Stanford's centennial commemoration of the 1906 earthquake is an opportunity to educate others on both the short- and long-term effects of the quake on the Stanford community. Particular focus is given to the physical, psychological, and financial impacts as well as the reactions of faculty, staff, and students that are documented in letters, documents, and news accounts.

The earthquake also prompted awareness at Stanford that an active tectonic plate boundary is no place for seismically unsafe monumental architecture. Over subsequent years, the university would not only build safer buildings, but would research earthquakes and engineering methods for withstanding earthquakes. In contrast to 1906, no Stanford buildings were completely destroyed in the 1989 quake and the campus was closed for only one day.

The centennial commemoration activities show selected effects of both the 1906 and 1989 quakes and describe how the Stanford community responded to the subsequent challenges.

This Stanford University Archives exhibit displays 24 cases of material from the University Archive collection marking the centennial.

Cost: Free event
Location: Green Library Bing Wing Rotunda and Exhibition Gallery, Stanford University.

Note: First-time visitors must register at the east entrance library portal to gain access to the library.

Hours: The gallery is accessible whenever Green Library is open and hours vary with the academic schedule. For library hours, call (650) 723-0931.

You are invited to take a 2-3 hour self-guided walking tour of the Stanford campus. Informational posters are mounted at 11 different stops around campus, with each poster giving a broad overview of what happened on April 18, 1906 and how the university continues to evolve in response to the ever-present risk of earthquakes. To begin your tour, download and print the tour map before coming to campus or pick one up at the Stanford University Visitor center, located in Memorial Auditorium. Visitors can make a day of it - see what other activities are available on campus by visiting Stanford's Visitor Information Services.

Cost: Free event.
Location: 11 stops around campus. Tour takes 2-3+ hours

Note: The tour is on paved paths and is accessible to pedestrians, bicyclists, and wheelchairs.

Hours: If visitors would like to go inside Memorial Church, they should check the hours it is open.

The School of Earth Sciences is featuring a Teacher Workshop on Stanford and the San Andreas. This workshop will consist of two parts. First, participants will take a short walking tour of the Stanford campus to explore the effects of the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes and the restoration and rebuilding efforts that followed. Second, those local effects will be put into the broader context of plate tectonics and the study of earthquakes through a series of hands-on activities.

When: Saturday, May 13, 1:00 - 4:30 pm
Where: Stanford University
Cost: FREE
How: Register Online

This is being offered in conjunction with the CSTA Extended Professional Development Program. You can earn university credit by completing a series of workshops of which this is one offering.

Before 4pm, you will need to use either metered parking or permit parking. Metered parking is indicated on the map on the Walking Tour page by a green P (bring quarters! The meter costs 25 cents/15 min.). There are also several parking structures - one behind the Canter Center for Visual Arts and another at the intersection of Via Ortega and Panama Drive (see campus map below). A or C permits can be purchased on a daily basis from the Parking & Transportation office.

Permit parking is not enforced after 4pm or on weekends.

For more details, please see the University's Visitor Parking Information.