holiday lights displays Boston

There is nothing like piling the family into the car and heading out to look at beautiful, twinkling holiday lights! If you’re looking for a festive treat, plan a trip to see some of these amazing holiday lights displays in the Boston area! 

Edaville Festival of Lights

Edaville Family Theme Park, 5 Pine Street, Carver
November 9-December 31
$12.95-42.95

Ride behind a steam-powered locomotive, have fun on amusement rides, and enjoy food and drink throughout the beloved park. Enjoy some of the old favorites as well as new shops, including a European-style Christmas market.

ZooLights at Stone Zoo

Stone Zoo, 149 Pond Street, Stoneham
November 17–January 7
$14.95 per ticket, $49.70 for a four-pack (zoo members receive discounted admission)

Guests will enjoy a one-way stroll through the zoo, passing through tree-lined paths lit by twinkling lights. Catch a glimpse of the beautifully lit Yukon Creek, and perhaps you will even encounter some reindeer!  

Winter Wonderland at Southwick’s Zoo

2 Southwick Street, Mendon
November 18–December 31
$16-25 per person

This beloved festive tradition, perfect for family and friends, is set to shine brighter than ever before, featuring over 4 million illuminated lights and dazzling displays that will transform the Zoo into a winter wonderland.  From enchanting reindeer and polar bears to delightful penguins and mischievous elves, the experience is a must-see for everyone!

Bright Nights at Forest Park

Forest Park, 300 Sumner Avenue, Springfield
November 22–January 1
$23 per car, discounted admission of $10 per car on Tuesdays

It may be a bit of a ride to get there, but the six million people who have visited Bright Nights since it began in 1995 will assure you that it is worth the trip. If you aren’t able to get there yourself, you can always enjoy the beauty of the lights on this virtual tour!

Gift of Lights at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway

New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 1122 Route 106 North, Loudon, NH
November 23–January 1
$35 per car

Revel in the beauty of 3.5 million twinkling lights in this 2.5-mile drive-through holiday lights show north of Boston! Guests also have the opportunity to roast marshmallows and toast s’mores over open fire pits at this beautiful display!

La Salette Christmas Celebration of Lights

The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette, 947 Park Street, Attleboro
November 23–January 1
Free

As Christmas nears, Isaiah’s words, “Comfort, comfort my people” (Isaiah 40:1), resonate. These words, once aimed at those seeking solace after Jerusalem’s fall and exile in Babylonia, hold contemporary relevance. In today’s uncertain, divided world, there’s a clear need for comforting words of hope and healing. In this advent and Christmas season, La Salette’s Christmas Lights ignite hope and comfort.

Night Lights at New England Botanic Garden

New England Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive, Boylston
November 24–December 31
$15-27

Celebrate the season at New England Botanic Garden with a winter light display like no other in the region! This year, the unique and artfully crafted features of “Night Lights: Starry Skies” will take you on a journey through the cosmos and back. On your visit, enjoy s’mores, seasonal drinks, a model train, shopping for holiday gifts, and fun photo opportunities that will create memories for the whole family. Enchanting landscapes, immersive experiences, and thousands of lights await at the most spectacular light show in Massachusetts!

Festival of Lights at Fatima Shrine

101 Summer St., Holliston
December 8-27
Free

Join Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Holliston for the traditional Christmas lights as they prepare this advent for the Christmas season. Hot chocolate, donuts, and more will be available. The lights are on from 5-9 p.m. every night, and the event is wheelchair accessible.

Somerville Illuminations Tour

Various locations in Somerville (a map will be provided)
Saturday, December 18
$5-10

The annual Illuminations Trolley Tour of East and Central Somerville is scheduled for Saturday, December 18th, with 27 tours departing from the City Hall Concourse beginning at 4:30pm.  The 45-minute tours visit Somerville neighborhoods with holiday lights displays.  Tours leave from (and return to) Somerville City Hall where coffee, hot chocolate, and cookies are served. Entertainment at City Hall includes choral music, courtesy of the Somerville Community Chorus and craft activities for children.

If you’re looking for other fun and festive holiday activities after you’ve checked out Boston’s best holiday lights, try one of our December picks, or catch a holiday show with your family!

Deanna Greenstein
Deanna is a mom of five (yes, five) children, who lives in Brockton with her small circus of kids, her husband, their dog Penny, and a few cats. Her life is loud, energetic, mostly fun, often gross (did she mention four of those kids are boys?), and she wouldn't have it any other way. In between carting kids to school, baseball, gymnastics, guitar, dance, track and field and every other kid activity known to mankind, she works as a school bus driver for the city of Brockton, and is the Director of Religious Education at the Unity Church of North Easton, a Unitarian Universalist congregation. Deanna also holds degrees in Elementary Physical Education and Dance Education, which she plans to put back into use one day. At parties, Deanna can often be found hanging out with family pets. She follows her children around with a camera like the paparazzi, is pretty sure that 97% of her blood stream is made of coffee, and her laundry is never done. You can also find her blogging at https://eighteenmoreyearsofburpsandfarts.wordpress.com