Organization

Palo Alto's Community Services Department has a mission of "engaging individuals and families to create a strong and healthy community, through parks, recreation, social services, arts and sciences."

The Arts and Sciences Division oversees some of the most respected arts and sciences programs in the Bay Area including the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre, the Palo Alto Art Center, the Junior Museum and Zoo, and the Lucie Stern Theatre.

The Human Services Division includes a human service provider grant program, Family Resources, childcare services, and the Human Relations Commission.

The Open Space and Parks Division maintains, interprets and protects Palo Alto’s 4,500 acres of open space, urban parks and street medians including Foothills Park, Baylands Preserve, Mitchell Park and the Stanford/Palo Alto Community Playing Fields.

Also under the auspices of the Community Services Division, City of Palo Alto Recreation hosts a full spectrum of recreational facilities and programs. These include eighteen holes at the Palo Alto Golf Course, hundreds of youth and adult classes, teen activities, summer camps, aquatic and sport programs, and special events.