Great Places to See Midwest Holiday Lights
Brighten the season with a walking or driving tour of Midwest holiday light displays. Here are some of our favorites.
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Missouri
Garden Glow, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis More than a million lights turn the garden into magical holiday scenes. Visitors can also enjoy s'mores, drinks and entertainment. Timed tickets required. November 11-January 2, 2021. glow.missouribotanicalgarden.org
Country Club Plaza Lights, Kansas City The 91st annual lighting ceremony will be broadcast this year starting at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. The lights will be on through January 10, 2021. It's a decorating touch that lends even more romance to the beautiful Spanish-inspired architecture in this 15-block mecca of shopping and dining. countryclubplaza.com
An Old Time Christmas at Silver Dollar City, Branson Come for 6.5 million twinkling lights, more than 30 live holiday shows on outdoor stages, shopping, dining and more. Reservations required. November 7–December 30, 2020. silverdollarcity.com
Celebration of Lights, O'Fallon Fort Zumwalt Park is merry and bright with more than a million lights. Visitors can drive or stroll through the park or, on designated nights, take carriage, train and sleigh rides. Advance reservations required. Open most nights November 27–December 30. ofallon.mo.us/col
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Wisconsin
Garden of Lights, Green Bay Botanical Gardens, Green Bay (pictured) The annual light festival features over 300,000 lights plus horse-drawn carriage rides through the gardens. Wander through the icicle forest and keep an eye out for illuminated butterflies, giant caterpillars and more. Advance ticket purchase required. November 27 through January 2, 2021. gbbg.org
Oshkosh Celebration of Lights, Oshkosh Cruise the mile-long drive through Menominee Park on Lake Winnebago to see more than a million lights, animated displays and a 100-foot-tall holiday tree. Santa will be in his workshop in a non-contact environment. November 27–January 2, 2021. oshkoshcol.org
Wisconsin Christmas Carnival of Lights, Caledonia Drive through Jellystone Park Camp-Resort (20 minutes south of Milwaukee) to observe hand-crafted displays of forest creatures, elves and Santa. The mile-long route decked with more than 2 million lights ends at Santa's Workshop, where you can enjoy a warming beverage and get a picture with the big man himself. Sleigh rides and golf cart rides available as well. November 28–December 31, 2020. Closed Christmas Day. wichristmascarnival.com
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Minnesota
Bentleyville Tour of Lights, Duluth (pictured) A 12-story-tall animated Christmas tree towers over the drive-through light show (over 4 million lights) at Bayfront Festival Park. Donations of nonperishable foods and new unwrapped toys suggested. November 21–December 27, 2020. bentleyvilleusa.org
Glow Holiday Festival, Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St. Paul The new-in-2020 drive-through event starts November 19, 2020, and runs through January 3, 2021. Millions of lights will illuminate a one-mile route through the state fairgrounds, with a dozen stops, a 100-foot Christmas tree, icicle and art installations, a gingerbread house and more. glowholiday.com
Taylors Falls Lighting Festival, Taylors Falls This year's activities will focus on outdoor events, including a Santa Parade and a driving tour of light homes. November 27–29, 2020. http://lightingfestival.com
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Indiana
Christmas City Walkway of Lights, Marion (pictured) "Christmas City USA" lives up to its name with an electrifying exhibit of 2.5 million lights and 120 displays, stretching more than 2 miles along the Mississinewa Riverwalk in Matter Park. November 21–December 31, 2020. walkwayoflights.org
Indianapolis light displays You could spend a whole weekend exploring Indy's many holiday light displays. Gaze up at the nation's largest Christmas tree at the Circle of Lights on Monument Circle; wander the beautifully lit grounds of Newfields at Winterlights at Newfields; see the nation's oldest zoo Christmas light display at Christmas at the Zoo; and experience the city's largest synchronized light show at the drive-through Christmas Nights of Lights at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
Winter Wonderland Holiday Lights, Wellfield Botanic Gardens, Elkhart Live music, boutique shopping and outdoor firepits enhance the visitor experience among light displays at the garden. Selected dates November 27-December 27, 2020. wellfieldgardens.org
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Illinois
Update: Cook County issued a stay-at-home order effective November 16. Please check local guidelines on events.
Lightscape, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe In 2019, the botanic garden debuted Lightscape, a coproduction with Sony Music that featured installations like a choir of singing trees and the stunning Cathedral of Light (pictured). The event returns November 13-January 3. NOTE: SOLD OUT FOR 2020. chicagobotanic.org
Illumination: Tree Lights at The Morton Arboretum, Lisle Reimagined for this year, a drive-through experience will take guests through a world of color, music and lights. Travel through Symphony Woods, Woodland Wonder, and Crystal Promenade as well as other scenes. Advance ticket purchase required. Held most nights November 20–January 3, 2021. mortonarb.org
ZooLights at the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago Dazzling lights thread among animal enclosures and food stands at this event at Lincoln Park Zoo. Tickets required for entrance. Select dates November 22—January 3, 2021. lpzoo.org
East Peoria Festival of Lights, East Peoria Among the best drive-through holiday light displays in the Midwest, this winter wonderland enchants with huge, brilliantly colored displays that range from dinosaurs to Star Wars spaceships to horses pulling carriages. Nov. 26—Jan 3, 2021. cityofeastpeoria.com
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South Dakota
Christmas at the Capitol, Pierre (pictured) The 100-year-old capitol becomes a monthlong indoor forest of more than 100 trees decked by community groups. November 25-December 26, 2020. christmasatthecapitol.sd.gov
Winter Wonderland, Watertown Drive through Stokes-Thomas City Park to see 50-plus lighted displays, trees and animated scenes. Stop and visit Santa at the end. Proceeds benefit Optimist Club youth projects. Donations appreciated. Fridays–Sundays from Thanksgiving to Christmas. facebook.com
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Iowa
City of Christmas Display of Lights, Keokuk (pictured) See 150 displays illuminated by 1 million lights in Rand Park. Watch for the blooming rose and poinsettia, gingerbread house, a riverboat afloat in lights and deer leaping over the road. Starts November 26, 2020. cityofchristmas.org
Jolly Holiday Lights, Altoona Explore 2.5 miles of lighted displays as you drive along the winding roads of Adventureland Park's campgrounds, with more than 100 lighted scenes. Admission proceeds go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. November 27–December 30, 2020 (closed Dec. 24-25). iowa.wish.org
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Nebraska
Omaha Holiday Lights Festival, Omaha (pictured) A New Year's Eve Fireworks Spectacular at 7 p.m. on December 31, 2020, caps a month of holiday activities. Festive lighting at the Old Market will run November 20 through January 4; also see lighting displays in North and South Omaha. holidaylightsfestival.org
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Ohio
Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill, Clifton (Pictured) At one of the largest water-powered gristmills, 3.5 million lights illuminate the mill, gorge, riverbanks, trees and bridges. Don't miss the light-and-music show at the covered bridge. November 27–December 30, 2020. cliftonmill.com
PNC Festival of Lights, Cincinnati Roam through the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden to admire the 3 million twinkling LED lights, ride the North Polar Express and see Santa. November 21, 2020–January 3, 2021 (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). cincinnatizoo.org
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Michigan
Holiday Nights inGreenfield Village, Dearborn(pictured) Experience Christmas straight from a history book, including roasted chestnuts, lantern-lit paths and carolers. Buy tickets in advance. Weekends and selected other dates December 4-28, 2020.thehenryford.org
Christmas at Crossroads Holiday Magic, Flint Drive through Crossroads Village, lit by more than a million lights, as you listen to holiday music. November 27-29, December 4-7, 11-14, 17-24, 26-30, 2020. geneseecountyparks.org
The Big, Bright Light Show, Rochester You'll need several drives through downtown Rochester to fully appreciate the more than 1 million lights that blanket the fronts of businesses. Mid-November to January 3, 2021, plus weekends through January 17, 2021. downtownrochestermi.com
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Kansas
Illuminations, Wichita (pictured) Drive through a display in the parking lot or or walk through Botanica, The Wichita Gardens, where luminarias line the pathways and nearly a million lights highlight the gardens, trees and musical displays. Advance ticket purchase required. November 14, 2020—January 30, 2021 (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas). botanica.org
Lincoln Children's Zoo Lights, Lincoln More than 250,000 LED lights will dazzle at the zoo, where guests can see a 40-foot Christmas tree, lighted animal silhouettes, a tree light canopy walk and more. A limited number of tickets are available each night; must be reserved in advance. November 27-December 30, 2020. lincolnzoo.org
Isle of Lights, Winfield Thousands of lights illuminate Zooland, Toyland, Reindeer Road, Oz, Candyland and other shimmering scenes in Island Park. November 22–December 30, 2020. isleoflights.org
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North Dakota
Winter Wonderland at Falls Park, Sioux Falls (pictured) From November 20, 2020 to January 3, 2021, thousands of lights glitter at Sioux Falls. Last year's show included 270 decorated trees, 25-plus miles of light strings and 40 wreaths. experiencesiouxfalls.com
Spring Lake Park Holiday Lights Drive, Williston Spark your spirit on a mile-long loop drive through Spring Lake Park, brilliant with more than 60 lighted displays. November 28–December 31, 2020. visitwilliston.com
