wanderingswithsarahWhat’s the best way to experience Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan? Steal my personal itinerary and read more about this unique festival.
Keep reading to find everything you need for your visit in this guide, including background on the festival, tips for visiting, the three places I recommend visiting during Tulip Time, and other options to experience the festival.
Table of Contents
- What is Tulip Time?
- When is Tulip Time in Holland Michigan?
- Tips for Experiencing Tulip Time
- Centennial Park
- Window on the Waterfront
- Windmill Island
- Other Places and Events to Experience Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan
What is Tulip Time?
The Tulip Time Festival in Holland began in 1929. That year, the City of Holland planted over 100,000 tulips, and the crowds began to flock to see them. Now the festival features over 6 million tulips each year. Today the festival also includes programs, parades, the popular Dutch Dancers, national entertainment acts, and activities for everyone to enjoy. The mission of the festival is to celebrate the Dutch heritage of Holland,
When is Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan?
Peak bloom for the tulips is typically between late April and mid-May. The festival itself is held the first and second weekends of May.
The dates for Tulip Time in 2024 are May 4-12.
Tips for Experiencing Tulip Time
Go Early
Whether you’d rather avoid the crowds, or just want to have a spot to park, going early is a great strategy. We started our morning shortly after sunrise and were able to enjoy the morning sunlight glow on the tulips in Centennial Park.
Avoiding weekends is also a good strategy, though not an option for everyone.
Have a Game Plan
Holland can become a little chaotic during Tulip Time, so it’s best to have a game plan. Map out where everything is and know what order to visit each place in.
If you plan to stick to the my itinerary here, I recommend starting with Centennial Park and Window on the Waterfront because they are free and you can enter at any time. End with Windmill Island, which doesn’t open until 9:30 am. You’ll want to get there shortly before opening time to snag a good parking spot and avoid long lines.
For more help planning your visit, check out the interactive Tulip Time map here.
Practice Leave No Trace
Feel free to take as many pictures of and with the tulips as you want! Just be careful to stay on paths and avoid trampling the tulips.
It’s also important to be respectful of other visitors when enjoying Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan.
Let’s make sure everyone is able to enjoy this unique event!
Centennial Park
Centennial Park features over 48,000 tulips in a variety of colors and patterns. The park is located at 250 S. River Avenue, near Downtown Holland. There is limited street parking available all around the park.
Follow the brick pathways around this Victorian-style park that features a gazebo, a traditional Dutch fountain, and even a fish pond. There is no entrance fee to enjoy the tulips here, and it’s within walking distance of the downtown shopping district, where you can find 38,000 more tulips.
If you want to avoid the crowds and get a great parking spot, I recommend starting here bright and early. If this doesn’t bother you, maybe stop by later to visit the shops downtown when they’ve opened for the day.
Window on the Waterfront
Window on the Waterfront is home to over 100,000 tulips. Walking paths wind through the tulip fields and you can also find photo stands, life-size Dutch statues, scenic overlooks, and beautiful views. The park is also home to the Sally Smoly Nature Playscape, which is a playground structure modeled after nature.
There are two different ways to access Window on the Waterfront. The first is on Central Avenue, which is where Google Maps will take you when you type in your destination. This is a small parking lot where a path starts. You’ll take the paved trail along the waterfront until you reach the playground at Riverview Park. This is where all of the tulips are. Expect to walk around 2 miles if you go this way, but you’ll get beautiful views of the Macatawa River and a first look at Windmill Island.
The second way to visit Window on the Waterfront Park is the street parking near 110 Columbia Avenue. This is the main entrance for Riverview Park, which is considered part of Window on the Waterfront. Parking here means a shorter walk, but spots may fill up more quickly.
This park gets busy early, so be prepared to search for parking. It did seem like less people parked in the lot on Central Avenue and walked, so this might be a good option even later in the day. Entrance is free and this is a great place to experience what Tulip Time in Holland Michigan is like.
Windmill Island Gardens
Windmill Island Gardens is probably the most iconic Tulip Time location. You can find over 140,000 tulips here in every color and pattern imaginable.
Experience Dutch Culture at Windmill Island Gardens
The most unique part of Windmill Island is the windmill itself. It’s called the DeZwaan Windmill and it actually came from the Netherlands. The name DeZwaan means “The Swan” or “Graceful Bird” in Dutch. The windmill was shipped to Michigan in October of 1964 and opened to the public in 1965. It was purchased after the Dutch made a law prohibiting the removal of any more windmills. This makes it the last authentic windmill to leave the Netherlands. The windmill is a tribute to the Dutch settlers that founded Holland and is still operational, run by Dutch-certified miller Alisa Crawford. The flour milled in the windmill is available for sale in the gift shop. DeZwaan Windmill holds the title of being the oldest, authentic, working Dutch windmill in the United States.
After taking a tour of the DeZwaan Windmill and wandering through the fields of tulips, there is a lot more to explore here. Windmill Island Gardens is also home to a street organ gifted to Holland by the City of Amsterdam. There is also a hand-painted antique carousel, Friesan horses, a water exhibit, and Little Netherlands. Little Netherlands is a series of buildings replicating how the Dutch lived in the 1840s when Holland was settled.
Guide to Visiting Windmill Island Gardens
Windmill Island Gardens is open from mid-April to early October every year, with different seasonal events outside of Tulip Time. The cost to enter is $12 per adult and $6 per child. The park is open from 9:30 am to 6 pm every day. There is a large parking lot located outside the gates on 1 Lincoln Avenue, but it can fill up on a busy day.
This is the only place I paid to visit when I went to Tulip Time in Holland but it is well-worth it. This was our third stop of the morning and we arrived shortly before the gates opened at 9:30 am to beat most of the crowds. There was a line of people waiting to get in, so I can only imagine what the rest of the day looks like here.
If you want to check on how the tulips are doing or just see what this park looks like, there’s a sky cam available that is on year-round. You can check it out here.
Other Places and Events to Experience Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan
The locations mentioned above are the places that I went during Tulip Time, but the festivities don’t stop there. Find other places to see the tulips as well as resources to find events that go on during the festival.
Other Places to See Tulips
Downtown Holland
Located in the shopping district of Holland near Centennial Park, you can see over 38,000 tulips along the street while you shop.
Tulip Lanes
Tulip Lanes is over 12 miles of tulips planted throughout Holland’s neighborhoods and the historic district. Sources say that the sections along Washington Avenue and 12th Street boulevards have the best views. This is great for a drive-through experience to see the over 250,000 tulips.
Nelis’ Dutch Village
Nelis’ Dutch Villiage was founded in 1958 and is located at 12350 James Street. It is home to over 30,000 tulips, a wooden shoe factory, cheese-making, a petting zoo, and more. The entrance fee is $17 per person ages 3 and up or $15 when purchased in advance online. The village is open from 9 am to 7 pm during Tulip Time. Buy your tickets online here.
Veldheers Tulip Farm + DeKlomp Wooden Shoe & Delft Factory
Veldheers Tulip Farm features over 6 million tulips in over 850 varieties. Located on Quincy Street, the farm has an entrance fee of $15 for adults and $7 for children. The park is open from 8 am to 6 pm, with the gardens closing at 5 pm during Tulip Time. Tickets can be bought online here.
The DeKlomp Wooden Shoe & Delft Factor is also located here and you can tour the factory where they make and paint traditional Dutch wooden shoes and buy souvenirs.
Tulip Time Events
There are many unique events to experience during Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan. Go to a carnival, see traditional Dutch dancing, attend an artisan market, or get dancing lessons on your visit. Check out the full list of events here.
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