The Spectacular Christmas House at San Rafael's West End Nursery

Our first holiday outing in of the season is always to the magical Christmas House at San Rafael's West End Nursery, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. We visited this season's edition on its opening day this Saturday and, once again, it's a spectacular as ever. I know I say this every year, but I think this season's Christmas House might be the best version to date — it just keeps getting better every time we visit.

The family-owned West End Nursery has been operating in San Rafael's Sun Valley neighborhood for well over a century — since 1909, in fact. Their Christmas House is filled to the brim with Christmas trees, ornaments, and holiday decor of all kinds, and it's absolutely amazing. A visit here will definitely put you in the Christmas spirit, even if you're thinking "But Halloween just ended and it's not even Thanksgiving yet!"

West End Nursery's Christmas house began back in 1985 as something more akin to a "Christmas corner", but it now showcases over numerous lavishly decorated and lighted trees, as well as candles, Santas, elves, nutcrackers, angels, snowmen, and just about every seasonal decorative item imaginable. Looking for a unique holiday gift for someone? This is your place. Each tree has a different theme, including food, baby, travel, outdoors, music, sports, pets, travel, food, music, and more.

Admission is free, but of course all the ornaments and decorative items are for sale. They really have nearly every kind of ornament imaginable for every theme and interest, so if you can't find it here you probably won't be able to find it anywhere! It's become our family tradition for the kids to each pick out an ornament here every year.

West End Nursery also stocks living Christmas trees, wreaths, holiday decor, and numerous other seasonal items, as well as a nice selection of gift items, kitchen tools, stocking stuffers, toys, home decor, and cute children's gardening tools, gloves, watering cans, books, and games, all of which would make for great Christmas gifts.

The house itself is surrounded by and built into the main West End Nursery building. To get to the Christmas House, walk in the main entrance, then turn left and go through the themed Christmas trees on display and up the stairs into the old house. Make sure you visit the expanded Christmas displays in the main part of the nursery building, too — there are some pretty amazing things to see there this season.

West End Nursery's Christmas House is always one of the most amazing holiday displays in the Bay Area, so you owe it to yourself to go check it out. You'll also be supporting one of Marin's local family-owned businesses.

The West End Nursery and Christmas House is open Monday–Saturday from 8:30 am–5 pm and Sunday from 9 am–4 pm and will be on view through the month of December. They're located on the west side of San Rafael at 1938 Fifth Avenue between Eye and J Streets. For more information, call (415) 454-4175 or visit www.westendnursery.com.

Santa always makes an appearance at West End Nursery in conjunction with the San Rafael Santa Cop toy drive, and he and Mrs. Claus will be on hand for photos this year on Sunday, December 6, from 1 to 3 pm. (Make sure you bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate.) Additionally, they'll be doing a Friday Night Stroll event on December 12 from 5 to 7 pm where you can experience the Christmas House in all its glory after dark!