The best Christmas light displays in the U.S.

One glance at the Miracle at Big Rock's 25 million lights and you will think it's a miracle all the lights are untangled and put up each season on this one-mile trail in St. Croix Falls, 45 minutes from the Twin Cities. The attraction, spread over 32 acres, offers two ways to admire the 20+ lighted themes and vignettes: drive through on Mondays and Tuesdays and walk through Wednesdays to Sundays. There's a heated historic barn with children's activities, carolers, and Santa sightings, plus food trucks for refueling with local eats. The festivities include fireworks on Friday nights, Veterans Night (December 12), and New Year's Eve, live reindeer visits and live entertainment on select nights, and princess storytime on Monday and Tuesday nights. There's even a "Bring Your Dog" night on January 2 so even your furry friend can get into the Christmas spirit.

Miracle at Big Rock runs November 29, 2024 to January 4, 2025.

Although St. Augustine forgoes multi-colored bulbs for its Nights of Lights, its historic downtown—lit up in all-white lights—is no less transfixing. Head to Plaza de la Constitución, a market where locals have sold goods since the 1500s. Here, bulbs drape from the market’s trees to form a heavenly canopy. Visitors can see the 3 million lights by land (via the Old Town Trolley or Ripley’s Red Train), by sea (on a boat tour), or even by air (in a helicopter).

Nights of Lights runs from November 23, 2024 to January 26, 2025.

This tiny town 30 miles east of Dayton, Ohio—with an overwhelming population of about 136—has one of the most unique light displays in the country. Some 4 million Christmas lights cover the town’s historic Clifton Mill, a 19th-century water-powered grist mill, and the surrounding gorge, riverbanks, bridges, and trees to create a 100ft 'waterfall' of twinkling lights. There’s a synchronized light and music show on the covered bridge, not to mention a miniature display featuring Clifton Village itself. Grab some hot cocoa inside the mill and peek into 'Santa’s Workshop' to watch as he prepares for Christmas Eve and loads up his sleigh.

Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill runs from November 29, 2024 to December 30, 2024.

Believe it or not, Hersheypark, the sweetest place on earth, gets even sweeter around the holidays after it installs over 5 million holiday lights for its annual Christmas Candylane celebration. But the real light show might be Hershey Sweet Lights, a two-mile drive outside the park through wooded trails that sparkle with 600 animated light displays (made with 2 million LED lights). It's best to tack this onto a day inside the park, where you might spot Santa and his nine live reindeer enjoying the rides and, of course, some Hershey kisses.

Hersheypark Christmas Candylane and Hershey Sweet Lights run on select dates from November 15, 2024 to January 1, 2025.

Composed of a whopping 10 million lights, Callaway Resort & Gardens' Fantasy in Lights is like no other display in the country. Guests can walk, drive, or ride (an open-air Jolly Trolley is most popular) through 2,500 acres of illuminated landscape. More than a dozen mystical scenes like Enchanted Rainbow Forest and Firefly Cove set the display apart from traditional Christmas-themed displays throughout the country, and a massive Magical Field of Lights (almost two football fields long) features a 40-foot tree that’s bigger than most buildings. It takes 45 minutes to drive through the seven miles of light displays before walking through a forest of twinkling lights, snowflakes, and a Christmas village complete with visits from Santa Claus.

Fantasy in Lights runs from November 15, 2024 to January 4, 2025.

Not far from Alabama’s coast, Bellingrath Gardens and Home’s 65-acre campus lights up every year with over 3 million lights from late November to early January. The Magic Christmas in Lights features an “underwater” tunnel (cue The Little Mermaid soundtrack) that twinkles with fish and crabs surrounded by a swath of blue “water” lights. Peep out the tunnel window and you’ll see an illuminated igloo complete with roly-poly polar bears and a few other surprises, too: the display honors southern favorites like the MoonPie (IYKYK), Mardi Gras, and Coca-Cola. There are over 1,100 set pieces in this massive exhibit, which requires three full-time employees working year-round to pull off.

Magic Christmas in Lights runs from November 29, 2024 to January 5, 2025 (closed December 25 and January 1).

Connecticut's capital is home to one of the most epic Christmas light displays: Glow Hartford. More than 1 million lights create an interactive light garden within the Connecticut Convention Center. Each year, the theme changes. This year's theme is "Around the World," featuring iconic structures from around the globe, including the Eiffel Tower, London Bridge, and Taj Mahal along with traditional displays of Santa, trees, and presents. Each child receives a "passport" and can get a stamp and prize for visiting six illuminated countries. This annual event includes seasonal food and drink, family-friendly activities, a holiday market, and daily live entertainment. Each ticket includes a free photo with Santa and a ride on the trackless 'Glow-comotive' train.

Glow Hartford runs from November 29, 2024 to December 29, 2024.

When most people think of Christmas lights in New York their minds go immediately to the tree at Rockefeller Center and the shop windows on Fifth Avenue. But deep within Brooklyn, there’s a winter wonderland that requires so much wattage you’d think the Griswolds took over the streets. Christmas completely consumes the residential Dyker Heights neighborhood in southwest Brooklyn from Thanksgiving until January, where massive front yard displays (yes, some New Yorkers have real yards!) range from specific themes—like illuminated Christmas toys or millions of icy blue lights—to a hodgepodge of all things Christmas. 

Yes, there’s a town called Santa Claus in Indiana. And yes, it’s one of the best Christmas towns in the USA. Is it really any surprise this town gets lit during the holidays, too? Nope. At The Santa Claus Land of Lights, a 1.2-mile drive-through experience that tells the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in lights and storyboards, you’ll see brilliant LED-rendered Christmas characters like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer himself, albeit with few twists. Expect to chuckle when you catch Rudolph clip-clopping on a treadmill or Santa jetskiing—although this town takes Christmas seriously, it’s certainly in on the joke.

Santa Claus Land of Lights is open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from November 22, 2024 to December 8, 2024 and nightly from December 13 to 23, 2024.

At any other time of year, the 700 block of 34th Street in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood might not ring any jingle bells. But during the Christmas season, the area, nicknamed Miracle on 34th Street, is the talk of the town. Ever since 1947, when the movie of the same name premiered, residents have put their unique twist on traditional Christmas decorations, featuring anything from a vinyl record Nativity scene to a hubcap Christmas tree. Expect lots of crabs (this is Maryland, after all), and keep your eyes peeled for the kitschy pink flamingos (a nod to Baltimore’s own John Waters).

The 60th annual Austin Trail of Lights welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors to Zilker Park, which is transformed into an otherworldly jungle of dazzling rainbow trees. More than 2 million bulbs light up 90 glittering trees. There are more than 70 holiday displays and lighted tunnels, too.

Austin Trail of Lights runs December 10 to 23, 2024.

Join this quaint neighborhood as it carries out a tradition that began in 1932. The small four-block street, located in southeast Portland, is lined with Tudor Revival and English Cottage homes that serve as the backdrop to a nearly 90-year-old Christmas light destination. While some homeowners hire professional decorators, many residents of Peacock Lane build their own displays—sometimes with nontraditional Christmas characters like the 'Fa La La La Llamas,' or pop culture staples like the Muppets and Star Wars. Feeling the classics? Fear not: you’ll spot plenty of holiday characters like Frosty, the Grinch and St. Nick himself.

Peacock Lane runs December 15 to 31, 2024.

In the past, the town of Leavenworth held a Christmas lighting ceremony every weekend, flipping a switch to light up the entire city center; however, as the events grew in popularity, they decided to keep the half a million lights on every night from Thanksgiving through Christmas. The Bavarian village-themed downtown looks magical, covered in snow and surrounded by mountains, with every building and tree lit up as far as the eye can see during its annual Village of Lights celebration. And as if this Christmas town couldn’t get more idyllic, there’s even a sledding hill to round out the charm.

Village of Lights Christmastown Festivities runs November 29, 2024 to December 24, 2024. Lights are on every day from November 28, 2024 to February 28, 2025.

Leave your sunnies and sunscreen at home. Altadena’s Christmas Tree Lane, just one of L.A.’s many Christmas activities, is something of a marvel for SoCal—majestic deodar cedar trees that line the street (also known as Santa Rosa Avenue) bring an all-around alpine vibe that’s a complete 180 from L.A.’s typical landscape of palm trees. The conifers of Christmas Tree Lane have been lit up for the holidays for over 100 years, and the California State Landmark is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The official lighting ceremony is held in early December.

Although Chicago has a range of beautiful Christmas lights, ZooLights is certainly the crème de la Chi-Town. Found at the Lincoln Park Zoo, the spellbinding display includes a Wonderlawn of synchronized lights that dance to holiday music, photos with Santa, live ice carving on Friday and Saturday nights, roaming Christmas carolers, and hundreds of lighted displays. And, if you’re hoping to dazzle your special someone, the zoo also offers a proposal package for anyone hoping to pop the question amidst 3 million sparkling lights. New this year is an interactive Light Lounge with glowing furniture and snacks, perfect for selfies and taking a break from walking.

ZooLights runs November 15, 2024 to January 5, 2025.

A slightly newer tradition that’s no less impressive, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens’ Gardens Aglow has been lighting up Maine for the last 10 years. A walking tour throughout 14 acres of botanical gardens, Gardens Aglow boasts 750,000 LED lights (that's about 65 miles of lights!) strung up across the scenery. Look closely and you might glimpse the Garden's Guardians of the Seeds trolls, Roskva and her baby sister, Lilja, among the lush, glowing gardens.

Gardens Aglow runs Thursday to Sunday, plus select dates November 16, 2024 to December 31, 2024.

Atlanta Botanical Garden is all aglow during the holiday season with thousands of colorful Christmas lights during Garden Lights, Holiday Nights. Stroll through the glowing gardens to admire a lighted flower walk and illuminated sculptures. New this year is an upgraded "Nature's Wonders," the world’s largest curtain of synchronized light and sound, and a new interactive GPS map to navigate Garden Lights, Holiday Nights, which includes giant plant sculptures from Alice’s Wonderland Returns, including the White Rabbit and Cheshire Cat.

Garden Lights, Holiday Nights runs from November 16, 2024 to January 12, 2025.

For over 20 years, the team behind Make-A-Wish Iowa has dreamed up Jolly Holiday Lights, a spectacular display that raises money to grant wishes for sick children. What started as a small fundraiser has bloomed into a two-mile drive that funds about 80 wishes per year. This year, Winterland Inc. has taken over the hosting duties and the venue has moved to the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. The whimsical displays are divided up by theme. Make-A-Wish Iowa's iconic lighted logo will return this year along with old favorites and new lighted displays. The wholesome display and its excellent cause will warm your heart like a candy cane latte.

Jolly Holiday Lights runs from November 29, 2024 to January 4, 2025.

No matter where holiday-goers choose to visit the Magic of Lights, there will be more than one mile of lights to drive through this holiday season. From the warmth of a car, revelers can admire traditional Christmas displays plus a motley crew of characters like life-size dinosaurs, a supersized Bigfoot Monster Truck, and a Holiday Barbie display. From Woodstock, California, to Long Island, New York, the Magic of Lights is lighting up 23 cities in the U.S. and Canada this holiday season.