2026 Guide to Philly's Top Holiday Light Shows & Tours

The Wintergarden on the Greenfield Lawn — part of Winter at Dilworth Park — adds a bit of festive greenery and illumination to the southern end of Dilworth Park.

Grab a cup of warm mulled wine from the Chaddsford Winery kiosk (21 and up) to sip on as you stroll beneath the hundreds of twinkling lights and overhead sculptures that transform the open-air oasis into a dazzling winter wonderland.  

Don’t miss: The block-wide holiday party that includes the Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market, the Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink and Cabin ak Christmas Village in Philadelphia across the street (see below)

The hills of Northwest Philly come alive for the seventh annual Manayunk Gets Lit display along the bustling neighborhood’s Main Street. Each holiday season, the entire corridor — more than 50 storefronts in all — gets a glow-up, illuminated by over 80,000 holiday lights.

The coolest way to take in Manayunk’s displays is from the free Jolly Trolley, which runs the length of Main Street and often features on-board carolers, performers and musicians (December 4-19, 2026, select dates).

Don’t miss: The annual tree lighting ceremony at Canal View Park kicks things off on Thursday, November 19, 2026. 

Historic Franklin Square welcomes the season with a bevy of family winter attractions, festive activities and holiday celebrations. The most brilliant: the Electrical Spectacle Light Show presented by PECO.

The centerpiece of the park’s holiday festivities, Franklin Square’s free nightly light show — inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s kite-and-key electricity experiment — illuminates the square every half hour with hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights choreographed to a soundtrack of seasonal tunes like Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by The Philly Specials. 

Don’t miss: Chilly Philly Mini Golf, Street Curling, and cocktails and seasonal treats at Frosty’s Fireside Winter Pop-Up Bar

With more than 65 specialty shops perfect for holiday shopping, picturesque Peddler’s Village in Bucks County rings in the holiday season with yuletide cheer and festive decor.

La Grand Illumination sets the village aglow for the season with one million twinkling lights, as Santa personally ushers in the festivities during Holiday Kickoff Weekend (November 20 to 22, 2026). 

Shop through sunset and stay to enjoy the holiday glow each night after 4:30 p.m.

Know before you go: All festivities are free to attend.

Stroll through a decked-out German village without leaving Philadelphia at the annual Christmas Village in Philadelphia, a Bavarian-style holiday marketplace with 100-plus vendors lining LOVE Park and City Hall.

The glowing, 30-foot-tall German Christmas pyramid — a windmill-like structure illuminated by over 3,000 festive lights alone — returns for 2026, as do the 65-foot Ferris wheel and the double-decker Christmas Village carousel. 

Free to attend with pay-as-you-go shopping, dining and attractions, the Yuletide destination runs for two extra days this year. 

Don’t miss: Sipping on a toasted marshmallow martini (new for 2026!) from the Snowflake Cocktail Bar as you enjoy the festive ambiance

November 27 – December 18, 2026 (Fridays)

A celebration of the ubiquitous Christmas luminaire — the decorative candle-in-paper-bag holiday lanterns that line walkways, driveways and curbs across the region — set Skippack aglow during Illuminaire Nights in the historic Skippack Village shopping district in Montgomery County.

To welcome the holiday season, the luminaires frame the sidewalks outside stores and restaurants on Friday nights from 5 to 8 p.m., with many shops extending their open hours and typically offering special surprises for shoppers.

Fun fact: Local entrepreneurs run all of Skippack’s shops and restaurants.

Experience a Penn’s Landing winter wonderland as the free Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest sets up on the Delaware River waterfront for its 33rd season.

Fantastic light displays viewable here include the thousands of sparkling string lights wrapping the festival’s signature holiday tree, which springs to life for the first time during the Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony on Sunday, November 28, 2026.

Admission to Winterfest is free, with pay-as-you-go concessions and activities. 

Don’t miss: Gliding around the NHL-sized ice skating rink (tickets required)

At its corporate headquarters in Northeast Philadelphia, the lights shine brightly each holiday season during American Heritage Credit Union’s Grand Illumination, with two 40-foot-tall Christmas trees, hundreds of wreaths and more than 400,000 twinkling lights.

The celebration begins with the kickoff event on Saturday, November 28, 2026, featuring seasonal music, costumed Ben Franklin and Betsy Ross, and more, with the on button hit for the first time at 7 p.m.

Know before you go: Bring canned food donations to help the credit union meet its goal of gathering 20,000 pounds of food to donate this holiday season.

Neighbors on the 1600 block of South 13th Street (between Tasker Street and Morris Street in East Passyunk) have worked together every year for over three decades to create elaborate presentations that adorn their neighborhood for the Miracle on South 13th Street Holiday Light Display.

Stroll the block and take in each home’s decked-out decor from traditional twinkles to elaborate themed dioramas between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. nightly. 

Know before you go: The fun kicks off with family-friendly entertainment and visits from Santa during the Opening Night Block Party on November 28, 2026. 

Displaying thousands of colorful lights atop a sparkling base for 2026, the official Philly Holiday Tree — a magnificently trimmed, towering Concolor Fir — illuminates the north apron of City Hall (North Broad Street and JFK Boulevard) each holiday season. 

The 75-year-old tree is lit for the first time this season during a 6 p.m. tree-lighting celebration — which typically features live music, free giveaways, complimentary hot chocolates and warm apple ciders, and more (Thursday, December 3, 2026).

Know before you go: The tree-lighting is free to attend.

One of the countryside’s most extensive community light displays, the Rose Tree Festival of Lights has lit up the 120-acre Rose Tree County Park in Medya for more than five decades.

Guests — even four-legged ones — are invited to enjoy live entertainment, food truck eats and shopping with local vendors during the attraction’s Delco Fare & Flair Nights (December 3, 5, 6, 12 and 13, 2026).

Know before you go: The nightly display welcomes visitors from 5:30 to 9 p.m., with an extra hour to enjoy the lights on Fridays and Saturdays. 

The streets of West Chester take on a magical quality this time of year, as dozens of restaurants and boutiques don sparkly holiday lights to welcome the season. 

The annual Tree Lighting and West Chester Christmas Parade kick off the festivities for the season, as the switch gets flipped to light thousands of LED lights adorning the 28-foot tree. 

The annual event also features live dance and musical performances, marching bands, floats and more.

Know before you go: The event is rain or shine.

Celebrate the holiday season with furry and feathered friends like Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster and Abby Cadabby at Langhorne’s Sesame Place, one of only two Sesame Street theme parks in the world. 

Each year, the Bucks County attraction transforms into a winter wonderland for A Very Furry Christmas, featuring millions of lights, themed rides, festive holiday decorations, a special Christmas Parade, gifts and a visit with Santa in the Furry Workshop, plus the spectacular 1-2-3 Christmas Tree music-and-lights show.

Know before you go: Access to A Very Furry Christmas is included with regular admission.

November 19, 2026 – January 2, 2027 (select dates)

The immersive LumiNature display transforms the Philadelphia Zoo into an illuminated wonderland with thousands of twinkling lights.

Get the perfect selfie in front of the pink flamingo tree, and take the littles to make their holiday gift requests during a visit with the big man himself in Santa’s Lodge. Top it off with seasonal fare, live performers, hot chocolate and adult beverages. Tickets are required.

Don’t miss: Going for a whirl on the 110-foot-tall Pherris Wheel (separate tickets required), which offers unbeatable views of all the lights from the sky

November 20 – December 30, 2026 (select dates)

Festive holiday vibes come to the furry, fuzzy and feathered residents of the Elmwood Park Zoo. La Montco zoo shines bright during the holiday season, with millions of LED lights illuminating the attraction’s 16 acres during Wild Lights.

The walk-through experience features brilliant light displays, live entertainment, animal meet and greets, and photo ops with characters and Mr. Claus himself during the evening hours. Also look out for seasonal snacks and brews at the beer garden.

Know before you go: Tickets are required for entry.

Enjoy an intergalactic holiday display at A Longwood Christmas this season, as the award-winning horticultural garden channels the “majesty of the cosmos” for this year’s theme. 

Expect hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights and spectacular illuminated fountain shows to create a winter wonderland at the Kennett Square attraction. 

Marvel at miles of outdoor lights setting the gardens aglow, then step inside the festively floral and invitingly warm conservatories decked out with poinsettias and plentiful cosmic decor.

Know before you go: Timed tickets are required to visit.

More than four million twinkling lights illuminate the night at this rolling Bucks County farm. Take in the show from the comfort of your car or in the open air while snuggled up in a wagon with loved ones (weather permitting).

After taking in the whimsical light displays, be sure to stop by Santa’s Village for some face time with the big man and to warm up with festive drinks and snacks by the fire pits.

Know before you go: Planning a special holiday outing? Rent your very own private wagon or fire pit to roast up some s’mores. 

November 22 – December 30, 2026 (select dates)

One of the country’s largest outdoor model train displays gets its annual winter makeover to become the Holiday Garden Railway.

Located inside the 100-acre Morris Arboretum & Gardens, G-scale mini locomotives wind through loops, tunnels, bridges and replicas of beloved Philly landmarks beneath a canopy of thousands of twinkling lights. 

Enjoy the trains during daytime hours when you purchase general admission, but come sunset, the display transforms into The Nighttime Express, with separate timed tickets required.

Know before you go: Tickets to the Holiday Garden Railway go on sale to the public on Monday, November 9, 2026.

November 29, 2026 – January 1, 2027 (select dates)

Over half a million lights are on display during the walk-through Carnival of Lights across the fields of the Norco Fire Company in Pottstown, Montgomery County, all digitally synchronized to a selection of holiday music.

Admission to the event includes the holiday light walk, unlimited amusement rides and visits with Santa, with food, games, mechanical reindeer, items at the craft market, and photos with St. Nick offered pay as you go. 

Know before you go: On Wednesday, December 16, 2026, the attraction presents a Sensory Friendly Night, with steady-lit lights, lower volume music and an available quiet room.

December 18, 2026 – January 2, 2027 (select dates)

Prolific artist the late Isaiah Zagar’s mosaicked masterpiece, the Magic Gardens Museum, rocks an extra special festive glow this season. Hundreds of vibrant lights transform the 3,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor artistic dreamscape into a magical winter wonderland for its Gardens After Dark holiday display.

Explore the Ri Sid attraction’s famed outdoor space — completely covered in beautiful mosaics constructed from colorful glass tiles and found objects like bicycle tires — and its rarely seen mosaicked basement as they shimmer under the twinkling lights.

Know before you go: Tickets are required.

The heated and festively decorated vintage trolley for the BYOB Holiday Lights Trolley Tour makes stops at LOVE Park, Franklin Square, Smedley Street and more (subject to change) over the two-hour tour, with trivia and prizes while on board.

But the fun begins beforehand as attendees meet up an hour ahead at the tour-start location — Urban Village Brewing in Northern Liberties — to check in, meet your tour guide and grab a free snack. 

Know before you go: Only revelers 21 and older can enjoy this festive tour.

First started in 2015, Founding Footsteps is a homegrown Philly mom-and-pop operation — and the company’s BYOB Holiday Light Tour was the first of its kind in the city.

Today, Founding Footsteps has expanded into a year-round tour company, with its Philly-original Holiday Light Tour featuring on-board local live musicians serenading attendees with sing-along holiday tunes.

The two-hour tour begins in front of Craft Hall in Northern Liberties before rolling to a number of sites, with hop-off stops at Smedley Street and Franklin Square.

Know before you go: The tour is BYOB (beer or wine only) for those 21 and over.

Long-running 76 Carriage Company, home to Philadelphia Trolley Works and The Big Bus Company, offers its festive, ticketed Holiday Lights Tour each holiday season.

Step aboard the classic Victorian trolley for a 90-minute tour of the region’s best holiday illuminations, including the Miracle on South 13th Street, City Hall and Dilworth Park, and Smedley Street (where the trolley stops for about 15 minutes).

Individual tours meet in front of the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, and large groups can choose from three pick-up locations. 

Know before you go: The tour is BYOB (beer or wine only) for those 21 and over.

Hop-on-hop-off City Sightseeing Philadelphia has been operating expert-guided bus tours for over a quarter century. Come holiday time, the company offers Center City tours aboard its Victorian trolleys, highlighting some of Philly’s favorite light displays.

Each hour-and-a-half ride — decked out with colorful lights, holiday decor and sing-along music — begins and ends in front of the Bourse Building on Independence Mall and hits sites including LOVE Park, Franklin Square and Smedley Street (where the trolley stops for about 15 minutes). 

Know before you go: The trolley is BYOB (beer or wine only) for those 21 and over.