The twinkle of holiday cheer is in full swing this Christmas season. Drive-thru light displays, lights set to music, displays you can walk through and tons of Christmas spirit can make any Grinch’s tiny heart grow three times its size!
View the best blinking, twinkling, glittering Christmas lights to cheerfully celebrate the holidays. Now more than ever we need to surround ourselves with some magic. Here is a short list of the best places to see Christmas lights in Philadelphia and surrounding areas, that take their job of bringing magic to the area seriously.
These are the best places to see Christmas lights in the Philadelphia area.
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1. Shady Brook Farm – Yardley, PA
The annual holiday light show at Shady Brook Farm in Yardley (about 40 minutes outside of Philadelphia) features more than three million glistening lights over a two-mile drive! You can drive through this twinkling Christmas light display in your own vehicle, or ride along in an open-air wagon. Daily tickets, that start at $40 per vehicle online, are required this year. When you arrive on your designated day (rain or shine), tune your car radio to 90.7 and enjoy the full holiday experience as you peer out the window at the lights.
After your drive, stop in at the farm’s market for some hot cocoa or take a stroll down Candy Cane Lane (included with admission) to bop along with the dancing lights. Santa photos and private campfires are also available for purchase at the farm. The holiday light display runs through January 29!
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Tinseltown is one of the best places to see Christmas lights in Philadelphia; Courtesy of Courtney Elko
2. Tinseltown Holiday Spectacular – Oaks, PA
Formerly Winter on Broad at the Wells Fargo Center, Tinseltown is now located at the Fairgrounds at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks. New location and name, but the lights are still shining bright in Tinseltown. The walk-thru light festival has visitors strolling through the shining Frosted Forrest, sparkling Icicle Pass and glittering Toy Village. The holiday light speculator offers plenty of photo opportunities, reindeer games and visits with Santa Gritty (both at additional costs), and treats for purchase in the Tinsel Towne Square, where there are also fire pits to warm up with hot cocoa. The holiday music will get you in the spirit and the vendors in the Mistletoe Marketplace offer some great gift ideas, too. Purchase timed tickets in advance. Free and paid parking are available. Expect to spend about an hour enjoying the winter wonderland that runs through January 2.
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The Miracle on South 13th Street is one of the best places to see Christmas lights in Philadelphia; Courtesy of Courtney Elko
3. The Miracle on South 13th Street – South Philadelphia, PA
For the ultimate in Christmas lights in Philadelphia, the Miracle on South 13th Street really makes anyone a believer. The magic ignites on the 1600 block of South 13th Street (between Tasker and Morris) and the best place to start your experience is the intersection of 13th and Morris streets. This free, winter wonderland is only a block long but it packs in every inch of twinkle!
These South Philly neighbors took it upon themselves for at least the last decade to turn their street into a winter wonderland from Thanksgiving to New Years. The lights are on and bright from 5 to 10 p.m. daily, and while driving down the street gives the full experience while in the comfort of your car, getting out and walking down the street also fills the heart with joy! The drive takes all of a few minutes but more time could be spent if you explore more on foot.
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4. West Chester Griswolds – West Chester, PA
The local “Griswold” family located at 304 Dutton Mill Rd in West Chester, about 40 minutes outside of Philadelphia, is hoping to brighten your year with their own Christmas light display. The family has been growing their West Chester Griswold display over the last six years and they do not disappoint for 2021 with more than 133,000 lights! They start constructing the experience in September!
The display runs through Jan. 2 daily from 4:45 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. and until 10:15 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. When you arrive, tune your car radio to 87.9 and listen and watch the magic begin. There are singing light bulbs, too! Every half hour from 5 to 9 p.m. the lights will sing to you! Keep an eye out for Santa and Mrs. Claus who can sometimes make an appearance. And don’t forget to bring along your letter to Santa because there is a mailbox at the end of the driveway where you can drop your letter. Snow and heavy rain could impact the display so be sure to check the website for inclement weather updates.
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5. Deck the Hall Holiday Lights at Winter at Dilworth Park – Philadelphia City Hall
Visit Dilworth Park at Philadelphia City Hall during the day or night for one of the best places to see Christmas lights in Philadelphia. There is an outdoor ice rink, open-air shopping cabins, and the light display that plays against the backdrop of the iconic City Hall building. The free, Deck the Hall Holiday Light Show has been redesigned to illuminated its projections continuously and uninterrupted on a loop. The show’s projections and sound effects play on the west facade of City Hall from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. This awesome Christmas light show in Philadelphia runs until Jan. 1. The ice rink remains open through February.
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National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation House Christmas Light Display in Mickleton, NJ; Courtesy of Courtney Elko
6. Christmas Vacation House to Harbaugh Village – Mullica Hill, NJ
Less than 30 minutes across the bridge in Mullica Hill, New Jersey is the actual Griswold house from the movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation! Well maybe not the actual house but one that looks just like it! In 2018, the Harbaugh family decided to decorate their house to look identical to the Griswold’s. The light display grew every year and soon the large, stoic, white house covered in white, Christmas lights needed to expand. The new Harbaugh Village launches Dec. 10.
Cousin Eddie at the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation House; Courtesy of Courtney Elko
Harbaugh Village has all the greatness of their formerly decorated home shining bright just like the movie. But that’s only one shiny part of the display, there’s even more brightness in the details.
With the soundtrack and songs from the movie playing in the background, visitors can see three real-deal vehicles from the movie. There is an 1984 police car with its lights flashing, a 1989 Ford Taurus station wagon with a massive Christmas tree tied to the roof (so massive the roots are still attached to the tree!), and of course, Cousin Eddie’s RV is parked at the Village too. An animatronic Cousin Eddie is drinking some beer while he drains the septic tank in front of the RV and Clark himself is positioned in the front of the house with two extension cords in hand, ready to light up the neighborhood. The Clark and Cousin Eddie heads were created in detail by a California artist for the Harbaugh’s display, according to NJ.com.
The new Harbaugh Village has a skating rink, fire pits, sleigh rides and more. It is expected to open on Dec. 10 and toy donations are encouraged. The Harbaugh’s actual home will not be decorated this year as all of the props and lights have been recreated at the Village.
7. A Longwood Christmas – Kennett Square, PA
Buy your timed tickets quickly if you’re considering a before-Christmas visit to the evermore popular A Longwood Christmas. The popular Longwood Gardens Christmas light destination is about an hour outside of Philadelphia and 25 minutes from the West Chester Griswolds. But due to COVID restrictions and popularity, ticket times are very limited. There is more availability in the mornings and in early January. The display, where the lights begin to shine around noon, runs through January 9.
The expansive, outdoor gardens sparkle bright at Longwood Gardens in a wonderland of 500,000 lights. There are fire pits to warm you up and the Garden Railway will make you feel like a kid again as the 31 miniature model trains choo-choo through the outdoor landscape across 500 feet of track. For some garden theatrics, don’t miss the OpenAir Theatre’s fountain dance set to Christmas music (starts at 10 a.m.) and the choreographed light display at the Large Lake with the Pierce’s Woods as the backdrop (runs every 15 minutes starting at 4 p.m.).
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