Philadelphia’s Best Holiday Light Shows and Christmas Lights for 2022

Through Sunday, January 1, 2023

The city’s magnificent holiday tree, presented by Visit Philadelphia (hey, that’s us!), is perched proudly on the north side of City Hall, around the corner from all the wintry fun in Dilworth Park and Christmas Village in Philadelphia at LOVE Park. A tree-lighting celebration for the 55-foot tall tree on Thursday, December 1, 2022 at 7 p.m. invites residents and visitors to see the tree sparkle for the first time this season. The tree remains at City Hall through New Year’s Day.

Through Saturday, January 7, 2023

This immersive display transforms the Philadelphia Zoo’s day-scape into a nighttime multimedia spectacle. After the animals are tucked away for the evening, the zoo lights up with more than 1 million holiday lights in 14 distinct zones. New displays for 2022 — including a 15-foot-tall glowing blue gorilla and an under-the-sea-inspired holiday tree — join familiar favorites like a 100-foot-long aquarium tunnel (complete with enormous jellyfish) and a 21-foot-tall brilliantly bright snake. Timed tickets are required.

Through Sunday, February 26, 2023

During Winter in Franklin Square programming, the Electrical Spectacle Light Show presented by PECO makes this historic square twinkle, with free shows featuring more than 200,000 twinkling lights — the most ever — running every 30 minutes from 5 p.m. until close. Also up for 2022: comfort food, local brews and hot beverages at Ben’s Sweets and Treats (plus, outdoor fire pits and an indoor heated tent); Chilly Philly Mini Golf; and the Parx Liberty Carousel.

November 18 – December 30, 2022 (select dates)

Norristown’s Elmwood Park Zoo shines (quite literally) during the holiday season, with millions of LED lights illuminating the Montco attraction’s 16 acres during Wild Lights. The walk-through experience features brilliant light displays and live entertainment during the evening hours. Tickets are required.

Each holiday season, Kennett Square’s world-renowned Longwood Gardens transforms into a winter wonderland during the hugely popular A Longwood Christmas. This year’s theme, The Art of Christmas, features floating floral displays, dozens of holiday trees draped in gilded garland, enchanting treehouses and luminous outdoor light displays. Tickets are required.

With more than 60 specialty shops perfect for holiday shopping, Peddler’s Village’s charm and beautiful, festive decorations help ring in the season — as do the attraction’s 1 million twinkling lights, set to cover its buildings and trees beginning on November 18, 2022. Also at Peddler’s this year: The free Gingerbread Competition & Display returns with more than 75 creative entries (November 18, 2022 – January 8, 2023), and families watch Santa parade through the Village during Holly Jolly Weekend (December 3-4, 2022). The best part? Admission and parking for the lighting and gingerbread displays is completely free all season long.

Everyone’s furry friends at Sesame Place get into the holiday spirit with millions of twinkling lights strung throughout the park. A 30-foot-tall tree serves as the centerpiece, projecting festive animated images as a holiday soundtrack plays. Santa kicks things off on November 19, 2022, when he comes to light the tree for the first time. Tickets are required.

Choose how you go dashing through the show: Take an open-air wagon ride or opt for the comfort of your own car through the grounds of Yardley’s Shady Brook Farm to marvel at more than 3 million lights — yes, 3 million — fashioned into holiday icons and scenes. Included with admission: the walk-through Candy Cane Lane light show. Timed tickets required.

City Hall comes alive for the holiday season as the western façade of the historic building lights up with stunning technicolor projections that are synchronized to sound effects during the nightly (and free!) Deck The Hall Light Show. The must-see lighting display kicks off at the top of the hour at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. each night. The show is just one of the winter pop ups that abound at Dilworth Park each holiday season, where strings of lights also illuminate trees and shine overhead the Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink, the Wintergarden on the Greenfield Lawn, the Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market and the Rothman Orthopedics Cabin.

The potato chip and snack creators at Herr’s delight residents and visitors with a different type of treat during the holiday season: a free lighting display on the campus of its Nottingham-based factory. Guests drive through the grounds each night after dusk to see the impressive arrangement, which features more than 600,000 lights. Plan accordingly: This is a BYO snacks affair.

Starts Thursday, November 24, 2022

The little lights will be twinkling and local power companies will be on alert as the Plummer family of West Chester lights up their home with more than 100,000 computer-controlled lights, taking a cue from the Griswold family of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation fame. This year, the flip switches after dark on Thanksgiving. The DIY display also serves as a hub for letters to Santa. Hundreds of wish lists are forwarded to the big guy from the Plummer residence each year.

The whole Comcast Center Campus shines bright during the holiday season, with twinkling lights covering the trees at ground level around Center City’s largest skyscrapers. Inside the Comcast Center lobby, The Comcast Holiday Spectacular wows visitors with a seasonal show on one of the world’s largest continuous LED video walls. The 15-minute show features impressive visuals, classic holiday tunes and performances from the Philadelphia Ballet. The show kicks off at the top of every hour from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. Sensory-friendly shows are available every Thursday and Friday at 2:30 p.m. and at other times upon request.

Also back from 2022 is The Universal Sphere, a free cinematic experience (advanced reservations encouraged) created by Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks Animation, Universal Parks & Resorts and Comcast Labs, located in the upper lobby of the Comcast Technology Center. Shows run daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the last daily show starting at 7:45 p.m.

This one is a time-honored Philly staple: See classic holiday characters like the Nutcracker and Frosty the Snowman all lit up and dancing to a soundtrack from the Wanamaker Organ in Macy’s Grand Court during the Macy’s Christmas Light Show, narrated by Julie Andrews. The show runs:

• Mondays through Thursdays: 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
• Fridays through Sundays: 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m.
• Christmas Eve: 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.

Returning for a second year to the Fairground at The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks, this holiday experience is powered by an astounding 1.2 million twinkling lights. Intricate displays include a 60-foot, walk-through light tunnel, illuminated recreations of Philly landmarks and tributes to Philly’s thriving sports teams.

Bask in the glow of thousands of lights without ever leaving your car at this holiday drive-thru at the Philadelphia Mills Mall in Northeast Philly. Bonus: The lights are synched to music that can be accessed over the radio. Looking for a holiday deal? Special ticket packages are available online, including a few that come with light-up toys for the kiddos to take home. Note that tickets must be purchased ahead of time.

Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest — one of Philly’s favorite winter traditions — brings the holiday spirit to the Delaware River waterfront. The winter wonderland offers guests a chance to go skating at the city’s largest outdoor rink, cozy up at one of the warming cabins and fire-pit stations, and gaze at the twinkling lights and holiday tree — all while overlooking the Delaware River. Plus, there are carnival games and holiday markets on select dates. A tree-lighting celebration on December 2, 2022, kicks off the official launch of the holidays on the waterfront.

Lights turn on Saturday, November 26, 2022

Neighbors on the 1600 block of South 13th Street work together on the elaborate display that adorns their street for the Miracle on South 13th Street. Stroll down the block and take in each home’s decked-out decor. If you’re driving, expect traffic slowdowns.

November 26 – December 23, 2022 (select dates)

What’s better than seeing a model train traverse a quarter-mile of track? Seeing it awash in twinkling holiday lights. The annual Holiday Garden Railway brings a mini-winter wonderland to the historic Morris Arboretum, and on weekends, visitors can purchase after-hours tickets for a festive viewing experience as G-scale model trains chug through tunnels and over bridges, past perfect little replicas of beloved Philadelphia landmarks with lighted trees and other bright fauna. Advanced tickets are required.

During the holiday season, this Bustleton credit union serves as way more than a place to do banking, doubling as a holiday attraction featuring two 40-foot-tall trees and over 400,000 lights. The festivities begin with a kickoff event on November 26, 2022, complete with a fireworks show and a holiday concert featuring the Ukrainian Children’s Choir Soloveiky and the New Jersey Fifes and Drums. Local legends Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross are also in attendance to add some Philly flair to the proceedings.

November 27, 2022 – mid-January 2023 (TBA)

A massive community-wide affair, the Smedley Street Christmas Light Spectacular has illuminated the 2700 block of Smedley Street in South Philadelphia for over half a century. From blow-up decorations to trees covered in string lights, these neighbors do festive nights right. New for 2022: candy cane lane archways, teardrop lights and, for those with eagle eyes, Olaf from Frozen in the trees. Don’t miss the chance for big bear hugs in the white-picket-fence-enclosed Santa’s Workshop.

This two-day event — now at the King of Prussia Mall for 2022 — features hundreds of holiday trees brilliantly decorated for the season by local florists, designers, artists and more. Skip the line by buying timed tickets ahead of time ($10 for adults, $5 for children ages 5-18). Bonus: Proceeds benefit local animal shelters and rescues.

The historic rowing clubs of Boathouse Row are awash in constantly changing colored lights this season, celebrating multicultural holidays for Hanukkah (December 18 to December 23, 2022); Christmas (December 24-25, 2022); and Kwanzaa (December 26, 2022 to January 1, 2023). 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.