Frost Amphitheater, Open-air theater at Stanford University, United States
Frost Amphitheater is an open-air theater on the Stanford University campus in Palo Alto, California, built into a natural hillside that forms a grass slope for seating. The stage sits at the bottom of the slope, with the lawn rising gradually behind it to give all seats a clear view.
The amphitheater opened in 1937 as a place for outdoor performances on campus, built by Stanford University. A major renovation completed in 2019 updated the stage and sound systems, making the venue better suited for large concerts.
The Frost Amphitheater takes its name from David Packard Frost, a Stanford alumnus whose family supported the venue. Concerts here often draw students and local residents together on the grass, making it a shared space for the wider community.
Bring a blanket or a low folding chair, since most of the seating is on an open grass slope. The Stanford campus is large, so allow extra time to walk from parking areas to the venue entrance.
The venue has separate tunnels under the seating area that performers use to reach the stage without crossing through the crowd. This setup means that artists can enter and exit without the audience ever seeing them backstage.
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