Instead of untangling a mess of holiday lights on your tree, pack up the family and let someone else do the work. Each year, dozens of city parks and zoos across the country light up to celebrate the holiday season.
The weather might be chilly, but grab a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy the lights that twinkle across the nation.
If you find yourself with flights to Boston in November or December, consider heading out of town for a day. Located about 45 minutes outside of Boston, Edaville USA is a favorite among New England locals. Hop on the Edaville train and take a two-mile journey to see more than 7 million lights.
Edaville USA is more than just a holiday light display. This amusement park offers rides, Santa’s Village displays and fireworks every Friday in December. The lights shine from mid-November through the first few days in January each year. You’ll have to pay a fee to enter Edaville USA, but it’s a small price to pay for a truly spectacular holiday display.
Continue south to Pennsylvania, where Hershey displays it sweet side. Hershey, PA, may be known for chocolate, but during the holiday season the city decorates for Hershey Sweet Lights. Touted as a “holiday drive-thru spectacular,” Hershey Sweet Lights is sure to please, and you don’t have to get out of your warm car. Visitors are charged per car, but the ride features more than 600 illuminated displays along a two-mile stretch of wooded trails.
Of course, a visit to Hershey isn’t complete without a stop at Hershey Park Christmas Candylane. Make the season a little brighter with rides, decorations and even more holiday light displays within the park. Admission to the park is offered in single, two- and three-day tickets, as well as combo tickets to their Dutch Winter Wonderland.
A visit to the nation’s capital during the holidays isn’t complete without a stop in Silver Springs, Maryland. More than 40,000 visitors head to Brookside Garden for the Winter Garden Walk each year. Guests are treated to more than 700,000 lights that illuminate the garden’s path. Nature lovers will enjoy the decorated trees and fountains. Take a family picture in the lit gazebos and then head inside for a display of poinsettias and evergreens. Admission is charged per car.
Friendly people and festive celebrations is what you can expect when you travel to the Midwest for the holidays. From Chicago to Texas, there are plenty of holiday lights to see.
What do you get when you combine one million holiday lights and plenty of zoo animals? Zoo Lights at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo.
Each year, visitors descend upon the zoo to see colorful lights, have their photo taken with Santa Claus, participate in family crafts and see the musical light show. And, don’t forget to hop aboard the LPZoo Holiday Express train. Zoo Lights begins in late November and runs through the New Year. Admission is free.
Everything is bigger in Texas, including the Christmas trees! Known for being an outdoorsy city, Austin maintains its reputation even in the winter months. Step outside and see the Trail of Lights, a mile-long path with 41 lighted scenes. If you can schedule your flight to Austin to coincide with the first Sunday in December, you’ll be treated to the lighting of the 155-foot Zilker Tree, which boasts more than 3,300 bulbs. The Trail is open from the second Sunday in December through Dec. 23.
See the lights from a mile above sea level in Denver or warm up in Los Angeles during the holiday season. The West has plenty of stops for festive celebrations.
There may not be much snow in the desert, but Albuquerque knows how to celebrate the holidays. The River of Lights at the Rio Grande Botanic Garden is touted as the “largest walk-through light show” in New Mexico. And don’t forget to bring your ice skates and take a few spins on the (artificial) ice rink in the Botanic Garden Plaza. Live entertainment is also on hand most evenings.
While many cities around the country display their holiday lights in parks and zoos, the Mile High City celebrates with lights and a parade in the downtown area.
For eco-friendly travelers, Denver may be the perfect place to catch a light display. The city has implemented a “greenprint” and will use LED lights. Make sure to stroll through the 16th Street Mall and Skyline Park to catch the lights and giant snowflakes decorating the area. Plus, get in the holiday spirit by catching a glimpse of the decorated tree in Skyline Park.
The holidays are a time to celebrate and Denver does so with an annual parade through Downtown Denver. Bring the kids and celebrate the season with thousands of others as floats glide by and lights twinkle. It’s free to see the parade, unless you want grandstand seating by the City & County Building.
Palm trees instead of pine trees? Even with mild temperatures, Los Angeles knows how to celebrate.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power sets up a holiday light display each year along a one-mile stretch of Crystal Springs Drive. Bring your walking shoes when you pack for your Los Angeles flights – during the first two weeks of the event the route is vehicle-free so revelers walk the route to promote a “greener L.A.” If you’re driving, park your car at the L.A. Zoo and take the shuttle to and from the display and the zoo. The free event begins during the week of Thanksgiving and lasts through the end of the year.
Head north from Los Angeles and enter the Oregon Zoo – the leopards are prowling, sea lions and sea otters swimming, polar bears eating and other animals are content in their habitat. But there is one difference: the zoo turns into an illuminated wonderland during the holiday months. The zoo also boasts more than 200 animated animals, including swinging monkeys, flying bats, leaping frogs and more. Admission is charged for zoo entrance and train rides.
Feel like taking an international trip for your next holiday vacation? Hop across the border to Ontario, Canada and prepare to be amazed by the Winter Festival of Lights. The three-mile route includes more than 3 million lights and 120 lighting displays.
But, the festival isn’t just twinkling light bulbs. Beginning in November, visitors can catch a fireworks and illumination show each weekend. Admission is free, just take note that bad weather could affect the show.
With so many holiday light displays across the United States (and beyond), travelers are sure to find a way to celebrate on vacation.
Jennifer Jope
© Cheapflights Ltd
