Welcome to Destination Petaluma
Places to go
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Petaluma's Historic Downtown is packed with antique buildings and has become a regional center for antiques shopping. More than 150 antiques dealers in 32 shops have a variety of tempting items including antiques, collectibles, dolls and jewelry. |
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Petaluma's Historic Downtown is packed with antique buildings and has become a regional center for antiques shopping. More than 150 antiques dealers in 32 shops have a variety of tempting items including antiques, collectibles, dolls and jewelry.
BOATING Petaluma has been selected as one of the "Top Ten Bay Area Leisure Boating Destinations" by Latitude 38 magazine, the boaters' bible. Boaters choose Petaluma because they can dock in the heart of Historic Downtown and walk to restaurants, antique and specialty shops, nightlife or downtown parks. The Petaluma Yacht Club (PYC) recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and continues to be a vibrant asset to this historic river city. The PYC is located on the Turning Basin of the Petaluma River in the center of Historic Downtown. This location is ideal for yacht club activities, visiting yacht clubs and boaters alike and continues to be the scene of many memorable river related activities. The Turning Basin includes city docks that can accommodate a large number of boats with 30-amp power and water. These docks are just a short trip down a pedestrian ramp adjacent to the PYC and a brief boat ride from the Petaluma Marina. The PYC features a full bar, toilets and showers for Bay Area-wide PICYA members and guests, a dance floor with juke box, two decks overlooking the Turning Basin and a limited galley.
Paddle Up Kayak, (707) 953-8800. Kayakers can paddle the Petaluma River to get up close and personal with the river and its inhabitants. Paddle Up Kayak rents out double and single sit-on-top kayaks and offering tours in and around the Petaluma River beginning at turning basin of the Historic Downtown Harbor. Tours include the River History Tour of Downtown Petaluma, Eco-Tour, Bird Watching, Natural History and Wildlife, Evening Paddles and Moonlight Tours. Tour, rentals and pricing information is available at www.paddleup.com .
Clavey River Equipment, 409 Petaluma Blvd. So. has kayak sales and rentals. Call Clavey at 766-8070 or visit www.clavey.com for more information |
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Petaluma has a thriving restaurant scene that continues to attract new chefs and restaurateurs specializing in a wide variety of cuisines. Start your day with award-winning baked goods and home-style breakfasts at our bakeries and cafes; visit an historic deli or dine al-fresco for lunch in Putnam Plaza, or enjoy an evening of Italian, Japanese, Thai, Greek or Vietnamese fare in one of our many fine-dining establishments. |
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Adobe Creek Golf Club, 1901 Frates Road, has an 18-hole Robert Trent Jones, Jr. designed course, driving range, golf shop, restaurant, and banquet facilities. Call 765-3000 or go to www.adobecreek.com on the web. Rooster Run Golf Club, 2301 E. Washington St., features 18 holes and clubhouse with banquet facility, restaurant and pro shop. For
tee-times, call 778-1211, for food and beverage, call 778-1232. Petaluma Golf Center, 200 Stony Point Road, has a complete practice center with driving range, chipping area, grass hitting stalls, putting green, PGA teaching professionals, pro shop, restaurant and satellite TVs for viewing sporting events. Open daily 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Call 778-0696 for more information. |
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| HISTORICAL ATTRACTIONS AND MUSEUMS |
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The Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park, 3325 Adobe Road, features an adobe building that served from 1836 to 1846 as the center of General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo's 66,000-acre working ranch. Restored to an 1830-40's era atmosphere, with an educational interpretive display that includes hand tools, weaving equipment and an "Exhibit Room." The Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park has many special events throughout the year, including Sheep Shearing in April, Living History Day in May, Native American "All Nations Bigtime" in August and "Fandango" in October. Park general admission fees are $3 for adults 17 and older. Call the park for information about special event fees. The Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.) Call in advance to request a guided tour. School group tours all week (Monday-Friday) by reservation. Call 762-4871 for information or visit www.parks.ca.gov .
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| Petaluma Historical Library and Museum |
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The Museum is a good source of visitor information, and a "must" for heritage hounds. For more information, call 778-4398 or visit www.petalumamuseum.com on the web. For special events details, call 762-4247.
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For an artistic, industrial tour experience that includes a free sticker art class and stickers, there is the nationally known, youth-friendly, Mrs. Grossman's Sticker Factory (765-8554). Many youngsters and their adult counterparts say the sticker factory tours are fascinating, educational, and most of all great fun. Petaluma Aeroventure, 561 Sky Ranch Drive at Petaluma Municipal Airport, offers scenic balloon flights, rental aircraft or lessons. Call 778-6767 or www.aeroventure.com on the web. Spirits Up, 561 Sky Ranch Drive at Petaluma Municipal Airport, has microlight aircraft flying lessons and flights over land or coast. Call 776-2726 or www.spiritsup.com on the web. |
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Zebulon's Lounge at 21 Fourth St., which is open daily until midnight with jazz and blues seven nights a week. Check out the Writer's Salon every Tuesday at 7 p.m. For a complete entertainment schedule go to www.zebulonslounge.com on the web.
Infusions, a new Petaluma nightspot at 146 Kentucky St. adds an upscale nightclub to the downtown nightlife mix. Infusions is open from 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday through Sunday. McNear's Mystic Theatre, a renovated 1911 vaudeville theater, offers live entertainment, headliner performers, music and great special events. Call 765-2121 or visit www.mcnears.com for more information.
a.k.a.KJs also offers live musical entertainment. Call 765-5760 or visit www.kodiakjacks.com on the web for schedules.
For accordion music and singing it's Volpi's Italian Market & Speakeasy. Call 762-2371 for details. The Phoenix Theater features music on Friday and Saturday nights and skateboard ramps during the day. Call 762-3565 or see www.thephoenixtheater.com on the web.
Papas' Taverna, on Lakeville Highway overlooks the Petaluma River and provides live entertainment and Greek dancing lessons. Call 769-8545 for details. |
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(For more information about Sonoma County Regional Parks visit www.sonoma-county.org/parks on the web.)
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Helen Putnam Park, at 411 Chileno Valley Road, is a Sonoma County regional park with panoramic views, trails for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding and a gazebo, picnic area and children's playground located at the trailhead. There is a large pond for fishing. This 216-acre gem is open from sunrise to sunset year round. Dogs are allowed on a 6-foot leash and admission is $3 pre vehicle. For information, call 433-1625 or 565-2041. For more information about Sonoma County Regional Parks visit www.sonoma-county.org/parks on the web.
Shollenberger Park offers an opportunity to experience the wetlands with a 2 or 4-mile round-trip walk winding through wetlands along the Petaluma River. The park features a two-mile circular trail and a new one mile link to the Petaluma Marina through 80 acres of marshland. Free docent-guided tours begin in October and continue through June. Tours are offered on the second Saturday of each month starting at 9 a.m. from the information kiosk just beyond the parking lot. See a wide variety of birds and many species of mammals, amphibians and reptiles. Learn about animals, fish, plants, history, the geology of the area and enjoy the park at your own pace with the comprehensive, self-guided tour available at the information kiosk at the entrance to the park or at the Petaluma Visitor Center, 800 Baywood Drive, Suite A. The park is open from dawn to dusk. For information, call 763-3577 or 763-2934 or 769-0429 or go to www.petalumawetlandspark.org on the web.
Oak Hill Park at Howard St., one of the downtown parks on the Tree Walking Tour, is the home of Petaluma's Cretan Labyrinth. The seven-circuit pattern of concentric circles, set in the ground with stones, is a single path. The path spirals into the center of the round labyrinth without dead-ends, and may serve as a walking meditation tool. The labyrinth is landscaped with drought-resistant plants and flowers, and overlooks a native grassy area. It is intended to provide a place of calm and balance for those who walk it. |
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Stroll through Historic Downtown and visit a variety of antique shops, art galleries, specialty stores, bookshops and more. In addition, there are specialty shops and nurseries featuring home and garden accessories, outstanding consignment shops and retailers offering Petaluma memorabilia throughout the area. |
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Four unique spas that make your visit to wine country healthful, relaxing and rejuvenating. Mud baths for couples, massage, facials, European Body Wraps. lodging and special Internet discounts. Golden Haven Spa, Lincoln Avenue Spa, and Cedar Street Spa are in Calistoga and Sonoma Spa is on the Sonoma Plaza. |
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