Christmas lights are the one thing my kids ask about from the first cold night in November. The good news is that the DC area has a lot of them, and some are free. The less good news is that every show works differently: timed tickets, tickets per car, select nights only, parking passes. So we put the 2026 details for each one in one place, taken from each organizer's own site.
If you only read one line, read this: buy timed tickets ahead, go early in the season or on a weeknight, and for babies or anyone who hates the cold, pick a drive-through.
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The DC Holiday Planner 2026
Our 6 favorites, all 17 Christmas light shows side by side, a December fridge calendar, plus Santa, trains, Nutcrackers and Noon Year's Eve. Print it for the fridge or keep the phone version.
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Christmas Light Shows Near DC, Side by Side
2026 dates and prices from each organizer's own site, sorted by opening date. Tap a name for our full guide with hours, parking and tips.
| Light show | Dates | Price | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Walk of Lights Vienna, VA | Nov 11 - Jan 3 | From $19 per person | Walk |
| Bull Run Festival of Lights Centreville, VA | Nov 14 - Jan 3 | $30-45 per car | Drive-through |
| Bright Nights at Cameron Run Alexandria, VA | Nov 14 - Jan 3 | $9 per person online | Walk |
| ICE! at Gaylord National National Harbor, MD | Nov 14 - Jan 3 | Timed tickets, 3 and under free | Indoor |
| ZooLights National Zoo, DC | Select nights, Nov 20 - Jan 3 | $10, 2 and under free | Walk |
| Garden of Lights Wheaton, MD | Nov 20 - Jan 3 | $13.99-16.99, 4 and under free | Walk |
| Season's Greenings National Mall, DC | Nov 26 - Jan 3 | Free | Trains, indoor + outdoor |
| Winter Lights Festival Gaithersburg, MD | Nov 27 - Dec 31 | $15-25 per car | Drive-through |
| Symphony of Lights Columbia, MD | Nov 27 - Jan 2 | $25 per car | Drive-through + walk nights |
| Winter Festival of Lights Upper Marlboro, MD | Nov 27 - Jan 1 | $20 per car | Drive-through |
| Mount Vernon by Candlelight Mount Vernon, VA | 7 nights, Nov 27 - Dec 22 | $33-41, 5 and under free | Candlelit tour |
| Festival of Lights Kensington, MD | Dec 2 - Jan 1 | Free (parking pass) | Walk |
| Reston Winterfest Reston, VA | Dec 3 - 5 | $10-20 | Walk |
| Christmas Village Leesburg, VA | 12 nights, Dec 4 - 23 | $16.95, under 2 free | Walk + slides |
| Holiday Boat Parade of Lights Old Town Alexandria, VA | Sat Dec 5 | Free | Watch from the dock |
| Holiday on the Farm Herndon, VA | 5 nights, Dec 5 - 19 | $12 online | Wagon ride |
| National Christmas Tree President's Park, DC | Dec 7 - Jan 1 | Free | Walk |
Christmas Lights in DC
ZooLights at the National Zoo
$10Over a million lights and 100+ animal lanterns. It's only open on select nights, closed Dec 24, 25 and 31 and Jan 1, and Dec 16 is adults only.
💡 Parent tip: The train, maze and carousel are $6 each. Take the Red Line, since parking is $30 to $40.
See our full guide →
National Christmas Tree and Pathway of Peace
FREEThe lighting tickets come from a free lottery that closes Wed Nov 4 at 3pm ET. From Dec 7 the tree and the 56 state and territory trees are open to everyone.
💡 Parent tip: Go after 5pm: the trees light up to music every 30 minutes.
See our full guide →
Season's Greenings at the U.S. Botanic Garden
FREEModel trains outdoors past plant-made national parks, and 20+ DC landmarks made of plants inside. Open until 8pm with music on six December evenings.
💡 Parent tip: No tickets at all. Weekdays are calmer.
See our full guide →Christmas Lights in Maryland
Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens
FROM $13.99A half-mile walk through more than a million lights. Timed tickets online only; kids 4 and under free. Parking is free.
💡 Parent tip: Sunday to Thursday is $3 cheaper per person.
See our full guide →
Festival of Lights at the D.C. Temple Visitors' Center
FREE500,000+ lights on a 20-minute path, 100+ nativity scenes from around the world inside, and free concerts most nights at 6:30.
💡 Parent tip: You need a free timed parking pass after 4:30pm. Early December weeknights are the least crowded.
See our full guide →Winter Lights Festival at Seneca Creek
$15-25 PER CARA 3.5-mile drive past 450+ displays. One ticket per car, bought online for a date; nothing is sold at the park.
💡 Parent tip: Weeknights are $15 a car, weekends $25.
See our full guide →
Merriweather Symphony of Lights
$25 PER CAR300,000+ bulbs in Symphony Woods. On Nov 29 families can walk it with strollers, and Dec 14 is a toddler dance party night.
💡 Parent tip: 2026 nightly hours aren't posted yet, so check before you go.
See our full guide →
Winter Festival of Lights at Watkins Regional Park
$20 PER CARPrince George's County's 40th season of drive-through lights, with 90+ new displays. You pay at the gate, cash or card, and it's free on New Year's Day.
💡 Parent tip: Hayride wagon rides are $15 adults, $10 kids, booked online. Arrive an hour early for those.
Official site →
ICE! and Christmas at Gaylord National
TIMED TICKETSIndoor Grinch scenes carved from 2 million pounds of ice, kept at 9 degrees, with two-story ice slides. Most people spend 20 to 40 minutes inside.
💡 Parent tip: Kids 3 and under are free with a paid adult. Side-by-side strollers and wagons are not allowed.
See our full guide →Christmas Lights in Virginia
Winter Walk of Lights at Meadowlark
FROM $19A 0.6-mile paved, one-way trail, lights that dance to music over the lake, and make-your-own s'mores halfway through.
💡 Parent tip: Go before Dec 4: it is cheaper, and in December tickets are online only.
See our full guide →
Bull Run Festival of Lights
$30-45 PER CARA 2.5-mile drive-through, then a Holiday Village with bonfires, s'mores, a petting zoo and a Holiday Stable (rides extra).
💡 Parent tip: Buy online to save up to $20 per car. Monday to Thursday is the least crowded.
See our full guide →
Bright Nights at Cameron Run
$9 ONLINEThe cheapest ticketed light walk on this list, with new lighted mini golf, a scavenger hunt, a giant maze and fire pits.
💡 Parent tip: Weekends only until Nov 22, then most nights.
See our full guide →
Mount Vernon by Candlelight
FROM $33A candlelit Mansion tour set at Christmas 1776, plus Aladdin the camel and free cider and cookies. For fireworks, Christmas Illuminations is Dec 19-20.
💡 Parent tip: All sales are final and big strollers are not allowed.
See our full guide →
Christmas Village at Leesburg Animal Park
$16.95Santa photos, lit hill slides, a mini train and animals in a barn full of lights. The Grinch visits Dec 4, 11 and 18.
💡 Parent tip: Pony rides ($3.95) and s'mores kits are extra.
See our full guide →
Holiday on the Farm at Frying Pan Farm Park
$12 ONLINEA wagon ride through the lights, a train ride, Santa, a campfire and farm animals. Early enough for toddler bedtimes.
💡 Parent tip: Online presale ends at 11:59pm the night before. At the door it is $15.
See our full guide →Reston Winterfest
$10-20A half-mile Light Up the Park walk, an Enchanted Forest, free photos with Santa, a Grinch's Village and a new Polar Play Park with ice carvings and snowmaking.
💡 Parent tip: Everyone needs a ticket, even kids 2 and under who get in free. Details come from Reston Association's announcement.
Official site →Holiday Boat Parade of Lights
FREELit-up boats on the Potomac, with free dockside activities from 2 to 8. The Scottish Walk Holiday Parade is the same morning.
💡 Parent tip: Take Metro and the free King Street Trolley. Garages fill early.
See our full guide →Parent Tips 💡
- ✓Buy timed tickets ahead. Meadowlark, ZooLights and Brookside all sell timed tickets online, and Meadowlark is online only in December.
- ✓Go early in the season. Late November and early December weeknights are calmer than the two weeks before Christmas.
- ✓Pick a drive-through for babies. Bull Run, Gaithersburg, Columbia and Upper Marlboro let everyone stay warm in the car.
- ✓Use the bathroom before the line. At the drive-throughs you cannot stop once you are in.
- ✓Pack mittens and a thermos. Most of these are outdoor walks that run rain or shine, and the s'mores lines are long on weekends.
Questions Parents Ask
What are the best free Christmas lights near DC?
Three good free picks: the Festival of Lights at the Washington D.C. Temple Visitors' Center in Kensington (Dec 2 to Jan 1, free timed parking pass needed), the National Christmas Tree and Pathway of Peace at President's Park (free visits Dec 7 to Jan 1), and Season's Greenings model trains at the U.S. Botanic Garden (Nov 26 to Jan 3). The Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights on Dec 5 is free too.
What is the best Christmas light show near DC for toddlers?
For toddlers we'd pick something short and early: Holiday on the Farm at Frying Pan Farm Park runs 4:30 to 7pm, Meadowlark's paved trail works with a stroller, and a drive-through like Bull Run or Gaithersburg's Winter Lights lets a little one stay warm in a car seat.
Are there drive-through Christmas lights near DC?
Yes. Bull Run Festival of Lights in Centreville VA ($30-45 per car), the Winter Lights Festival at Seneca Creek in Gaithersburg MD ($15-25 per car), Merriweather Symphony of Lights in Columbia MD ($25 per car) and the Winter Festival of Lights at Watkins Regional Park in Upper Marlboro MD ($20 per car).
When do Christmas lights open near DC in 2026?
Meadowlark's Winter Walk of Lights opens first, on Nov 11. Bull Run, Bright Nights and ICE! open Nov 14, ZooLights and Brookside's Garden of Lights on Nov 20, and the drive-throughs in Gaithersburg, Columbia and Upper Marlboro on Nov 27.
How much is ZooLights in 2026?
ZooLights tickets are $10 per person for ages 3 and up, bought online in advance. Kids 2 and under are free. It's open on select nights from Nov 20 to Jan 3.
How do I get tickets for the National Christmas Tree Lighting?
Through a free lottery on Recreation.gov that closes Wednesday, Nov 4 at 3pm ET. Winners are notified Nov 12. If you don't win, the tree is free to visit from Dec 7 to Jan 1.
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