Allied Arts Guild: Tucked away in the heart of it all
Menlo Park’s name suggests office parks and tech campuses, if not quiet residential streets. There’s a shopping center right next to town too. That’s what makes stumbling onto Allied Arts Guild such a pleasant surprise: red tile roofs, wrought iron gates, and courtyards thick with wisteria and old roses. It’s Spanish Colonial Revival and artsy, with an aura entirely apart from everything around it.
It was built as a retreat from the start. In 1928, Delight and Garfield Merner bought a few acres at the edge of town. They’d been inspired by the craft guilds they’d seen in Europe, so they hired architect Gardner Dailey and artist Pedro de Lemos to shape it into a Spanish Colonial Revival village for working artists. Ansel Adams photographed the buildings when they were new.
Today, those same studios still house working potters, textile artists, and jewelers. The gardens that encircle them were built for slowing down.
If you happen to be in the area or just looking for a walk to burn off lunch, this is the spot. Spend half an hour here, and the rest of the day feels further away than it did.
Tips
- Address: 75 Arbor Road at Cambridge Avenue. It is open Monday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm; closed Sundays and major holidays. Free to wander during open hours.
- It is a popular wedding and private event venue, so Saturdays can mean a ceremony in progress. Call ahead if you want the grounds to yourself.
