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Pacific Grove, CA

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Tessuti Zoo

4.8 (36 reviews)
Open • 11:00 am - 4:00 pm

Tessuti Zoo Photos

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New bird and fish between pillows

We always stop by Tessuti Zoo since discovering it a few years ago and this time we went to buy a birthday gift for our 25 year old niece and I fell immediately in love with a big colorful bird created by the co-owner Emily. Not a moment of hesitation - I had to have it - and it has now joined the other treasures we have bought or been gifted that were also made by Emily. We also found a great fish for our niece which I know she will love. If you like colorful, whimsical, creative, fun, well made items you will love this store. PS. I don't know how to change the check marks above because service, selection and value are all stellar. Not sure why two out of three show check marks.

Tessuti Zoo Logo Signage
Terry C.

For the wild & whimsical items in an explosion of colorful & unique one-of-a-kind items & art, it's Tessuti Zoo. The store is located close to the Pacific Grove Natural History Museum on Forest Avenue in the city of Pacific Grove, adjacent to Monterey. Just gaze into the front windows of this gift shop and marvel at the abundance of colorful unique gifts & handmade items. Tessuti means fabric in Italian, and a zoo is a place of animals, a combination that describes this colorful store with unique items within it's doors. Tessuti Zoo is a burst of color and fun for the mind. In addition to kids books, games and toys, one can find T-shirts, jackets, and many funky & fun handmade items for adults, as well as jewelry, art quilts, and home decor. It is full of hand-made treasures that will make you smile just looking at them, as well as the abundance of unique gifts for children & adults. Many of the items are constructed by the owners in the studio inside the store. During our visit today, the store was featuring many interesting & varied items related to Halloween and Día de los Muertos. They are open daily from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm, closed Sunday.

Joshua B.

So glad we found her new spot. Thought tight quarters and many little nooks and crannies, it was nice to find this favorite spot of ours, and can never leave without purchasing a little gift (for myself this time). My wife couldn't get out to come in due to her mobility and the owner was so gracious to go out to the car to see her and greet her and see if she wanted anything. We used to live in the area 15 years ago and have always loved finding some great finds here. You will find anything and everything here, such a great quirky artsy shop.

Steven W.

This is a unique local children's and gift shop right next to the natural history museum. Parking is street only, although on weekends that permit only lot across the street becomes open to the public. This is smaller intimate shop jam parked with color, creativity and life. The owner is a master seamstress/artist which means the clothing and furniture are her own creations. They are riotous with color and whimsy. The owner has also tapped her employee's talents as well. The ridiculously awesome tiara's scattered around (I'm a big fan of the mermaid themed ones) are the work of the staff. Leaving aside those items-because while they are awesome sure enough not everyone will need custom children's art furniture-they also carry a good stock of toys, games, and gifts for the young or the young at heart.If you want to teach your child sewing this would be a great place to start. There's some basic child starter stuff here including improbably some mccalls patterns. Some home decor stuff as well-butterfly wreaths, mirrors and suchlike. There is a child sized dressing room/mirror alcove, but be warned that kids like to go in there and play as opposed to being tightly focused on task. A great and innovative spot for children's (even if that child is 37 years old) gift items for sure.

I stopped near here accidentally parking waaay too far from my desired location. I saw the hours and waited the time and it was oh so worth it. I could have purchased everything in here! I held back and purchased the most beautiful silk robe and some little things for my daughter. I would have bought her a dress and I fully regret it. I plan to call and purchase over the phone and get it sent to me as the lovely store lady said she could accommodate this. If you can make the trip to the store in person you absolutely should. It's amazing. As you can see in the pictures these ladies go above and beyond to package and make you feel great. I cannot wait to go back.

JOSH W.

This place is insane!! Felt like a room inside The Wonka Factory. So eclectic and randomly charming, it is impossible to wander this establishment. And not feel like a child. Soo much fun

Tessuti Zoo

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6 months ago

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4 years ago

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11 years ago

Love, love love this store - the colors, the creativity, the whimsical items. Nothing like it anywhere else.

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15 years ago

Good, fun products (esp. if you're shopping for a favorite lady with eclectic tastes) and excellent service.

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17 years ago

This store is completely fun! The constantly changing window displays make it a great place to window shop too!

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Ask the Community - Tessuti Zoo

Review Highlights - Tessuti Zoo

“Not only do they have an incredible selection of handmade, one-of-a-kind gifts, but the people working here really care.”

Mentioned in 3 reviews

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People searched for Home Decor 284 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

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Variety- Home, Garden, and Gifts

Variety- Home, Garden, and Gifts

3.5(17 reviews)
0.1 mi

Beautiful merchandise but the lady working the day we were in was not friendly at all. I wanted…read moreto buy one of these gorgeous handcrafted floral vases (posted photos) but the lady went crazy on me for holding my phone in my hand so I decided against the purchase. I walked by her with my phone in my hand and she began Pressing her hands in front of her face while asking "WHY ARE YOU TAKING PICTURES OF ME? It is making me very uncomfortable!!!!!" What?! I was just holding my phone because my husband was walking around town with my mom, who is in a wheelchair, and I wanted to make sure I didn't miss a call from him. I could not care less about the lady working here and especially to take a photo of her. Maybe she is nice on the inside but I wasn't feeling that vibe. My friend had several things at the register to purchase but changed her mind after the lady was being so rude. Whoever makes these beautiful vases I have shared photos of - I'd like to say to you, they are fabulous.

After lunch we walked along lighthouse Ave and found this gift shop. They had all sorts of cute…read morethings for your yard and home. It's a bit pricey but they had so many cool things. Lots of monarch butterfly decor, since pacific grove is known for the monarch butterflies. I found some really wonderful smelling soaps. I decided to get the peach bar soap to take home. Service was good here.

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Variety- Home, Garden, and Gifts
Variety- Home, Garden, and Gifts
Variety- Home, Garden, and Gifts - I have to ask is this Clearly say no photos or does it not

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I have to ask is this Clearly say no photos or does it not

Luminata Books & Gifts

Luminata Books & Gifts

4.5(64 reviews)
2.1 mi
•$$

My daughter loves crystals and anything related to reiki, healing, spiritualism, and yoga. So…read moreanytime we cross paths with a store of such ilk, she is immediately drawn in. And in fact, while doing the touristy thing in Monterey, Dec 2022, I believe we hit 3 such stores in the downtown area of historic Monterey on one particular day. But there was only one that touched our hearts. First of all, a crystal shop does not normally appeal to children, and there is the added concern over the many fine things that could be accidentally broken. I appreciate how difficult it must be to order special inventory for a gift store such as this; it takes special knowledge and understanding. But the true test of success of any business is the person who greets and interacts with their curious customers. In this case, that would be the lovely Leslie, the owner of Luminata Books. Leslie later confessed to being quite shy, but I witnessed a complete metamorphosis as she drew out her own inner child in the presence of my two grandchildren. Delightful! There was a wealth of beautiful things, from crystals to knickknacks, inspirational books, jewelry, bells, singing bowls, and beautifully made puppets. Oh, there was so much more, but it was actually the stuffed animals/puppets that broke the ice. Next thing I knew, I overheard Leslie having the most delightful time in playful conversation via the puppets, with my grandkids. And then, she introduced them to the crystal singing bowls. One by one, she brought each of the colored bowls down from their display shelf, explained exactly how to hold the mallets, and showed them how to drag them along the outer edge to make them sing. The resonation was exquisite, the children were transformed. They were delighted to make such beautiful sounds so easily, and understood how precious the bowls were. She spent a substantial amount of time with them, while thankfully her very capable staff attended to her other customers. And meanwhile, I was able to secretly purchase a sweet, small, hand-held music box, a Christmas gift for my 9 year old granddaughter. The store is full of wonderful items, but it was Leslie who made this experience stand apart from the others. It was tough having to leave. Thank you, Leslie, for making our day so special.

The owner is genuinely kind -- she even guided me through some tarot when I opened a set I probably…read moreshouldn't have, which I really appreciated. And showed me how she shuffles decks, had me use her cards to try myself - very informative. If she offered some classes of some kind or just events at the shop- I feel like that would be beneficial and of interest. That said, I can't personally shop somewhere that doesn't allow returns once something's opened. The policy makes sense, it's just not a good fit for me. There are quite a lot of items as far as selection for what from the outside looks like a very small shop. Most items are available for much less online, and in my opinion, the value here simply doesn't match the prices. This is really only a place to shop if supporting a local business matters more to you than what you're getting for the money.

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Luminata Books & Gifts
Luminata Books & Gifts
Luminata Books & Gifts

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Tessuti Zoo - homedecor - Updated October 2026

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