvy city. The history of sports in this Silicon Valley town is just as distinguished as its technological advancements. From Stanford Universitys prestigious athletic programs to local high school football games that draw crowds of over 10,000 people annually there is no shortage of sporting events to experience.

One way to explore Palo Altos rich sporting heritage is by visiting the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame (641 Campus Dr W) which showcases artifacts and memorabilia dating back over 150 years. Visitors can learn about the birthplace of American Football at Stanford Stadium (625 Nelson Rd), where legendary coach Pop Warner built his legacy during his tenure from 19241932.

For those interested in more recent history involving womens sports on a national level should check out Candace Cables bronze medal winning pair cross country sitskier on display inside Stanford Hospital before moving onto Kate Paye Court commemorating her recordbreaking time playing basketball at nearby Mitty High School.

Additionally if you happen to be in Palo Alto during February or March dont miss The Big Game between rivals Cal Berkeley and Standford universities held every year since 1892 alternating home sides sometimes called the grandaddy game due to it starting even earlier than Rose Bowl era Although tickets are hard to come by for big games like this one but try your luck with official Ticketmaster outlets or stay tuned for updates via Twitter handles @GoStanfordFball and @CalFootball.

Another mustsee landmark is Baylands Athletic Center (1900 Geng Rd) where Olympic gold medalist Dick Fosbury revolutionized track & field when he introduced his nowfamous Fosbury Flop high jump technique during NCAA competitions in West Berlin at the 1968 Olympic games. Heres an insiders tip, if you go to Baylands during summertime there is a likelihood of seeing amateur athletes practicing their own brand of parkour on more than a dozen obstacles at the Redwood City location.

Finally, no trip to Palo Alto would be complete without visiting the birthplace of Silicon Valley where Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard famously tinkered with electronics in their garage at 367 Addison Ave until it became HP. In honor of computer engineers everywhere who had little time for sports but wanted to get some exercise anyway they created the iconic HP Garage Gym which can still be visited today Make sure you call ahead as open hours are limited (6508685344).