SPECIAL HOLIDAY MAGIC
Gump’s brings the holiday spirit to life in a uniquely San Francisco way.
S ome San Francisco experiences are distinctive—whether it’s watching the fog roll in through Golden Gate Park in July, walking through the elaborate Chinatown gates, having an espresso in North Beach, hearing the clang of a cable car as it lurches up California Street, or visiting Union Square at Christmastime. For locals and visitors alike, a day spent downtown, especially during the holidays, isn’t complete without a trip to Gump’s, a San Francisco tradition.
For an unforgettable experience, start from the sparkling 83-foot-tall Christmas tree and holiday ice rink in Union Square, and then enjoy the short walk down Post Street to Gump’s. The doors of this exclusive San Francisco experience welcome shoppers to the dazzle of 400 different Christmas ornaments in Gump’s holiday shop. Twinkly animated toys, magical stuffed animals, and everything else you’ll need to deck your halls can be found tucked among the forest of display trees.
The staff at Gump’s loves to decorate the store for the holidays as much as they love helping customers decorate their homes. With sparking baubles of red, green, and gold everywhere you turn, it’s impossible not to become infused with the Christmas spirit.
Gump’s, a go-to spot for gifts, jewelry, artful objects, home décor, and accessories, has remained part of SF’s thriving shopping district since 1909. During the holiday season, you’ll find everything from candles, stationery, and whimsical coffee mugs to extraordinary jewelry made from colored gemstones for her and exclusive fossil-handled gifts for him.
Gump’s galleries and departments combine 21st-century panache with a rich tradition recognized throughout the world for value and discriminating taste. The store is an inviting emporium of stimulating galleries devoted to gifts and decorative home accessories, artisan offerings, and contemporary art glass. It’s a treat for the senses—a fragrance department offering a tour of international scents, jade and pearl jewelry that delights the eye, and contemporary home textiles to satisfy the touch. A highlight of any shopping trip to Gump’s is their second-floor selection of barware, including martini glasses galore (you choose shaken or stirred), crystal, silver, and serve-ware— both casual and formal—to enhance any party.
Booming Beginnings
Gump’s has been called the store that most defines San Francisco. Founders Solomon and Gustav Gump started as a mirror and frame shop in the 1860s that grew to sell European artwork and moldings to newly minted millionaires created by the twin discoveries of gold and silver. It thrived through the turn of the century, when Solomon’s son, Alfred Livingston Gump, who went by A.L., reinvented the store—the first of many transformations—in time for the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition. The fire following the 1906 earthquake destroyed Gump’s and its precious merchandise. Fortunately, A.L. found a way to rebuild and restock by turning to Asia. Buyers returned from Japan and China with exotic rugs, porcelain, silks, and jade. One of these trips uncovered a bronze Buddha that became Gump’s gift to the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. Today, a museumquality gilded wooden Buddha from the 18th century resides on Gump’s first floor from its perch of serenity.
Gump’s Today
Gump’s remains essential to San Francisco shopping and gift-giving. Each item carries the timeless, sophisticated spirit of San Francisco. Gump’s is, like San Francisco, a unique destination of creativity and discoveries.
Beauty abounds at this time of year— watching fog drift in throughout the afternoon, sea lions play in Fisherman’s Wharf, and sailboats cruise near the Golden Gate Bridge. We can also spend an afternoon shopping for classic San Francisco fashion at Gump’s, one of the city’s most iconic specialty shops. And when we’re home in pajamas and robes, there’s always gumps.com on the web for completing our holiday list.