When it’s 80 degrees in December, Houston doesn’t exactly feel like a winter wonderland. But what the city lacks in windchill, it makes up for in show-stopping luminescence. From Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, millions of colorful holiday lights are strung throughout the area, bringing with them feelings so merry and bright, you can’t help but feel festive!
Kids and adults alike go nuts over the twinkling lights, glowing colors, and spectacular shows. Parents, babysitters, and nannies wanting to show their little ones some magical displays this holiday season will love these 10 great sites!
Zoo Lights
Address: 6200 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030
Dates & Times: Open daily, Nov. 18 – Jan. 14 | Times vary, see website for details (Closed Nov. 27, Dec. 14, 24 & 25)
Phone: 713-533-6500
Fees: Tickets start at $11.95 for members & $16.95 for non-members.
The Houston Zoo is a fun and magical place any time of year, but during the holidays? Well, let’s just say the park really steps up its game. Thousands of lights adorn trees and animal enclosures throughout the zoo, and they don’t just twinkle! They flicker to the beat of holiday music playing on the loud speakers. In addition to the light displays, sights include a miniature electric train village, life-sized LED animal sculptures, and a 33-foot-tall Christmas tree.
Special discount nights are offered for military members, first-responders, and educators. Check out the website for specifics. It’s important to note that while zoo members get discounts on their tickets, their membership won’t get them free admission to Zoo Lights like it would during regular daytime hours.
Lights in the Heights
Address: Between Studewood & Beauchamp streets, along Bayland Avenue & Woodland Street, & between Highland Street, along Euclid Street on Norhill Street.
Date & Time: Dec. 9, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Contact: Find event coordinator info on the neighborhood association’s website.
Fees: Free
The same trendy neighborhood that brings us Houston’s White Linen Night heralds in the holiday season with a lively street festival, complete with live music and plenty of bright décor. The event is a favorite among Inner Loopers, but if you can’t make it on the 9th, don’t worry. Many of the homes keep their lights on throughout the holiday season. You can still stroll or drive through the neighborhood during the evenings to take in the view.
Word of caution: The streets are packed with families from all over the city, and it can be tough to push a stroller or a wagon through the masses. Opt instead for a wearable baby carrier, or stick to the edges of the festival, where the crowds are thinnest.
River Oaks
Address: 1600 River Oaks Blvd., Houston, TX 77019
Dates & Times: Evenings throughout the holiday season
Contact: 713-904-1310
Fees: Free
The River Oaks District is home to some of the city’s biggest mansions and wealthiest families, and Christmastime in the neighborhood doesn’t disappoint. Homes are decked with holly, garlands, inflatable snowmen, and tons and tons of twinkling lights. While there’s no one formal night to get out and see all of the decorations on display, you can take your own self-guided tour through the neighborhood any evening during the holiday season. For the best sights, start your tour at the River Oaks Country Club and wind your way through the small streets from there. All you need is some hot cocoa in the cup holders and the radio tuned to Nat King Cole.
Magical Winter Lights Houston
Address: 1000 FM 2004, La Marque, TX 77568 (Gulf Greyhound Park)
Dates & Times: Nov. 10 – Jan. 2 | Sunday – Thursday, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. | Friday & Saturday, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. (Closed Nov. 13 & 27, Dec. 4 & 11)
Email: info@magicalwinterlights.com
Fees: Ages 13-64, $21 | Ages 4-12 & ages 65+, $13 (3 & under, free)
The Magical Winter Lights might take place around Christmas in Texas, but it’s actually a nod to the Chinese lantern festivals that have been celebrated for more than 2,000 years. This event held just outside Galveston claims to be the largest lantern festival and holiday celebration in the nation. The grounds boasts seven elaborate lantern attractions, including a Texas-themed section that features a 40-foot cowboy and a Dinosaur Land with realistic-looking dinosaurs and themed rides.
Swing by the market area for unique crafts by Chinese artisans for some last-minute gift ideas, and don’t miss the impressive acrobatic performances that are included with the price of admission. You can also take photos with Santa by the Christmas tree, or snap a selfie with a certain pair of wintry — you could call them “frozen” — sisters in the Fairytale Headquarters.
Moody Gardens
Address: 1 Hope Blvd., Galveston, TX 77554
Dates & Times: Nov. 11 – Jan. 7 | Check the website for hours.
Phone: 800-582-4673
Fees: Tickets start at $10.95 for ages 3+
Since Houston’s beloved AstroWorld went to amusement park heaven, Moody Gardens has taken over as the area’s biggest destination for thrills and fun. No time is that more true than during the holidays. The large park located on Galveston Bay is decorated with more than 1 million twinkling lights along a mile-long trail. While you meander through, you can sip on some hot cocoa, do a little ice skating, or dance to some fun holiday classics. Just don’t forget to swing by and see Santa!
For a little extra treat, drop by Ice Land, where you’ll find elaborate ice carvings of plants, animals, and structures (all decorated with holiday lights, of course), as well as a giant ice slide. For those nostalgic for a chilly white Christmas, Ice Land lets you feel a winter chill — even if just for a moment.
Hello, Trees! A Walking Serenade at Discovery Green
Address: 1500 McKinney, Houston, Texas 77010
Dates & Times: Open daily, Nov. 18 – Feb. 25, 6 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Phone: 713-400-7336
Fees: Free
While not, strictly speaking, a holiday display, Hello, Trees! A Walking Serenade is an interactive light installation that’s definitely worth a drop-by this season. Set up in downtown’s Discovery Green park, the display was inspired by how trees communicate with one another. Speak at one end, and it will respond by turning your voice into a series of lights and sounds. Because the feature changes with every visitor, it provides a truly immersive experience your kids will love to go through again and again. The installation works during the day, as well, making it a great option for families with young kids whose bedtimes are too early for the traditional holiday displays.
Wave Holiday Light Tour
Address: 301 Milam St., Houston, TX 77002 (Market Square Park)
Dates & Times: Dec. 21 – 24, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Phone: 713-863-9283
Fees: Ages 5+, $35 (4 & under, free, if seated in lap)
Why see just one light display when you can see them all? The Wave’s Holiday Light Tour is a hop-on, hop-off guided tour that stops at all the best holiday decorations in and around downtown, including City Hall, Discovery Green, River Oaks, and the Woodland Heights. As a bonus, a portion of ticket sales go to the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, which is currently still working to repair damage to Buffalo Bayou Park caused during Hurricane Harvey.
Note: While the tour is very kid-friendly, some passengers opt to consume alcohol beverages during the tour, so be prepared for all kinds to get on board.
Nite of Lights
Address: Prestonwood Forest Drive, Houston, TX 77070
Dates & Times: Every evening, Dec. 9 – 31
Phone: 281-477-6120
Fees: Free
The Prestonwood Nite of Lights tradition dates back 40 years and boasts rows of homes so brightly lit it would make Clark Griswold blush. Neighbors compete for coveted awards like best mailbox, lamp post, and cul-de-sac, with residents every year aiming to top the best from the year before. Locals and visitors can access a map of homes and routes, as well as vote for their favorites online on the neighborhood’s website. With no admission costs or tickets needed to tour, this event is easily one of the best free holiday spectacles in the Houston area.
Sugar Land Holiday Lights
Address: 1 Stadium Drive, Sugar Land, TX 77498
Dates & Hours: Dec. 1 – Jan. 1 | Sunday – Thursday, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. | Friday & Saturday, 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Phone: 281-240-4487
Fees: Ages 14-54, $14 | Ages 4-13 & ages 55+, $12 (3 & under, free)
For those on the west side of the city (or who don’t mind making the trip), the Sugar Land Holiday Lights is a fun, annual must-see. This all-encompassing event features more than just millions of lights. It also offers food, Santa, shopping, and myriad other activities, making it a great one-stop shop for all your favorite holiday activities. Different days feature different themes and offerings, like ornament painting, lights & leashes (for our furry friends), and military appreciation days.
Dickinson Festival of Lights
Address: 41st St., Dickinson, TX 77539
Dates & Hours:
- Nov. 25 – Dec. 10, Friday – Sunday, 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
- Dec. 15 – 23, Open daily, 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Phone: 713-560-4429
Fees: Free
Dickinson, Texas is about a 40-minute drive southeast of the city, between Houston and Galveston. Every year, residents of this 20,000-person town come to Paul Hopkins Park to set up the steel structures wrapped in colorful lights that make up the city’s famous festival. It’s a labor of love for the community and free for visitors from all over the region. After you stroll through the twinkling tunnels and passed the waving reindeer, stop to decorate cookies (for $1), snap a photo with Santa, or dine at one of the town’s local eateries. The small-town warmth will give you all the feels.
Pro tip: Parking isn’t allowed at the park itself. Instead, a free shuttle will take you from the designated parking at the Dickinson Plaza Shopping Center to the entrance of the festival.
Where is your favorite spot to see holiday lights around Houston? Share them in the comments below!
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