Valentina Vicent - Lesser-known Bay Area Museums and Sites

Stop 1 Peninsula

The Foster

A museum for one living artist, in a former ambulance garage. Nothing else is like it.

If you only drive down the Peninsula for one thing, make it The Foster. It's a museum for a single living artist, Tony Foster, a British watercolorist who travels the world's great wildernesses and paints on location, sometimes in incredibly precarious, even perilous conditions, to capture nature from every angle and in every kind of light. It's not just unique: it's a small museum that's truly spectacular to spend time with, down to the last detail.

His work comes in "Journeys": whole bodies of paintings, diary pages and collected objects, shown together instead of sold off piece by piece, which is exactly why Jane Woodward started the museum. I took my in-laws and they talk about it to this day. It was their favorite day. We ended up spending upwards of four hours soaking in every detail of Tony Foster's paintings, journey and collectibles.

Ep. 3, Friendships Formed in Silence. Plays on YouTube.

Good to knowFree. Appointments and walk-ins are welcome. Open Tuesday to Friday, 10 am to 4 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 pm; closed Mondays. The museum suggests an hour to 90 minutes; we took four. 940 Commercial St, Palo Alto. No flash photography. There's limited parking behind the museum, and street parking is restricted on Thursday mornings. Visit info ↗ Map ↗

A Tony Foster watercolor of a red-rock desert canyon with a rock spire on the horizon — A Tony Foster watercolor. © Tony Foster. Photo: Trevor Burrows.

Stop 2 Peninsula

Anderson Collection + Cantor Arts Center

Two spectacular free museums side by side, plus a Rodin garden that never closes.

Stanford's arts district puts two free, beautiful museums side by side. The Anderson Collection is 121 works by 86 artists, gathered over about 50 years by Harry and Mary Margaret Anderson, who gave them to Stanford. The building opened in September 2014, and Pollock's Lucifer (1947) is the headliner. My personal favorite piece in the collection is Jennifer Bartlett's At the Lake, Morning (1979). If you want the story of how it all came together, I recommend the book A Family Affair: Modern and Contemporary American Art from the Anderson Collection at Stanford University.

Next door, the Cantor is a really nice, comprehensive collection of human-made objects: more than 38,000 works across 5,000 years. Outside is the awesome B. Gerald Cantor Rodin Sculpture Garden, open all hours, with The Gates of Hell, cast in 1981 by the lost-wax method. I particularly enjoyed Richard Diebenkorn's sketchbooks, some of which are on permanent view at the Cantor.

Good to knowBoth museums are free. Cantor: Monday and Friday, 11 am to 6 pm; Thursday, 11 am to 8 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm; closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Anderson: Thursday to Monday, 11 am to 5 pm, according to its website. The Rodin garden is outdoors, so Tuesday and Wednesday aren't a dead end. Check Stanford's pages for parking. Cantor visit info ↗ Anderson Collection ↗ Map ↗

Rodin's The Gates of Hell, tall dark bronze doors in a pale stone alcove with a bronze figure on a plinth to each side, in the Rodin Sculpture Garden at Stanford — *The Gates of Hell* in the Rodin Sculpture Garden at Stanford.

Jennifer Bartlett's At the Lake, Morning on a white gallery wall: a grid of small teal and white panels beside a large dark pond shape with peach reflections and yellow and orange trees — Jennifer Bartlett's *At the Lake, Morning* (1979), my favorite piece in the Anderson Collection.

Valentina smiling in sunglasses inside Richard Serra's Sequence, with a tall wall of rust-brown weathering steel behind her — Me inside Richard Serra's *Sequence* (2006), my absolute favorite piece on campus.

Stop 3 Peninsula

Stanford's outdoor art

320 feet of earthquake rubble, laid like an archaeological dig.

Stanford has more than 85 outdoor artworks, and you can see them any day of the year. Stone River (Andy Goldsworthy, 2001) is 320 feet of sandstone salvaged from campus buildings wrecked in the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes, laid like an archaeological dig by eight British dry-stone wallers. Richard Serra's Sequence (2006) stands near the Cantor, and it's my absolute favorite: you can walk right inside it. Alicja Kwade's Pars pro Toto (2021) is 12 stone spheres scattered across the Science and Engineering Quad.

Then there's the Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden (1994), with carvings by ten artists-in-residence from the Sepik River region, one of the coolest lesser-known pieces of art on campus. A twisted column once stood on the Meyer Green plinth; since October 2024 it holds Alia Farid's Amulets.

One cool way to see all the sculptures: bring your bike! I never did (I'm not much for balance on land, only in water), but plenty of people do, and it looks like fun. The campus is huge, so it's also a much quicker way to travel.

Good to knowAll outdoors, free and open any day of the year. Stanford's public-art map shows where each piece sits. Alia Farid's Amulets was installed in October 2024 for three years. Stanford public art ↗ Map (near the Cantor) ↗

Pars pro Toto sculpture at the Stanford campus. Looks like large planets in marble — Alicja Kwade's *Pars pro Toto* (2021), 12 stone spheres on the Science and Engineering Quad.

Richard Serra's Sequence sculpture from above — Richard Serra's *Sequence* from above.

Bixby Creek Bridge, a tall concrete arch crossing a Big Sur canyon, with green coastal hills and a turquoise ocean beyond — Bixby Creek Bridge, on Highway 1 in Big Sur, south of Carmel. Photo: Leo Korman / Unsplash.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Mrs. Clinton Walker House on Carmel Point, a low house with an overhanging roof above a stone base on the rocks — Frank Lloyd Wright's Mrs. Clinton Walker House, "Cabin on the Rocks," on Carmel Point.

Stop 4 Road trip

Carmel Art Walk

A town where 60% of the homes belonged to artists.

Carmel was an artists' town before it was a postcard: a 1910 report found that more than 60% of its homes were owned by people pursuing the arts. The Carmel Art Walk keeps the habit going. On the second Saturday of every month, from 4 to 7 pm, artist-owned galleries open their doors, often with the artists in the room. It's free.

This is one of the trips I used to take when I lived in the Bay, and it's best in the early evening, not at night. That way you can drive down, take a quick dip or catch a few waves, look at the Walker House, visit the galleries and still have a nice dinner before heading back, staying the night, or driving further down the coast for the cool magic of the 17-Mile Drive or Highway 1 (the PCH) past Bixby Bridge and on through Big Sur.

Come a little early and add some architecture. On Carmel Point, at the south end of Carmel Beach, Frank Lloyd Wright's Mrs. Clinton Walker House, known as Cabin on the Rocks, juts out over the rocks. It's a private home and isn't open for regular tours, so the visit is the view from the beach or Scenic Road, a good warm-up before the galleries open at 4 pm. Map ↗

Right by the house is my go-to spot for a quick polar bear plunge. It tends to be on the mellower side and is one of the best places to jump in on a drive down the coast: chilly, but amazing, and great for a quick boogie board session too. There's no lifeguard at Carmel Beach and rip currents are real, so keep it quick and stay close to shore.

For dinner, my favorite spot is Toro Sushi on Dolores Street. The hamachi kama (yellowtail collar) is outstanding, and the patio is dog friendly.

Good to knowFree and all ages. Second Saturday of every month, 4 to 7 pm; blue lanterns mark each participating gallery. Galleries change, so check the current list before you go. Carmel is a few hours' drive from San Francisco, depending on traffic. Event info ↗ Map ↗

Sculpture of a hippie man's face with trippy glasses and a hat, an example of the entrance to the Candy Store Gallery — Outside the Crocker's modern wing.

Stop 5 Road trip

Crocker Art Museum

A Victorian mansion, a double spiral staircase and "FUNK, NUT, AND OTHER ART WITH A KICK."

The Crocker calls itself the first public art museum founded in the Western United States: the Crocker family's gallery and collection went to the city of Sacramento in 1885. The old Victorian Italianate building, with its double spiral staircase, is still part of the visit.

I was lucky to attend "The Candy Store" there in 2022. The tagline for the show was "FUNK, NUT, AND OTHER ART WITH A KICK." I found it to be one of the most original shows I've been to, and I discovered many old and new California artists, which is oddly rare.

The Crocker also has an impressive Kehinde Wiley painting, Portrait of Simon George II (2007), and a shockingly strong piece called Progress II by Luis Jiménez.

Luis Jiménez's Progress II, a large fiberglass sculpture of a leaping steer, in a Crocker Art Museum gallery with visitors standing nearby — Luis Jiménez's *Progress II* (1974) at the Crocker.

I also had an amazing affogato before going into the museum. I can't remember where, but if you hunt around, you'll find good coffee and brunch in Sacramento. It's about 90 miles from San Francisco, so call it a day trip.

Good to knowOpen Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm, with Thursday hours until 9 pm; closed Monday and Tuesday. Buy tickets on the museum's website, which also lists any free or discounted days. 216 O St, Sacramento. Visit info ↗ Map ↗

Take it with you

The whole route, on your phone

The Peninsula ↗ Carmel ↗ Sacramento (Crocker) ↗

Google's directions follow streets, so use them to get your bearings between stops. The Peninsula route runs from The Foster to the Cantor. The Carmel and Sacramento buttons open one destination each. Check hours before you head out.

Good to know

What are some lesser-known museums near San Francisco worth a day trip?

Stanford's free Cantor and Anderson museums with its outdoor sculpture, and The Foster in Palo Alto. Farther out, the Crocker in Sacramento and the Carmel Art Walk are both worth a day or an evening. Check each one's days before you drive, since some are closed early in the week.

Is there a Frank Lloyd Wright building in the Bay Area?

Yes. Outside San Francisco, the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael is Wright's only government commission: construction began in 1960, the year after his death, and the Administration Building finished in 1962. Farther south, in Carmel, the Mrs. Clinton Walker House, known as Cabin on the Rocks, sits on Carmel Point; it's a private home you can see from the beach or Scenic Road. The Civic Center offers tours, so check Marin Center's website for current days, times and tickets.

Where can I see Egyptian artifacts in the Bay Area?

The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose says it holds the largest collection of ancient Egyptian objects on display in western North America. Check its website for current hours.

Which of these are free?

The Foster, the Cantor Arts Center, the Anderson Collection, Stanford's outdoor art and the Carmel Art Walk are all free. The Crocker needs a ticket, which you can buy on its website.

Do I need a car?

Mostly, yes. Stanford, Palo Alto, Carmel and Sacramento are all easiest by car, so check transit options before you go if you'd rather not drive.

Portrait of Valentina Vicent, smiling, in a rust-orange jacket

Who made this guide

Hi, I'm Valentina.

I'm a creative and art director in L.A. who has shaped packaging and campaigns for brands from Vita Coco to Fenty Beauty. Guides like this one are how I explore the world. If you liked the guide, you'll like the work.

See the work → More art guides →

Lesser-known Bay Area Museums & Sites

Choose your day

The Peninsula: one day

Carmel: one early evening

Sacramento: a day trip

The Foster

Anderson Collection + Cantor Arts Center

Stanford's outdoor art

Carmel Art Walk

Crocker Art Museum

The whole route, on your phone

Good to know

Dribbble

Behance

LinkedIn

Email