This holiday season, Greater Philadelphia offers lots of easy ways to ring in the most wonderful time of the year — and a number of holiday attractions and events are completely free.
Popular attractions like the Electrical Spectacle Holiday Light Show at Franklin Square and Holidays in the Village at Peddler’s Village won’t set you back a dime, and the virtual-for-2020 Macy’s Christmas Light Show and Dickens Village remain free as well.
Of course, the holidays in Greater Philadelphia are different for 2020. Masks are required in all public spaces, as is social distancing. And advance tickets are highly recommended or required at many events and attractions. Your best bet: Plan ahead. Look online or call to get a better sense of what experience to expect. Read more here.
Read on for our guide to free holiday attractions in Philadelphia for 2020.
For even more holiday happenings around the city, check out our roundup of The Holidays in Philadelphia.
Bucks County’s holiday hub features 1 million twinkling lights that make the village shine — and are free to take in. Also free: the attraction’s annual Gingerbread Competition & Display (November 19, 2020 – January 9, 2021), which is a candy-coated sight to behold.
Where: Peddler's Village, 2400 Street Road, New Hope
Responsible for some of the region’s most celebrated snack foods, Herr’s lights up its factory in Nottingham during its annual (and free) light display. Guests drive through the impressive arrangement, which features more than 600,000 lights (90% of which are LED lights) situated throughout the complex.
Where: Herr’s Snack Factory, 271 Old Baltimore Pike, Nottingham
The Plummer family of West Chester take cues from the hilarious Griswold family of the popular National Lampoon movies with this massive annual holiday light display at their home featuring more than 100,000 lights controlled via computer. Bonus: Kids can drop off their letters to Santa here.
Where: 304 Dutton Mill Road, West Chester
October 31, 2020 – February 28, 2021 (dates vary by attraction)
Holiday attractions abound each year in Center City’s Dilworth Park — and a number of them are free. Guests are dazzled by the Deck The Hall Holiday Lights featuring technicolor projections onto City Hall synchronized to holiday music (November 23, 2020 – January 1, 2021). And visitors stroll and snap photos among gorgeous seasonal plants and lights inside the free-to-enter Wintergarden on the Greenfield Lawn. Be sure to bring your wallet for other activities, including the Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink and Cabin, the Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market and more.
Where: Dilworth Park, 1 S. 15th Street
Fashion District Philadelphia — the shopping, dining and entertainment complex in Market East — celebrates another holiday season with a dazzling light show. The space boasts a 45-foot-tall floating tree with giant stainless steel mirror ornaments and a light show timed to music by the Philly POPS. The five-minute show runs every 30 minutes from 4 p.m. until closing every day through New Year’s Eve.
Where: Fashion District Philadelphia, 1100 Market Street
Winter in Franklin Square featuring the Electrical Spectacle Holiday Light Show makes this historic square twinkle, with free shows every night through January 10, 2021. (New for 2020/2021: The lights will remain up, but without the shows, through February 28, 2021.) Among the 100,000 bulbs set to music is a giant, illuminated kite in honor of Founding Father Ben Franklin’s grand electricity experiment. Visitors can also purchase tickets for Chilly Philly Mini Golf (extended through February 28, 2021) and the Parx Liberty Carousel.
Where: Franklin Square, 200 N. 6th Street
For 2020, the dancing lights of the iconic Macy’s Christmas Light Show move online with a brief video tour of the iconic display. What hasn’t changed: the soundtrack from the Wanamaker Organ and the cost (free!). The store’s classic Dickens Village display also goes virtual for 2020. Head to Macy’s official Santaland site to experience these holiday favorites from home, plus follow Santa’s elves on an interactive trip to the North Pole and take a virtual selfie with the Big Guy.
Where: Macy's, 1300 Market Street
At this winter wonderland along the Delaware River, hanging out fireside or in a cozy lodge (register in advance to book your time) is completely free. Purchase tickets to extend your fun with food, drinks, Ferris wheel rides and/or ice skating on a regulation-sized skating rink with a view of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.
Where: Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest, 101 S. Columbus Boulevard
City Hall’s spectacular Holiday Tree — sponsored by Visit Philadelphia — is back for 2020, joining Christmas Village in Philadelphia and Winter at Dilworth Park to create amazing holiday programming that makes Center City the center of the holiday season in Philly. The 50-foot-tall white fir and its 4,000 lights shine bright throughout the holiday season.
Where: City Hall, 1400 John F. Kennedy Boulevard
December 10, 2020 – January 1, 2021 (select dates)
In honor of multicultural holiday celebrations, Philadelphia lights up Boathouse Row with festive colors for Hanukkah (December 10-17, 2020), Christmas (December 19-25, 2020) and Kwanzaa (December 26, 2020 – January 1, 2021). Two great spots to catch the colors: Fairmount Water Works or the platform above the Fairmount Fish Ladder on the Schuylkill River Trail just off Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. (Note that MLK Drive is currently closed to traffic, so guests will need to walk.)
Where: Best seen from Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
November 26, 2020 – January 1, 2021 (select dates)
Philadelphia, one of the country’s most walkable cities, is incredibly easy to navigate either by foot or by public transportation. That just leaves the question: Where to park the car? During the holiday season, no meter parking limits are enforced on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. Plus, meter parking is free every Saturday after 11 a.m. from Thanksgiving Day to New Year’s Day.
The Visit Philly Overnight Package — booked more than 190,000 times since 2001 — comes with free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia), overnight hotel accommodations and choose-your-own-adventure perks.
A guide to the most wonderful time of the year in Philadelphia and the Countryside...