Allied Arts Guild

Allied Arts Guild feels like a small corner of Andalusia dropped onto a quiet Menlo Park street. Red tile roofs, whitewashed walls, hand-wrought iron and painted tiles frame a series of courtyards and gardens. Fountains splash. Roses climb arbors. Artists work in studios that open onto the paths. Then you remember that Stanford Shopping Center is only a short drive away.

The guild has been here since 1929. It is owned and run by a volunteer auxiliary that raises money for Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford. That makes it one of the few places where browsing pottery or eating lunch in a garden directly supports a hospital. It is one of the most rewarding small stops in Menlo Park. This guide covers its history, its gardens, the shops and studios listed today and practical tips for a visit.

History

A rancho, a farm and a dream

The land was once part of Rancho de las Pulgas, a vast land grant of 35,250 acres. The guild's own history says a Spanish king, probably Charles IV, granted it to Don José Argüello, commander of the Presidio of San Francisco. The name means Ranch of the Fleas. Later the site became part of the Jeff Murray farm on the edge of Menlo Park.

In 1929 Delight and Garfield Merner, wealthy art lovers, bought 3.5 acres of the Murray farm. They wanted to create an arts guild in California. Their goals were to provide a serene place for artists to work, to encourage handsome objects for everyday use and to support folk art, especially that of early California.

Building the guild

The Merners worked with architect Gardner Dailey and artist Pedro de Lemos. The iron and wood shops opened first, because they were needed to build the rest of the complex. The original Murray barn and sheds were kept. The main building went up on the frame of the old Murray farmhouse. New Spanish Colonial buildings were added around them.

The decoration came from far and wide. Paths were paved with stones from nearby San Francisquito Creek. Tiles and art objects came from Spain, Tunis and Morocco. Maxine Albro and the de Lemos family painted the frescoes and mosaics. De Lemos also designed the guild's logo, an AAG monogram shaped like a boat on a calm sea. Ansel Adams was the guild's photographer of record and took the first photos of the finished buildings.

Delight Merner shaped the look of the place. The guild's history describes her as a self-taught decorator with a strong sense of color. She thought blue was hard to use indoors but perfect outside, against green leaves and sky, so the garden furniture was always painted blue. Artists were chosen for the quality of their work. In her words, "Every object which goes from the Guild must measure up to a certain standard of fine design and craftsmanship."

A link to a children's hospital

The Merners stepped back in 1935 and leased the complex to the Senior Auxiliary of the Convalescent Home, a children's hospital at Stanford. Allied Arts Guild Associates later bought the property and ran it for the Home's benefit. In 1951 the Allied Arts Auxiliary took over its trusteeship and management. It has run the guild ever since. The convalescent home grew into what is now Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, which receives all profits from the guild. Our guide for Stanford Hospital visitors covers the medical campus today.

The gardens

The gardens were inspired by places the Merners saw in Spain and were named in the Spanish manner. The guild covers about three and a half acres. Highlights listed by the guild:

• The Garden of Delight, also called the Blue Garden, with hydrangeas, asters and lily of the Nile around a blue-tiled fountain. Café Wisteria overlooks it.
• The Court of Abundance, a Moorish orangery at the entrance to the main building, named for its golden flowers.
• The Rose Allee, modeled on the rose walk at the Generalife gardens of the Alhambra.
• Cervantes Court, the inner courtyard, with a mural of Cervantes dedicating Don Quixote to his patron, the Count of Lemos.

The gardens are kept up entirely through donations to Friends of Allied Arts, a committee of the auxiliary. Donors can buy an engraved brick for the Circle of Bricks around the Blue Fountain. The guild also says docent-led tours of the gardens, history, art and architecture are available Monday through Saturday. Call ahead to arrange one.

For more formal gardens near Palo Alto, compare the guild with Gamble Garden in Old Palo Alto and the estate gardens at Filoli. Allied Arts is the smallest of the three and the only one with shops and a cafe woven through it.

Shops and studios

The guild says nearly twenty artisans work here, most using their space as both studio and store. The tenants listed on the guild's website in October 2026 include:

• The Artisan Shop at Allied Arts, staffed entirely by auxiliary volunteers, with handmade art pieces and vintage items. All profits go to the hospital.
• The Barn Woodshop, in keeping with the guild's original wood shop.
• Joy Imai Pottery and EM Parker Leather Studio, working craft studios.
• Portola Art Gallery and Davide Bigazzi Studio for fine art.
• La Layette Boutique, Menlo Botanica and Shalini India Silk Exclusive for shopping.
• Peter Rosekrans Landscape Architecture and Music Together classes, among the service tenants.

The guild's list also includes design, professional and nonprofit tenants. Studios keep their own hours inside the guild's, so a door may be closed when the artist is out. If you want to see one tenant in particular, check its website or call first. For other independent shops nearby, see our guide to gifts and souvenirs.

Café Wisteria

Café Wisteria is the guild's restaurant, with tables looking over the Garden of Delight. The guild lists its hours as Tuesday to Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reservations are highly recommended and are taken by text or email, as listed on the guild's cafe page. The cafe also serves holiday lunches and hosts teas. For other places to eat nearby, see our guide to where to eat in Menlo Park.

Events through the year

The guild runs a calendar of community events, many on Sundays when it is otherwise closed. Its events page lists:

• Spring Vintage Sale on the Artisan Shop patio.
• Mother's Day Tea.
• Art Faire in summer, with donated artwork for sale.
• October Harvest Faire.
• Nutcracker Tea for children at the holidays.
• Christmas Market on an early December Sunday, spread through the shops and gardens.

Dates change each year, so check the guild's events page. Private events are a big part of the guild's income. The events page says weddings can host up to 140 guests. Rental pricing is posted there and varies with the season.

Architecture worth a closer look

Gardner Dailey later became one of the best-known Bay Area architects of the mid-century, so the guild is an early work by a major name. Look for the red roof tiles, the arched openings, the hand-carved floors and the Spanish-style fireplaces inside the Sunset Room. Wrought iron, frescoes and tile insets turn up in unexpected corners. Our page on Palo Alto architecture covers the Spanish Colonial Revival buildings Birge Clark designed in Palo Alto in the same era, which make a good comparison.

Planning a visit

1. Getting there: The guild is at 75 Arbor Road at Cambridge Avenue in the southern part of Menlo Park, close to the Palo Alto line. From Palo Alto, take El Camino Real north across San Francisquito Creek and turn left into the neighborhood. It is a short drive or bike ride from Stanford Shopping Center.
2. Parking: Check the guild's directions before you go. If you park on nearby streets, respect driveways, since this is a residential area.
3. Timing: Late spring brings the roses. December brings the Christmas Market and holiday teas.
4. Combine it: Pair a visit with Santa Cruz Avenue and Kepler's Books in downtown Menlo Park. See our Santa Cruz Avenue guide. If you are making a weekend of it, you can compare hotels near Stanford.

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