Holland Tulip Time Festival Guide: How to See Tulips and a Dutch Windmill in Michigan

April showers bring May flowers, and, in one Midwestern US destination, those flowers are tulips. In fact, millions of tulips bloom in colorful rows each May during the annual Tulip Time festival in Holland, Michigan.

During peak bloom, Dutch dancers perform and marching bands parade through the quaint downtown as part of the annual Tulip Time festival. It’s a wonderful time to visit this West Michigan city for a day trip or weekend getaway!

Mark your calendar: Tulip Time 2024 runs from May 4 through May 12 in Holland, Michigan!

In this guide to visiting Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan, you’ll learn:

• Where Holland, Michigan, is located
• How to get to Holland, Michigan
• About Holland’s Dutch roots
• Where to stay in Holland during Tulip Time
• Where to see tulips in Holland, Michigan
• About Tulip Time’s top attractions
• More things to do in Holland during Tulip Time!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. When you click on one of these links and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Of course, this is at no extra cost to you.

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Where is Holland, Michigan?

If you’ve gotten this far into this post without realizing the Holland I’m talking about isn’t in the Netherlands, let me clarify that right now.

Though visiting Amsterdam in spring to see tulip fields is surely a bucket-list trip, seeing tulip season in Holland, Michigan, in the United States is also worth a springtime visit!

With its location near the Lake Michigan coast in West Michigan, Holland oozes lake-life charm in the summer months. This Dutch-settled city attracts visitors in the spring for its abundance of beautiful tulip blooms and Tulip Time festivities.

Holland is about 30 miles southwest of Grand Rapids, West Michigan’s largest city and home to the closest international airport.

Additionally, several Midwest metro areas are only a few hours away by car. Chicago is about 150 miles around Lake Michigan from Holland, and Detroit sits about 180 miles east.

Therefore, visiting during Tulip Time in Holland can be a fun day trip from Grand Rapids, whether you are a local or a visitor. It’s also perfect for weekend getaways from Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee.

You could also visit Holland for Tulip Time on a trip through West Michigan. Other destinations for a springtime road trip in West Michigan include St. Joseph, Saugatuck, Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and Ludington.

Holland’s Dutch Roots

When you visit Holland, Michigan, tulips, windmills, and wooden clogs are common sights.

Settled in the mid-1800s by Dutch Calvinists, many residents today have Dutch ancestry and are quite proud of their city’s Dutch roots. That local heritage has become integral to the city’s culture, attractions, eateries, and Tulip Time.

The city’s Dutch heritage is displayed at attractions such as Nelis’ Dutch Village, Windmill Island Gardens, and DeKlomp Wooden Shoe & Delft Factory.

Of course, Holland’s Dutch ancestry is also celebrated during the annual Tulip Time festival. Each May, about a half million visitors attend Tulip Time for the Dutch dances, music, food, traditional costumes, parades, and a city abloom with millions of tulips.

Unfortunately, the tulips in Holland only bloom for a short time. Therefore, if you want to see them in bloom, it is best to visit in early to mid-May. This will likely coincide with the annual Tulip Time festival, which includes parades, Dutch dance performances, races, and more events.

Where to Stay for the Holland Tulip Festival

Are you wondering where to stay in Holland during Tulip Time? Holland offers a variety of accommodations, including a downtown boutique hotel with eco-friendly features, national chain hotels, cozy bed and breakfasts, and spacious vacation rentals.

I recommend staying in the heart of Holland’s charming downtown. The options include the LEED Gold certified Tulyp, Tapestry Collection by Hilton; Courtyard by Marriott Holland Downtown, and the Teerman Lofts. You can walk to local restaurants, craft breweries, boutique shops, and tulip-filled parks from any of these downtown accommodations.

However, if you plan to visit Nelis’ Dutch Village, Veldheer Tulip Gardens, and/or DeKlomp Wooden Shoe & Delft Factory, staying at the Hampton Inn Holland or Holiday Inn Express may be more convenient.

Not quite what you are looking for? Search the map below for more lodging in Holland, Michigan!

Where Can You See Tulips in Holland, Michigan?

You are probably wondering where to see tulips in Holland, Michigan. For visitors going to Holland during Tulip Time for just one day, I recommend picking one or two stops to view tulips. Also, use the City of Holland’s tulip tracker to see if the tulips have bloomed before you go!

Here are a few sites where you’ll find flower beds full of tulips in bloom:

Downtown Holland Tulip Beds

The city plants 200,000 tulips at its city parks and downtown area. Walking along 8th Street, you’ll see plots of tulips among the downtown shops, restaurants, and breweries, including New Holland Brewing’s Pub on 8th.

Centennial Park

Located at 10th Street and Central Avenue, this city park boasts a colorful display of tulips.

Window on the Waterfront Park

At this 30-acre park along the Macatawa River, you can see thousands of tulips as you use the walking and bike paths.

Tulip Lanes

Take a scenic drive or stroll to see Tulip Lanes! Six miles of Holland’s streets are lined with 250,000 tulips.

In particular, the beautiful tulips along Washington Avenue and 12th Street are must-see sights during Tulip Time.

Windmill Island Gardens

One of Holland’s most popular tulip-viewing spots is Windmill Island Gardens, which plants 150,000 tulips for Tulip Time!

Of course, the main attraction of this 36-acre park is the 250-year-old Dutch windmill De Zwaan. In fact, De Zwaan is an operating mill that grinds grains into flour that you can purchase from the gift shop. You can also tour the windmill’s five floors.

Other sights worth seeing are the authentic street organ from Amsterdam, the antique carousel, the Little Netherlands display, and the gift shop, which sells Dutch cheese, wooden clogs, delftware, and more souvenirs.

Windmill Island Gardens is located at 1 Lincoln Avenue within walking distance of downtown Holland’s hotels, shops, and restaurants. Admission is $12 per adult, $6 for ages 3 to 15, and free for children younger than 3.

Tulip Immersion Garden: The Journey of the Tulip

You’ll be immersed in eye-level tulip displays as you meander through the three raised gardens by globally renowned Dutch horticulturist Ibo Gülsen.

Each display shares part of the tulip’s history. From being cultivated in Türkiye to blossoming into a cultural trend in the Netherlands, you’ll follow the tulip’s journey to being celebrated as part of Holland’s Dutch heritage during Tulip Time.

The Tulip Immersion Garden runs for the length of the festival at Beechwood Church, 895 Ottawa Beech Road. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for ages 3-12. Admission is free for children aged 2 and younger.

Nelis’ Dutch Village

Celebrate Dutch heritage and see 30,000 tulips at this family-friendly theme park! Kids will love the giant wooden shoe slide, petting farm, and amusement rides.

There are also plenty of learning opportunities with Dutch dance lessons, cheese tastings, and wooden shoe carving demonstrations.

Nelis’ Dutch Village is located at 12350 James Street (at the intersection of US-31 and James Street). Admission is $18 for ages 3 and up and free for children younger than 3. Purchasing your tickets online can save you $2 off your admission.

Veldheers Tulip Gardens and DeKlomp Wooden Shoe & Delft Factory

This tulip farm plants six million tulips in addition to 850 other plants. As you meander through large flower fields, you’ll see tulips in various colors, daffodils, hyacinths, and other beautiful flowers. You may also spy the bison herd grazing in a pasture nearby!

There are a few small windmills (though none are authentically Dutch like De Zwaan at Windmill Island Gardens), so there are plenty of photo opportunities here.

While here, stop into DeKlomp Wooden Shoe Factory to see traditional Dutch wooden clogs and Delftware pottery.

Veldheers Tulip Gardens is located at 12775 Quincy Street. Admission (as of 2023) is $15 per adult, $8 for ages 3-13, and free for children younger than 3.

Explore the map to pinpoint where to find tulips in Holland, Michigan:

Pro Tip: Once you decide where to view tulips, you can easily build your day’s itinerary around that destination. However, first, look at the Tulip Time Festival’s schedule of activities. Parades and races affect street closures and traffic delays. 

Holland Tulip Time Must Do: Visit Windmill Island Gardens

During the Tulip Time festival, there are several locations around Holland where you can view the colorful tulip beds. Windmill Island Gardens, which plants 150,000 tulip bulbs yearly, is particularly picturesque because of its authentic Dutch windmill.

Named De Zwaan, meaning “the swan,” this windmill was the last to leave the Netherlands and is the only working Dutch windmill in the United States.

Perhaps because I visited Holland, Michigan, so much as a child, I never fully appreciated how rare it is to see a Dutch windmill outside of Europe. However, after hearing De Zwann’s history, I’ve realized it is a unique monument and quite fitting for a city named after the settlers’ homeland.

The five-story windmill has quite the tale. First erected in the 1700s, De Zwaan has been moved and reconstructed twice since then — once in the Netherlands and then in the 1960s when it came to Holland, Michigan.

Before coming to the United States, the mill served as a watchtower during World War II and, by some accounts, was heavily damaged in the crossfire.

The Netherlands banned the international sale of windmills following WWII—except for De Zwaan. See what I mean by how unique it is to see a Dutch windmill without traveling to the Netherlands?

On the guided tour of De Zwaan, I learned that Alisa Crawford is the only Dutch-certified miller in the Americas. She is a member of the professional grain millers guild of the Netherlands. My tour guide described the guild as an elite group of 45 millers — 44 Dutchmen and one American woman.

After touring the windmill, seeing the large tulip beds was next on my agenda. The tulips were planted in rows of color — red, pink, yellow, white, and purple. It was a beautiful sight.

When you look at my photos of the tulips, do you imagine I took a leisurely stroll through the garden, stopping to take perfectly unfiltered Instagram-worthy photos? It was NOT like that. Do not expect viewing the tulips during Tulip Time to be serene.

Note to selfie-takers and Instagram fanatics: You’ll still get beautiful tulip photos, but patience is probably key. To beat the crowds, try to go early on a weekday or visit Holland within a couple days before or after the Tulip Time festival.

Beyond the windmill and tulips, Windmill Island Gardens is adorable. It features picturesque gardens, a children’s playground, and a carousel.

At the gift shop, you can purchase your own set of wooden clogs, Delft pottery, or whole wheat flour stone ground at De Zwaan. I purchased a Delft ornament shaped like a clog to hang on my travel-ornament-adorned Christmas tree. What would you choose as your souvenir?

More Tulip Time Things to Do

Watch and Learn Dutch Dances

Whether you want to watch Dutch dances or klomp along yourself, there will be ample opportunities during Tulip Time!

In fact, Dutch dances are performed multiple times each day throughout the festival. Click here for the festival’s full Dutch dance performance schedule.

Conveniently, many of these free performances and dance lessons take place downtown along 8th Street and at various parks.

Browse Art & Quilt Shows

During the annual Tulip Time festival, art lovers can browse a fine arts show, a quilt show, and an artisan market.

At the Art in Bloem Fine Art Showcase, you can see artwork from the 20 finalists of the 2024 First Bloem competition. In addition to these contemporary art pieces, you can view traditional Dutch costumes up close. The free showcase runs May 4 – May 9 at the Civic Center.

The Tulip Time Quilt Show exhibits over 100 quilts, art quilts, and wall hangings. The quilt show runs from May 4 through May 12 at Beechwood Church; tickets are $8.

Away from downtown Holland at the Ottawa County Fairgrounds, the annual Tulip Time Artisan Market features more than 300 vendors selling unique, hand-crafted items. Food trucks and Dutch dance performances will also be featured. This free event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, and Sunday, May 5.

Attend a Parade

The parades are absolute highlights of Tulip Time in Holland!

Kinderparade

In the annual Kinderparade, local schoolchildren clad in traditional Dutch clothing march down 8th Street from Columbia Avenue to Kollen Park.

They are joined by dozens of West Michigan middle and high school marching bands, festive floats, and even dogs dressed in klederdracht.

The Kinderparade takes place from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, May 9, along 8th Street in downtown Holland.

Volksparade

Then, the annual Volksparade, with even more West Michigan middle and high school marching bands and community floats, will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 11.

Additionally, multiple Dutch dances will be performed along the parade route starting at noon.

The Volksparade steps off at Columbia Avenue on 8th Street and heads west to Van Raalte Avenue, where the parade ends at Holland High School.

You can click here to purchase grandstand or street-side seating for the parades.

Go on a Photo Walk Tour

Of course, one of the major draws of visiting Holland during Tulip Time is the plentiful photo opportunities, and shutterbugs will love taking a photography tour of Windmill Island Gardens.

The all-in-one tour and photography lesson introduces one of Holland’s top Tulip Time attractions through the eyes of professional photographers.

Attendees will learn tips for photographing landscapes and architecture while visiting Windmill Island Gardens during a time without crowds.

After the tour, one attendee’s photo will be selected as the best picture of the class and be featured on the Tulip Time social media channels.

Tulip Time Photo Walk Tours run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. May 6 – 9. Tickets cost $40, and you must bring your camera (or smartphone).

Sip Local Craft Beverages

Want to try some local craft beer, spirits, or wine in Holland? Several breweries, distilleries, and winery tasting rooms are within walking distance of one another in downtown Holland.

Eat Dutch Food

Want to taste the Netherlands’ food while visiting Holland, Michigan? Traditional Dutch foods like pea soup and croquettes are available at the Hungry Dutchman Café at Nelis’ Dutch Village, deBoer Bakkerij & Dutch Bros. Restaurant, and the Wooden Shoe Restaurant.

RELATED: Best Restaurants in Holland: 24 Awesome Local Places to Eat and Drink (With Map)

FAQ

When is the best time to see tulips in Holland, Michigan?

Typically, tulips bloom from late April through mid-May in Holland, Michigan. The peak bloom often coincides with the annual Tulip Time festival in early to mid-May. To see the tulips without the crowds, plan your visit for a weekday or the days before or after the festival.

Do you need tickets for Tulip Time in Holland?

While tickets are not required to see tulips in downtown Holland and at public parks, some Tulip Time festival events and attractions require them.

What should I wear to the tulip festival?

First and foremost, dress for the weather. Holland’s average temperatures in May range from 48° F to 69° F.

When I attended Tulip Time in 2022, I was quite comfortable wearing leggings, a short-sleeve top, and a denim jacket. However, when I went in 2015, it was unseasonably hot and humid with temperatures in the low 80s.

Also, if you hope to get photos of yourself in the tulip fields, wearing white is a great contrast against the colorful tulips. For example, you could wear white jeans or a white eyelet dress.

There isn’t much shade in the tulip fields, so bring your favorite sunglasses, sunscreen, and/or a sun hat.

Lastly, I would avoid heels and sandals since you’ll walk through dirt in the tulip fields. Additionally, I wouldn’t recommend wearing white or light-colored shoes, shoes you don’t want to get dirty, or shoes that are difficult to clean.

You Might Enjoy These Related Posts

• New Holland Brewing Celebrates 20 Years of Craft Beer – When in Holland, visit the New Holland Pub on 8th for food, craft beer, and craft spirits at one of the pioneers of Michigan’s booming craft beverage scene.
• Saugatuck, Michigan Things To Do  – About 12 miles south of Holland, Saugatuck and Douglas are two charming small towns full of bed & breakfast lodging, foodie-approved local foods and drinks, sand dunes, art galleries, boutique shops, and beaches.
• Where To Eat In Saugatuck: 7 Spots To Dine Like A Local Foodie – Wondering where to eat and drink when you stop in nearby Saugatuck? This post gives you the inside scoop on the local foodie spots in Saugatuck, Douglas, and Fennville!
• Michigan in Bloom Guide: When and Where to See Flowers in Michigan – In addition to Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan is known for its cherry blossoms, spring wildflowers, sunflowers, beautiful botanical gardens open all year long, and more colorful petals worthy of planning a day trip or weekend getaway to see firsthand.
• Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville, Wisconsin — If you enjoy garden strolls, you should plan a visit to the award-winning Rotary Botanical Gardens in southern Wisconsin!
• Romantic Getaways in the Midwest — Check out the most charming destinations and glamorous cities in the Midwest for those romantic escapes for two!

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