Stanford Mausoleum facts for kids
The Stanford Mausoleum is a special building at Stanford University. It is located in the northwest part of the campus, within the Stanford University Arboretum. This mausoleum is the resting place for Leland Stanford, Jr., who the university is named after. His parents, Leland and Jane Stanford, are also buried there.
Every year, usually in October, the mausoleum opens to visitors. This happens during the Founders' Day celebration, where people lay a wreath to honor the Stanford family.
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History of the Mausoleum
The Stanford family first planned to build a large house where the mausoleum now stands. They had started a cactus garden in this spot, which you can still see today. However, their only son, Leland Stanford Jr., sadly passed away. After this, they changed their plans. Instead of building a mansion, they decided to create a university in his honor.
Close to the mausoleum, there is another memorial called the Angel of Grief. This statue honors Jane Stanford's brother, Henry Clay Lathrop. The statue you see today is a copy made in 1908. It was based on an earlier copy from 1901, which was itself a copy of a statue from 1894 by the famous American artist William Wetmore Story.
What the Mausoleum Looks Like
The Stanford Mausoleum has interesting sphinx statues on both its front and back. Sphinxes are mythical creatures, often shown with the body of a lion and the head of a human.
The sphinxes at the back of the mausoleum are Greek in style and look female. They were actually placed at the front first. But the Stanford family did not like them there. So, they replaced them with Egyptian-style male sphinxes at the front. The female sphinxes were then moved to the back.
The Halloween Mausoleum Party
The Stanford Mausoleum is also famous for a fun student Halloween party. This event is often called "Maus" by the students. It takes place every year at 10:00 PM on the last Friday or Saturday of October.
The party was stopped for a few years, from 2002 to 2005. But this tradition was brought back in 2006. The sophomore class at Stanford University plans and sponsors this popular annual event.
See also
In Spanish: Mausoleo de Stanford para niños
