When we visit San Francisco, we always take the time to walk along Pier 39. Last year, when we went, there was a horrific storm happening so the pier itself wasn’t full of lovely weather and the Tulipmania festival had taken a bit of a hit, not being so ideal for us to walk around. This year, however, we have had such better luck! Pier 39 is already an iconic, free, fun day out, but with Tulipmania going on, there is just more to explore and take pictures of!
Pier 39
Pier 39 is known for a lot of things! There are a bunch of seals on the docks, always shouting and playing with each other. Dann and I absolutely love seeing the seals and being near them as they shout. There are a few viewing platforms, as well as an overhead view of them, so that you can really get a good look. If you’d like, you can also ride a boat out to the Golden Gate Bridge from here, seeing all of the seals as you go out. Around this area, there is also a bunch of fun boats that Dann always has enjoyed looking at, taking in the “American Names” of them all.
Pier 39 is a great place to go shopping. There are tons of little shops there; magic stores, fudge and chocolate places, pearl jewelry, tons of eateries, a small batch of rides at the end. Walking around here is so much fun, though a lot of the shops are on the expensive side. We went to a magic shop and grabbed a few bits for Robin and a fidget / shop full of colorful items and got stuff for Amelia. We also went in and out of a bunch of other little shops, just window shopping. There was an entire store full of funny socks! As the sun was shining and the weather was fantastic, I grabbed an ice cream on the end of Pier 39 as well.
Tulipmania
Tulipmania is a few-month-long event, where over 20,000 tulips and seasonal garden flowers appear on the Pier! These different flower displays are sponsored by various local clubs and communities, giving Pier 39 a beautiful make-over perfect for the springtime. The tulips are planted in stages, so that the bloom will last all throughout April, There is a map, to show you the different zones, which have different theming and sponsors. A map can be picked up along the pier or you can check out their website to see an overview and a self-guided tour. These flowers are on both levels of Pier 39, making it the largest display in Northern Cali.
As much as I like England, it was so delightful to walk along a sunny pier, viewing a bunch of beautiful flowers that have been planted to decorate the area. Dann and I spent a lot of time here, taking it all in. Pier 39 is always fantastic, but there is something special about Tulipmania.
You can check out our other Days Out to see what else we’ve been up too!
I saw Funnel Cake and that’s all I had to see to know that’s the place to go.
That looks like so much fun! I love everything there is to do, and being out on the water like that is so pretty.
This is exactly the kind of place that I can lose myself in. There’s just so much to do!
I love tulips and the Tulipmania Festival at Pier 39 sounds like such a fun event to attend and one not to be missed
This is such a fun family outing! With the weather so nice, I’d love to see a flower fest like Tulipmania.
Sorry, we don’t get tropical storms here in San Francisco. We’re much too far north and the ocean water is too cold…just typical stormy weather.
The last year we went, there was power outtages due to the storms! It was in march of 2024.