The 36 Best Christmas Light Displays Across the Country

If you’re in the Big Apple for the holidays, be sure to hop a train to the Dyker Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, where you’ll find one of the city’s finest light shows. This residential enclave goes all out for Christmas with extravagant displays that attract throngs of visitors every year, and can be enjoyed on foot, with or without a guided tour, or by car (just don’t expect to find parking if you decide to drive).

Every year, Riverside’s famous Mission Inn hotel opens its grounds to the public for one of the finest holiday festivals in the country, with millions of lights covering the grounds, firework displays and decorations galore. Check it out on the weekend for a lively scene with street vendors and other attractions or go on a weekday for a somewhat calmer atmosphere. The festival runs for six weeks from November 26^th through January 6^th this year.

Las Vegas might not get too many white Christmases, but the holiday spirit on display at the motor speedway more than makes up for it. This 2 ½ mile driving tour features numerous tunnels decorated with oodles of colorful, twinkling lights—a breathtaking show that costs only $20 per car. Open now until January 1^st.

Plan your trip

Head to the Leavenworth’s Village of Lights Christmastown celebration any day of the week this holiday season to enjoy the many attractions—including live entertainment, carolers, gingerbread house displays, photos with Santa, a festive market and over half a million lights.

Hop in your car and drive very slowly down Lubao and Oxnard streets in Woodland Hills, California, where homeowners put up some seriously impressive holiday displays featuring dazzling lights, animated figures and artificial snow.

Goodwill of Southern New England puts on a spectacular mile-long drive-through light display in Lighthouse Point Park every year through December 31^st. Tickets cost $10 per car and all proceeds go to the charitable organization.

From November 20^th until January 2^nd, you can take a stroll through the 50-acre Morton Arboretum to enjoy festive music, colorful lanterns and the sweeping light displays that set the multitude of majestic trees aglow. Once you’ve explored, be sure to hit up one of the many concession stands and swing by a fire pit to make your own s’mores for dessert.

Plan an evening visit to the Bronx Zoo between November 19^th and January 9^th and you will be rewarded with a walk-through experience that features glowing animal sculptures, holiday decorations, entertainment, and immersive light displays everywhere you look.

Each year, this historic Ohio mill decorates its grounds with over four million lights and hosts numerous festive attractions, including a synchronized light and music show, Santa Claus museum, miniature village and more.

The Denver Botanic Gardens becomes a sparkling winter wonderland for the holidays, featuring a tunnel of animated, flashing light and colorful displays surrounding all of the many walking paths. Open now through January 8^th.

Head to the ‘burbs of Boston, specifically Arthur Street in Danvers, where the folks don’t mess around when it comes to Christmas. Each year, the houses light up with mind-blowing holiday displays that can be enjoyed by foot or from the comfort of your car.

More than 300,000 lights and 100 set pieces are on display at the stunning festival of lights in Natchitoches, Louisiana, which spans the entire six-week holiday season and begins on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

Rainbow-colored lights are projected onto the stately oak trees of Descanso Gardens, creating a forest full of Christmas magic that you can explore from November 21^st until January 9^th this holiday season.

This festive extravaganza has been taking place for more than 70 years on West 34^th street in Baltimore, where residents deck their homes out with countless twinkling lights and whimsical holiday displays for the public to enjoy on foot or by car.

The landscape, buildings and gift shops of Koziar’s Christmas village sparkle with thousands of festive lights—a miniature fairytale city nestled in the quiet countryside of Bernville, Pennsylvania. Open from November through January 1^st.

In addition to the multitude of dazzling lights and stunning holiday tree, this year's Nights of Lights festival in St. Augustine features dance and orchestral performances on select evenings. Visit now until January 30^th.

Take a trip down under—underground, that is—for a truly unique holiday experience in Louisville, Kentucky. This festive light show consists of a 30-minute driving tour through 17 miles of sparkling underground passages, known as the MEGA Cavern. Open now through January 2^nd.

Kentucky Horse Park’s holiday tradition boasts a festive village where families can enjoy model train displays, live animals, and visits with Santa from now until December 31^st. As for the lights, there are over a million of them that will dazzle you during the driving tour.

Another beloved drive-thru event, the Trail of Lights in Austin is a festive joyride open from November 27^th until December 31^st that features more than two million twinkling lights and plenty of holiday magic.

Get ye to the Gulf Coast to see this 65-acre garden estate turn into a winter wonderland with over a thousand whimsical set pieces, numerous elaborate and hand-crafted holiday scenes and over three million Christmas lights on display. Open November 26^th until January 5^th.

From now until January 1^st, explore the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens by car for a special and oh-so festive viewing experience with more than 650,000 scintillating Christmas lights on display.

Hanukkah, New Year’s, Christmas and other seasonal holidays are represented in the beautiful light displays of this drive-thru event in Hartford, Connecticut, which spans two miles of Goodwin Park.

This botanical garden holds a holiday fundraiser from November 27^th through Decemeber 30^th called the River of Lights, an enormous walk-through spectacle with hundreds of festive displays and millions of twinkling lights to feast your eyes upon.