INSPIRING THE FUTURE
DESIGNING A MUSEUM FOR PALO ALTO
Stanford Professor Michael Shanks discusses the imperative for a history museum in Palo Alto.
A CENTER OF CULTURE AND COMMUNITY
IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN
The Palo Alto Museum, a nonprofit organization, established a public-private partnership with the City of Palo Alto to transform the Roth Building as a home for the Palo Alto Museum.
The Museum will be the permanent home of the City of Palo Alto Archives. We will feature interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, thought-provoking programs and be a central resource for local history and research.
Sustainability best practice will underlie the renovation of the Roth Building into a modern museum while preserving its historic features. Community spaces will include meeting rooms, a small café, a gift shop, lounge — just a few blocks from City Hall.
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![](https://paloaltohistorymuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/The-Museum.jpg)
Built in 1932, the Roth Building at 300 Homer Avenue is on the national Register of Historic Places, adjacent to Heritage Park and part of the Homer Avenue Historic District.
Designed by Birge Clark, the 20,000+ square-foot structure was named after one of the founding members of the Palo Alto Medical Clinic (now Foundation) for which it was built, and is today owned by the City of Palo Alto.
Plans have been approved, and we’re ready to build.
![](https://paloaltohistorymuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/basement-selected.png)
![](https://paloaltohistorymuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/first-floor-selected.png)
![](https://paloaltohistorymuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/second-floor-selected.png)
![](https://paloaltohistorymuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/rooftop-selected.png)
Please review our PAM Case Statement and Newsletters then visit our donation page to consider a gift that helps make the dream a reality. Review our 990s on our Guidestar profile here.