Palo Alto History Museum (Roth Building)

Palo Alto is a city that loves its own history, but it has never had a proper history museum. That was supposed to change in 2026. A nonprofit and the city spent years restoring a 1932 Spanish Revival clinic at 300 Homer Avenue, known as the Roth Building, to house the Palo Alto History Museum and the city archives. Then, weeks before the planned opening, leaks were found. In January 2026 the opening was postponed with no new date.

So this is a page about a museum you cannot yet enter. It is still worth a visit to the building. Its 1932 frescoes are outdoors and free to see, the architecture is some of Birge Clark's best and Heritage Park next door is a pleasant place to sit. This guide explains the building, the long road to a museum and what to check before you go.

Current status

The key facts first. On January 21, 2026, museum CEO Marguerite Gong Hancock announced that the opening was delayed indefinitely because the city-owned building was leaking, according to the Palo Alto Daily Post. The museum said it was working with the city to assess and repair the water intrusion. "Taking the time to do this right is essential to the museum's long-term success," Hancock said.

The opening had been planned for February 2026. As of late October 2026 no new date had been announced. The museum's own website still shows older projections, so look for a dated announcement before planning a visit around it. Our landmarks guide will carry the news once a date is set.

The Roth Building

The building opened in 1932 as the Palo Alto Medical Clinic, the first home of the practice that became the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Birge Clark designed it in the Spanish Colonial Revival style he used across downtown. His sister helped found the practice. The building covers more than 20,000 square feet and joined the National Register of Historic Places on June 21, 2010.

Look for the low tile roofs, the stucco walls and the covered gallery at the entrance. Clark's clinic shows how a medical building could feel civic and welcoming rather than institutional. Our Birge Clark page covers his other work, from the post office on Hamilton Avenue to the Lucie Stern Community Center.

The Arnautoff frescoes

The best reason to visit now is outdoors. Dr. Russel Lee, a founder of the clinic, commissioned the Russian-born muralist Victor Arnautoff to decorate the entrance. Arnautoff had worked with Diego Rivera. He finished the series, called Modern and Ancient Medicine, in 1932.

• There are 17 frescoes in all.
• Four large color panels show pediatric care, internal medicine, neurosurgery and a fluoroscopic examination.
• Gray panels painted to look like stone reliefs show medicine in earlier times.
• Four sepia medallions portray Hippocrates, Joseph Lister, Louis Pasteur and Wilhelm Röntgen.

The color panels have been restored and work on the rest continues as funding allows. They sit in a covered gallery, so you can see them from the walkway at any time of day. Our public art guide calls them the oldest major public artwork in town.

The long road to a museum

The museum has been a slow project with many turns:

1. 2000. The city buys the Roth Building.
2. 2007. The city approves plans to turn the site into a history museum. The nonprofit behind it then struggles to raise enough for the renovation.
3. Funding steps. The city commits $10.7 million and agrees to lease the building to the nonprofit for $1 a year for 40 years. Then-Congresswoman Anna Eshoo secures a $3 million earmark. Santa Clara County pays $100,000 for a new roof, $182,448 for new windows and $350,000 to restore an elevator from the 1940s.
4. Construction. Vance Brown Builders, the Palo Alto contractor behind the rebuilt Junior Museum and Zoo, renovates the building.
5. Target dates slip. The museum once projected completion in December 2024 and doors open in spring 2025. The opening later moved to February 2026.
6. January 2026. Leaks are found and the opening is postponed indefinitely.

The lease comes with obligations. According to the Daily Post, the museum must open the restrooms at Heritage Park and stay open at least 20 hours a week. The figures above come from that paper's January 2026 report.

What the museum plans

The museum, which calls itself the Palo Alto Museum on its website, describes a place for local history and the future as much as the past. Its stated plans include:

• The city archives. The building will be the permanent home of the City of Palo Alto Archives.
• Exhibits and programs. Interactive exhibits, hands-on activities and talks, plus a local history research resource.
• Community space. Meeting rooms, a small cafe, a gift shop and a lounge.
• Youth work. A Teen Council has been gathering oral histories.

Hours, admission and exhibits have not been published for an opening date. We will not guess at them. Check the museum's website for current information.

Local history to see while you wait

Until the museum opens, several places nearby tell parts of the story:

• The Hostess House, 27 University Avenue. Julia Morgan's 1918 building from Camp Fremont became the nation's first municipally sponsored community center. Our Hostess House page has the details.
• El Palo Alto. The redwood that gave the city its name stands beside the Caltrain tracks at Alma Street. See our El Palo Alto guide.
• The HP Garage, 367 Addison Avenue. The birthplace of Silicon Valley is a short walk south of the Roth Building and viewed from the sidewalk.
• Los Altos History Museum. The nearest working local history museum, a short drive south. Our Los Altos History Museum page covers visiting.

All four are free to see and together they fill the gap nicely while Palo Alto waits for its own museum.

Visiting now

The Roth Building is in the University South neighborhood, about a 10 minute walk from the Palo Alto Caltrain station. Allow 15 minutes for the frescoes and the exterior. Then cross to Heritage Park, a small park with a playground and lawn. Across Homer Avenue, the Museum of American Heritage fills a 1907 house with radios, appliances and a working print shop. Check its hours before you go.

The Roth Building is the last stop on our downtown architecture walk, which starts at the Caltrain depot. For the city's story while the museum is closed, read our Palo Alto history and the Palo Alto timeline.

Frequently asked questions