On this page
Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford is the children's and maternity hospital on the Stanford medical campus, a short walk from Stanford Hospital. It is run by Stanford Medicine Children's Health, a separate organization from the adult system, with its own website, garages, visiting rules and patient portal. Families come from across Northern California and beyond for heart surgery, transplants and cancer care. Palo Alto families also use it for something more ordinary: having a baby.
This page covers the hospital itself, the 2017 expansion, where to go for a child's emergency and the family resources the hospital and its partners publish. It is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call 911. Facts come from Stanford Medicine Children's Health pages as they read in late October 2026. For garage rates and visiting in more detail, see our guide to visiting Stanford Hospital and Lucile Packard.
The hospital at a glance
The hospital's location page gives the basics: 725 Welch Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, main phone (650) 497-8000. It is a 361-bed hospital "devoted entirely to pediatrics and obstetrics." It opened in 1991 after a gift from David and Lucile Packard and doubled in size in December 2017.
The hospital organizes its care around six centers of excellence: brain and behavior, cancer, heart, pregnancy and newborn, pulmonary and transplant. The location page also lists labor and delivery, neonatology, a perinatal diagnostic center, dialysis, orthopedics and sports medicine, rehabilitation, radiology and social services, among others.
Some useful numbers from the same page:
| Service | Phone |
|---|---|
| Main line | (650) 497-8000 |
| Admitting | (650) 497-8229 |
| Social Services | (650) 497-8303 |
| Parking Services | (650) 736-8000 |
| Clinic Registration | (800) 381-2155 |
| Patient Experience | (650) 498-4847 |
The 2017 expansion
The hospital doubled in size when a new main building opened on December 9, 2017. A Stanford Medicine announcement described it as a 521,000 square foot building that added 149 patient beds, bringing the Palo Alto campus to 361. The original 1991 hospital became the West building. Wikipedia adds that about 3.5 acres of gardens and green space opened with it.
The two buildings now work as one hospital. Inpatient rooms are in both. The Main building holds the main lobby, admitting, the Harvest Café, the gift shop and spiritual care, which includes a sanctuary and a healing garden. Radiology patients check in at the Main lobby and then go to the first floor of the West building.
Entrance change
- The West lobby entrance closed on February 1, 2026 for about two years of construction.
- Everyone uses the Main building entrance, where Welcome Desk staff give directions.
- Admitting and visitor check-in are in the Main building lobby.
When a child needs emergency care
The children's hospital does not run its own front-door emergency room. Children go to Stanford's Marc and Laura Andreessen Pediatric Emergency Department at 900 Quarry Road Extension, which Stanford's emergency department page says is just down the hall from the hospital. The phone is 650-723-5111, though Stanford gives no medical advice by phone.
Stanford calls this "the only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center between San Francisco and the South Bay." It says the department offers a child-friendly setting and interpreters in 200 languages. If you are not sure whether something is an emergency, call 911 and let the dispatcher decide. For problems that can wait a few hours, Sutter's children's urgent care at 795 El Camino Real lists hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Our emergency rooms guide explains the difference as the hospitals describe it.
Having a baby at Packard
Labor and delivery, newborn care and neonatology sit within the hospital's pregnancy and newborn center. Expectant mothers check in through the Main building lobby. The Main garage, closest to the Main entrance, keeps special spaces for mothers in active labor and for guests who need extra help. The 2017 announcement said all postpartum beds would become private rooms by the end of 2018.
Insurance matters here as anywhere. Ask your obstetrician which hospital they deliver at and check your plan. Families still shopping for gear can browse our baby and maternity shopping guide. Once the baby is home, our guide to baby-friendly Palo Alto has gentle outings.
Parking and visiting
Park in the Main building garage first. If it is full, use the West garage. A shuttle runs between the West garage and the Main building 24 hours a day. Visitor rates on the location page start with a free first hour, then $2 for one to two hours, rising in steps to $12 for 8 to 24 hours. Admitted patients get one validated pass good for seven days with in-and-out privileges.
General visiting hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, with quiet hours overnight. Every visitor checks in for an ID badge. The hospital's visiting page adds these points:
- General floors and intensive care units allow up to two healthy people at the bedside at a time.
- During respiratory season, November 1 to March 31, masks are strongly recommended and some units require them.
- Children with signs of contagious illness, or recent exposure to measles or chickenpox, should not visit.
- Usually one parent or adult can sleep at the bedside. On general pediatric floors, two parents may stay in a private room at the nurse's discretion.
- Parents assigned to a parent lounge must leave it by 8 a.m.
Family resources and lodging
A long admission can upend a family's life. The hospital lists several kinds of help on its visiting and lodging pages.
Ronald McDonald House at Stanford
Run by Ronald McDonald House Charities Bay Area, the house serves families of critically ill children treated at the hospital. Stanford Medicine Children's Health's lodging page says it grew from 47 to 123 bedrooms, covers 52,000 square feet and serves an additional 76 families each night. It describes family suites, kitchens, activity rooms, a fitness center, laundry and underground parking. Families apply at rmhcbayarea.org by choosing Family Stays. A June 2026 announcement from the charity called it one of the world's largest pediatric housing facilities.
Housing Office and hotels
The hospital's Housing Office works with each family on a place to stay. It answers at (650) 498-7971, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Several hotels offer special rates to Packard families; the office has the current list. For a few nights, you can also search hotels near the children's hospital and ask about medical rates. Our hotels near Stanford Hospital guide maps the closest options.
Support on the unit
The visiting page links to a resource center, child life and creative arts, a hospital school for school-age patients, spiritual care and social services. Ask the unit's nurse or social worker how to reach each one. Parents dealing with stress can also find local support in our mental health resources guide.
How it fits with the rest of Palo Alto care
Stanford Medicine Children's Health also runs pediatric primary and specialty clinics around the Bay Area, some in Palo Alto. Many local children see a pediatrician through Sutter's Palo Alto Medical Foundation or another practice and come to Packard only for a hospital stay or specialist care. Adult family members are treated next door at Stanford Hospital.
Good to know
- In an emergency, call 911. Children's emergency care is at 900 Quarry Road Extension.
- Use the Main building entrance at 725 Welch Road while the West lobby is closed for construction.
- Visiting hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
- Housing Office: (650) 498-7971, weekdays.
- This page is general information, not medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Lucile Packard Children's Hospital?
It is at 725 Welch Road in Palo Alto, on the Stanford medical campus next to Stanford Hospital. The main phone is (650) 497-8000. Since February 1, 2026 all patients and visitors use the Main building entrance because the West lobby is closed for construction.
Does Lucile Packard have an emergency room?
Children are seen at the Marc and Laura Andreessen Pediatric Emergency Department at 900 Quarry Road Extension, which Stanford says is just down the hall from the children's hospital. Stanford describes it as the only Level 1 pediatric trauma center between San Francisco and the South Bay. In an emergency, call 911.
What did the 2017 expansion add?
On December 9, 2017 the hospital opened a new 521,000 square foot main building. Stanford Medicine said it added 149 beds, bringing the Palo Alto campus to 361. The original 1991 hospital is now called the West building.
Can parents stay overnight at Lucile Packard?
Usually one parent or adult can sleep at the bedside. On general pediatric floors, two parents or guardians may stay in a private room at the nurse's discretion. In maternity and short-stay units, one adult support person may stay. A social worker can help with other arrangements.
How do families get a room at the Ronald McDonald House at Stanford?
Families apply through Ronald McDonald House Charities Bay Area at rmhcbayarea.org under Family Stays. Stanford Medicine Children's Health says the house has 123 bedrooms and serves families of critically ill children treated at the hospital. The hospital's Housing Office at (650) 498-7971 can also help.