Last year, when Brian and I spent a weekend in Boulder to see Dead & Company play two amazing shows at Folsom Field, we visited Dinosaur Ridge and Red Rocks Amphitheatre, drove up to Panorama Point on Flagstaff Mountain, and walked through the meadows of Chautauqua Park. We also spent quite a bit of time at Pearl Street Mall in Boulder’s historic shopping and entertainment district.
About Pearl Street Mall
Pearl Street Mall is a six block pedestrian mall, stretching between 9th Street and 15th Street in Boulder, Colorado. From 11th Street to 15th Street it is closed to vehicles.
Pearl Street Mall is a central hub for shopping, dining, arts, and entertainment for visitors and locals alike. This brick-paved, outdoor gathering place is lined with historic buildings and storefronts, galleries, restaurants, and coffee shops, and dotted with vendor carts and kiosks and street entertainers. Here you’ll also find the Boulder County Courthouse, shady grassy areas to relax on, and play areas for children.
Brian and I enjoyed visiting, dining, and people watching at Pearl Street Mall so much last summer, that we brought the kids back this summer. We wandered in and out of shops, enjoyed popsicles and baked treats, enjoyed a relaxing lunch, and were entertained by street performers like musicians, magicians, contortionists.
Some of our favorites stops included the Lazy Dog Sports Bar & Grill for lunch, Boulder Nepal for dresses, the Boulder Book Store (a three-story book lover’s paradise), Peppercorn (a kitchen store), and the Into The Wind kite and toys store.
Know Before You Go
- Pearl Street Mall in Downtown Boulder is a six block pedestrian mall, stretching between 9th Street and 15th Street in Boulder, Colorado. From 11th Street to 15th Street it is closed to vehicles.
- We parked in the 15th & Pearl Parking Garage located at 1500 Pearl Street #302, Boulder, Colorado 80302 in Boulder County. Parking is free on the weekends and there are 600 spots.
- The Boulder Downtown Historic District, which includes Pearl Street Mall, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Learn about several historic sites in the Historic Walking Tours Brochure.
- Most of the shops on Pearl Street are locally owned!
- With more than 100 dining options along Pearl Street, Food & Wine magazine named it one of the 10 best streets for foodies in America.
- In springtime, the flower beds all along Pearl Street bloom with over 15,000 tulips, which usually happens in mid-to-late April.
