1. Macy's Christmas Tree

    1. Macy's Christmas Tree

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    San Francisco, CA

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    Macy's Christmas Tree

    3.9 (67 reviews)

    Macy's Christmas Tree Photos

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    Phil A.

    The Macy's Christmas Tree is perfect!! The centerpiece in Union Square during the holidays, Macy's goes all out on this tree every year!! It's perfect, well, because it's not real, but it looks great and will definitely get you in the holiday mood. I think it's almost as tall as the Dewey Monument which it stands next to. Very festive, livens up an already lively area even more!!!

    Yadira R.

    This Christmas tree really binds the whole place. It's beautiful and very tall. I brought my mom to San Francisco for her birthday and this tree made the trip that much better. It's a very magical holiday feeling and really created the vibe. There's even ice skating next to it :)

    William B.

    I don't have to much say about this Macy's Christmas Tree of Union Square... All I can say is during the Happy Holidays... I love to take a walk around this beautiful lighted up Macy's Christmas Tree!!! The best time to go see the Macy's Christmas Tree is during night time when the The Macy's Christmas Tree is lighted up with it's beautiful bright lights!!!

    Xmas 2019
    Ultima M.

    The Macy tree is soooo awesome!! A must see during the holidays. Totally sets the mood and gets you into the holiday spirit. Great place to take the family and photo ops. I appreciate all the effort that goes into putting this together. Happy Holiday 2019

    Olive R.

    Christmas might be different this year, but that didn't stop Macy's from having this "tree" in Union Square. It brings in plenty of people for a tree lighting opportunity/photos. I wish it were an actual tree and not just some fake plastic synthetic junk, but this is San Francisco, so everything here is going to be "eco-friendly".

    Here's to you - Raise a glass to everyone... Throw your arms around the world @ Christmas time
    Eric R.

    154 days and a dozen hours until Christmas! Say what? And yes, I admit I love Christmas! Not so much for the commercialism or money-lism of the holiday, but more so for the festive spirit and all those church coir songs that comes with this holy day! Okay, I confess I also love a good jingle and all those Charlie Brown & Frosty cartoons that flood the telly too. I'm a kid again! Ahh Christmas... The Macy's Christmas Tree is a sign that Christmas is just around the corner. And if I'm correct the naked tree is actually erected about a week before Thanksgiving. The tree is a gift to San Francisco City from Macy's as a thank you. It is then decorated with giant ornaments to match the 60-foot + tree! The Annual Tree Lighting takes place in Union Square Park between Sutter & Post and Geary & Stockton Streets, across from the main Macy's building. The first lighting is a day after Thanksgiving, and yes, all you grinches... that's on Black Friday /sigh. Okay, regardless if there's a secret "buy me, buy me" that is attached to The Macy's Christmas Tree... I still love the moment when the blinking lights are turned on for the first time & all the "oooohs & ahhhhs" that follow. Then a smile returns to my face & I'm that 8-year old kid again... "It's Christmas time, and there's no need to be afraid At Christmas time, we let in light and banish shade And in our world of plenty, we can spread a smile of joy Throw your arms around the world At Christmas time..."

    This little boy greatly improves the view of The Cone.
    Jennifer O.

    #149/2016 The gorgeous tree at Rockefeller Center in New York City that's reverentially transported from a Christmas Tree farm in the tri-state area then lit with great fanfare and awe from the crowd? This is not that tree. No, this tree at Macy's Union Square is an imposing cone that has all the charm of a cement freeway divider. If you paint it orange, it'll look like a pylon. That's all.

    Tis the season...
    John G.

    It ain't Rockefeller Center, but it's our own. I've been to two Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, and I've learned a couple of lessons. The closer you are, the less you see...unless you're in the front row front and center. But I wouldn't recommend that either, particularly if you hate the crowd. Yes, get ready for a huge crowd. I tend to be leery of a large crowd especially during the holidays. I'm always thinking about safety first and I don't want to become a victim of a stupid terrorist act in case they try to pull one off. Also, there's lots of pushing and shoving before they actually light the tree. The best place to be during the lighting ceremony is either booking a reservation at the Cheesecake Factory and watching it live from there, or get at room at the Westin St. Francis Hotel facing Union Square. Unless you're lucky enough to be shopping at Macy's or working at the other surrounding buildings, it's better to have a birds-eye-view rather than being in the thick of things down below. The tree is gorgeous, especially at night when the lights are glowing and shining. You have the background of Macy's to the South of the square and St. Francis Hotel to the West. It's a great place to taking holiday photos or post them instantly on your Instagram account. Don't you lie now. Hashtag Union Square Christmas Tree. Hey, guilty as charged. When the weather is colder, I find it better to visit the tree during these times. You also have the holiday ice rink behind you and it's a perfect winter experience in San Francisco. Tis the season....

    Enjoying the Christmas Spirit @ Union Square
    Michelangelo S.

    Pretty Pretty! SITREP My sweet Diana and I were able to hit Union Square two Wednesdays in a row to take in the beautiful tree, all decked out with it's LARGE BALLS and FURRY decorations! It's a gorgeous tree that stays lighted very late (it was still on when we left the Square around midnight each of those nights. OTHER FUN There is also the Ice Skating Rink right there on Union Square, and Diana and I love to go snooping around inside some of the "ritzy" Hotels in the hood. GREAT FUN! LOGISTICS If at all possible, walk to Union Square and avoid the huge parking costs of the garage and/or the parking nightmare of trying to find a spot close by. As it is, Diana and I are "walkers/hikers" and since we accomplishing a lot of different tasks - dinner at Bangkok Gardens, coffee at Coffee Bean, shopping at Macy's and H & M, clubbing at Cat Club - it was just easier for us to park in SOMA. THE LOWDOWN If you get a chance before the end of the year, by all means take in the beauty of Union Square with the beautiful Christmas Tree.

    Our view
    Cath M.

    Since my bro and I never ever saw this lighting event... we both decided this year would be the year. We came around 5 and it wasn't as crowded as I expected. BUT boy was I wrong! As soon as we got settled onto our spot... we turned around and boom... it was like the Giants parade all over again! We couldn't believe how many people were out there! It was interesting to say the least... Macy's decided to do the singing before the lighting and that was a mistake. It was freezing... people came to see the tree lit... give it to them! The crowd got rowdy and started yelling "LIGHT THE TREE" and others added "effen TREE" in there as well. There goes the holiday spirit! To the Macy's organizers: keep it simple. Sing one song... Light the tree... then give the people the option to either stay or leave after the event. No need to drag it all out for the people to get rowdy and rude and at the end, the holiday spirit went out the door just like that. In the end... we came and we saw... our first and probably our last time EVER doing that again! PS: if you have a toddler or a baby... NOT WORTH bringing them here. Thank goodness we didn't bring the nephew!

    Juls B.

    A thing of Beauty!! Must see when in SF over Christmas. No place better tonight as a clear crisp 65 degree evening, no rain or fog. And a full moon to boot! Perfection!! Everyone stops here to take a picture which was a bit challenging on my cell phone. I guess you can say we had angels shining down on us. Ha! Ice skating here too which I'm beyond my ice skating days I think. Cute little cafe desserts place which looks like it's open late night. Lots to families and people about. It's Christmas time in the city!!

    Paul N.

    It doesn't matter what season it is; it is best if you come here via mass transit, and there are a number of options (including parking at BART in Daly City and riding the trains; hence park & ride options). Parking and traffic in the vicinity is expensive and often impossible to navigate. Anyway, always a lovely sight to check out the Macy's Christmas Tree in Union Square (though I swear it's my first time actually doing so). Even though I haven't been able to attend this tree lighting ceremony just yet (as of the 2013 Holiday Season), it's certainly an awesome sight and good for photo opportunities. Could imagine that the ceremony gets crowded in a hurry, however. Not to be biased or anything, but I think Christmas in the Park's tree looks more real than this one.

    SantaCon 2015
    Adam S.

    Yeah... A review of a Christmas Tree on December 28th. It's the same personality trait that led to a walloping from FedEx for shipping gifts at the last minute: Procrastination. (BTW - I'm going to buy FedEx stock before the holidays next year.) I'm a Mid-westerner. This is the time of year for sledding, playing hockey at the park, having to plug your car into a block-heater so it will start in the morning, questioning why your parents didn't realize that California exists, and the one and only part of winter that is pleasant in the Midwest - the holiday season. I'm not supposed to be wearing shorts. There definitely aren't supposed to be palm trees. And, I'm pretty sure this is not the time of year that you hit the Christmas Tree before heading to the beach. ... ... ... Well, this is the West Side. The rules simply don't apply to us. All kidding aside, this is my favorite place to be (that doesn't serve alcohol) to get into the holiday spirit. Union Square is already a great experience - even working downtown every day it is still a place to stop and take in. Add the tree, add the skating rink, add the holiday tourists and it turns into a terrific juxtaposition of Urban California and Christmas Cheer. This is a beautiful tree, too - and it's beautiful both by day and by night. There's holiday magic here. Maybe it doesn't have the fame of Rockefeller Plaza. But, I think you'll find the environment to be pretty darn festive, none-the-less. If you plan on visiting during the holiday season, put it on your list. If you're a local, make a point of going, but go when it's not SantaCon. And my super-secret tip: Check it out from the Starlight Room at the top of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. Beautiful at night.

    Holiday Spirit has begun already!!

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    Ask the Community - Macy's Christmas Tree

    Review Highlights - Macy's Christmas Tree

    There's nothing like coming to the big City during the holiday season to get you into festive Christmas mood.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

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    The Wave Organ - Read the sign

    The Wave Organ

    3.9(200 reviews)
    2.3 miMarina/Cow Hollow

    Heads up before you make the trek: the Wave Organ was closed when we got there. A dredging barge…read morewas parked offshore and running, with a Safety Notice zip-tied to a barrier blocking the path. Nothing about this shows up on Google Maps or in recent Yelp reviews, so we walked all the way out for a locked gate. Save yourself the surprise and check before you go. We heard about this place on a Sunday Morning broadcast and the history sold us. So we walked from Embarcadero Pier out to the jetty, mostly because we wanted the steps. The path along the breakwater has good bay views the whole way, with the city skyline behind you and the East Bay hills across the water. That part of the walk was worth it on its own. The closure looked temporary on paper, but the barge has been sitting there a while and was clearly mid-job when we arrived, so I would not bet on it clearing up soon. No way to know how long the dredging runs. Logistics: if you drive, there is parking near the Marina and the St. Francis Yacht Club, which puts you much closer than we were. The jetty itself is exposed, so bring a layer for wind. Bottom line: I think the Wave Organ is worth a visit for the setting and the concept, but I would not hoof it out there again on foot. One bright spot, the Palace of Fine Arts is close by and that was the highlight of the day. If your trip out here gets blocked, walk over there instead.

    Very unique musical instrument and beautiful place to gaze the magical skyline of San Francisco…read moreplus enjoying the cooling breeze of the bay and the view of the ever famous Golden Gate Bridge. Free parking and nice walkways .

    Photos
    The Wave Organ - 06.15.25 the acoustics of the wave organ are only active when the tide is in, and the music is best heard around high tide

    06.15.25 the acoustics of the wave organ are only active when the tide is in, and the music is best heard around high tide

    The Wave Organ - 06.15.25 Built in 1986 by Exploratorium artists in residence Peter Richards and George Gonzalez

    06.15.25 Built in 1986 by Exploratorium artists in residence Peter Richards and George Gonzalez

    The Wave Organ - View from the organ to the bridge

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    View from the organ to the bridge

    Macy's Christmas Tree - localflavor - Updated July 2026

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