15 Best Things to Do in Los Altos, California

© Los Altos History Museum

The Los Altos History Museum is situated within one of the last remaining orchards of apricots in the Santa Clara Valley. The museum explores the history of the local area, its people, and how the land has been used over time, transforming from an agricultural paradise into what is now known as the Silicon Valley. Opened in 2001 and measuring 8,200 square feet in size, the history museum houses a gallery for changing exhibits along with the “Crown of the Peninsula” permanent exhibit. This exhibit highlights the history of the town of Los Altos, as well as the surrounding region.

51 S. San Antonio Rd, Los Altos, CA 94022, Phone: 650-948-9427

© Courtesy of whittedann - Fotolia.com

The Windy Hill Open Space Preserve is named so for the distinctively breezy and grass-covered hilltop, a site that can be spotted from several areas around the peninsula. The open preserve is spread out across 1,335 acres and consists of forests of oak, fir, and redwood and ridges of open grassland. Windy Hill is a perfect place for anyone who likes to fly kites and leashed dogs are permitted on all of the trails with the exception of the Razorback and Lost Trails. There is also limited equestrian and bike access on trails, and picnic tables available.

Portola Valley, CA 94028, Phone: 650-691-1200

© Courtesy of Rebecca - Fotolia.com

The Los Altos Farmers’ Market is a certified farmers’ market in downtown Los Altos, California. It is a popular evening event for families out and about in town, featuring gourmet take-out options, food trucks, and a variety of vendors, including bakeries, local farmers, and more. The market is hosted by the City of Los Altos and the Los Altos Village Association on Thursday evenings starting at four in the afternoon until eight at night. The farmers’ market runs from May through September, with regular crafts for children and an annual Kid’s Day. There are over forty-five vendors and farmers at the market.

2nd St, Los Altos, CA 94022, Phone: 925-465-4690

© Courtesy of Barselona Dreams - Fotolia.com

The Los Altos Stage Company in Los Altos, California is a neighborhood playhouse that celebrates the full canon of theater in America. Every season, the theater company aims to balance works that inspire, provoke, engage, and entertain audiences. The Los Altos Stage strives to bring a diversity of theater supporters, enthusiasts, and practitioners together to celebrate, explore, and create dramas, comedies, and musicals that work together to weave a tapestry of American experience and culture. Since the Los Altos Stage Company was founded, the local community playhouse has produced over one hundred different productions with the help of volunteers and artists.

97 Hillview Ave, Los Altos, CA 94022, Phone: 650-941-0551

© Courtesy of sandrafotodesign - Fotolia.com

The Hidden Villa Farm in Los Altos is a non-profit educational organization, using the organic farm, community, and wilderness to educate and offer opportunities for visitors to learn more about social justice and the environment. The property encompasses more than 1,600 open space acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains’ foothills. The mission of the Hidden Villa is to provide inspiration for a sustainable and just future through the facility’s programs, legacy, and land. The Hidden Villa Farm was established by Josephine and Frank Duveneck, who bought the land back in the year 1924 as a place for reflection and discussion.

26870 Moody Rd, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022, Phone: 650-949-8650

© Los Altos Tasting Room

The Los Altos Tasting Room in the small town of Los Altos is owned by the Byington Vineyard and Winery. The building that houses the tasting room is a combination of wine bar, tasting room, wine retail, and corporate and private event space. The space provides a contemporary atmosphere with a bit of a feel of high tech. The Los Altos Tasting Room is the town’s first tasting room for wine. Visitors can come by and have a glass of wine or try some new wines they may have never had before any day of the week, beginning at 3:00pm.

366 Main St, Los Altos, CA 94022, Phone: 408-354-1111

© Courtesy of Felipe Sanchez - Fotolia.com

Visitors can access the San Andreas Fault Trail from the parking lot found along the Page Mill Road. From here, they can follow the Franciscan Loop Trail until they reach the Fault Trail. It can also be accessed from a small pull-off located by the nearby Page Mill Trail. There a number of stations along the Franciscan Loop Trail offering information to visitors related to the San Andreas Fault, as well as general information about earthquakes, before hikers reach the San Andreas Fault Trail. Once visitors reach Station #4, they will see a path that is clearly labeled as the Fault Trail.

330 Distel Circle, Los Altos, CA 94022

© Los Altos Grill

The Los Altos Grill has become a local institution for the Silicon Valley area since it first opened in 1996. The restaurant provides guests with a gracious and warm environment that features an earthy color palette of woods, along with unique works of art. The menu at Los Altos Grill includes salmon smoked in-house, and roasted chicken that is cooked slowly over a wood-fired rotisserie that guests can see as they walk into the eatery. The restaurant also boasts an extensive list of wines, focusing on vintages from California wineries, and signature margaritas. Next to the exhibition kitchen is an island bar.

233 3rd St, Los Altos, CA 94022, Phone: 650-948-3524

© Courtesy of Liz - Fotolia.com

The Area 151 Arcade first opened in the Los Altos community in 2012 on the weekend of Labor Day with one idea in mind: offering family-oriented fun. The arcade only features friendly games geared towards kids of any age, including a few simple ball toss games for kids around five years old. None of the arcade games promote anything suggestive or violent. The games consists of a mix of ticket-redemption, throwback games, along with newer side-by-side games during which guests can compete against one another. Games are selected that promote competition and teamwork to earn tickets, which can be redeemed for prizes.

151 First St, Los Altos, CA 94022, Phone: 650-397-5265

© Maria's

Maria’s has acquired a reputation for more than forty years as a place to find authentic products and original antiques from Italy, England, and France. The store is known for its great inventory, unique style, and amazing selection. Maria’s has become a destination for DIY home decorators, stylists, and interior designers. The unique store specializes in period antique furniture, hand-painted majolicas from Italy, beautiful country fabrics from France, French Faience, and a large number of accessories. Several pieces at Maria’s are made exclusively for the shop by some of the best Italian and French artisans.

393 Main St, Los Altos, CA 94022, Phone: 650-941-9682

© Chef Chu's

Chef Chu’s has been a favorite eatery on the Peninsula since it first opened to the local community back in the year 1970, featuring a creative food menu. The restaurant is known throughout the world for its tempting and innovative cuisine, as well as for Lawrence C. C. Chu, it’s charismatic owner. The Chef Chu’s restaurant is a bustling, lively place and the chef is often in the middle of all the action. Chef Chu is nearly always at the eatery, heavily involved in its day-to-day operations, whether greeting people at the entrance or working in the restaurant’s kitchen.

1067 N San Antonio Rd, Los Altos, CA 94022, Phone: 650-948-2696

© Pompeii

The Pompeii restaurant offers delicious Italian cuisine in the downtown area of Los Altos, California. The Italian eatery features all of the classic Italian dishes that people have come to expect at Italian restaurants, such as antipasti, insalate, pizzas, spaghetti, and more. Guests can find traditional Italian fare, healthy options, and gluten-free dishes on the food menu of Pompeii, as well as menu options for children. Outdoor seating is available in addition to the dining room, and the beverage list at the restaurant includes a little bit of everything for everyone. It’s recommended that guests with little time make a reservation.

100 State St, Los Altos, CA 94022, Phone: 650-949-2400

© Dittmer's Gourmet Meats & Wurst-Haus

The Dittmer's Gourmet Meats & Wurst-Haus in Los Altos is a delicatessen and old-fashioned butcher shop. The shop takes a lot of pride in providing specialty house-made items and fresh meats that are the finest quality. The butcher shop and delicatessen first started serving the town of Los Altos, the town of Mountain View, and the surrounding greater Bay Area back in the year 1978. Among the over 100 products available for purchase at Dittmer’s are popular items such as bratwurst, smoked pork chops, and leberkase that were some of the shop’s first items for sale when it originally opened.

4540 El Camino Real, Los Altos, CA 94022, Phone: 650-941-3800

© Satura Cakes

Satura Cakes was established due to the idea that amazingly delicious cakes made from high-quality and fresh ingredients are rather difficult to get a hold of at a cake shop. The owners behind the cake shop believe that high-calorie treats, like cakes, should be consumed and enjoyed in moderate amounts, and always should be fantastically pleasurable. Cakes made by Satura Cakes are baked from scratch on a daily basis right in the bakeshop in Los Altos. Real flour, dairy, butter, sugar, and eggs are used to bake each and every cake, never artificially hydrogenated oils or mixes.

200 Main St, Los Altos, CA 94022, Phone: 650-948-3300

© Christ Episcopal Church

The Christ Episcopal Church in the small town of Los Altos, California strives to nurture the hearts and minds of the residents of the Silicon Valley. A number of Episcopalians who would go on to found the church met in 1913 on Palm Sunday for worship in a building’s upper room in downtown Los Altos. The group purchased two lots near the downtown area after the Diocese of California gave them mission status. In April of 1914, the cornerstone was laid of the small Christ Episcopal Church, an English-style church. The church grew over the following fifty years, along with the town.

1040 Border Rd, Los Altos, CA 94024, Phone: 650-948-2151