Many community members have invested time, expertise, resources, ideas, and heart to bring the Palo Alto Museum to life. When we shared news last month of the water intrusion in our building, you showed up again — with encouragement, technical expertise, financial support, and a firm belief in our mission. Community members, nonprofit leaders, donors, City Council and staff, and neighbors all reached out to say: We’re with you.

Thank you so much. Your support matters.

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Don’t miss this sneak peek into the Museum’s opening exhibits, gathering spaces, and dynamic events. Whether you are passionate about local history, hands-on learning, building community, or turning ideas into impact, this is a unique opportunity to see how a bold cultural vision is becoming reality—and how you can be part of the story.

Free for Pacific Art League (PAL) members. $20 for non-PAL members.

Register here »

Discover Palo Alto through Wyn Wachhorst’s stories of the remarkable blend of people and ideas that shaped Palo Alto. The same connection to Stanford that spawned the information age also nurtured a civic spirit defined by thoughtful leadership and an engaged community. Inside, you will meet pioneers and politicians, inventors and developers, merchants and humanitarians, teachers and healers, all of whom contributed to the city’s unique character.

Raised among the friendly streets and front porch calm of postwar Palo Alto, Wachhorst writes with insight and affection about a community balanced between rural roots and suburban promise. This book is both a historical journey and a tribute to the place so many have called home. All proceeds from the books sales benefit the Museum. Free admission.

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We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Marguerite Gong Hancock as the inaugural President & CEO of the Palo Alto Museum — a position made possible through a generous founding leadership gift from the Thoits family. A dynamic civic innovator, proven museum executive, and visionary leader, Marguerite brings decades of experience at the intersection of history, technology, culture and community engagement.

With deep local roots and global expertise, she is the ideal person to lead the Museum into an exciting new era as we prepare to open our doors in 2026 and beyond.

Read the full announcement »

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Steve Jobs & Palo Alto

Explore the iconic story of Steve Jobs’ influence and connection to Palo Alto.
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