✨ Updated for 2023 ✨
It's not yet Thanksgiving, but with the sun setting earlier and the weather getting colder, soon many light displays will open for the season. Here is a guide to several of the best holiday light displays in our area. We've separated options by location and noted prices and if the display is one to walk through or drive through.
= Walk-through displays
= Drive-through displays
Maryland
✨ Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens (Wheaton, MD)
Open: November 17 to Dec 31 (not open November 20-23 or December 24-25)
Price: $10 per person
✨ Festival of Lights at the Mormon Temple (Kensington, MD)
Open: TBA
Price: Free!
✨ Winter City Lights (Olney, MD)
Open: November 18 to December 30 (select days)
Price: $31 to $39 per person
✨ Zoo Lights at the Maryland Zoo (Baltimore, MD)
Open: November 18 to January 31
Price: $36 per person
✨ LuminoCity at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds (Gaithersburg, MD)
Open: November 24 to January 15 (Every day except Tuesdays; Closed Dec 24 & 25; open Dec 26)
Price: $19 to $35 per person
✨ Merriweather Symphony of Lights (Columbia, MD)
Open: November 23 to January 1
Price: $25 per car / $14 per person walk through nights
Certifikid Deal for Discounted Tickets on Select Weekday Nights at the Symphony of Lights
Merriweather Symphony of Lights Holiday Drive-Through
— View deal on CertifiKID
Select Weekdays in November & December
✨ Winter Lights Festival at Seneca Creek State Park (Gaithersburg, MD)
Open: November 24 to December 1 (Closed December 25)
Price: Monday to Thursday $15 per car; Friday to Sunday $25 per car
✨ Festival of Lights at Watkins Regional Park (Upper Marlboro, MD)
Open: November 24 to January 1
Price: $10 online per car; $15 per car at the gate per car
DC
✨ Zoo Light at the National Zoo (NW Washington, DC)
Open: November 24 to December 30
Price: $6 per person and $30 parking fee (passes needed for entry)
✨ Enchant at Nationals Park (SE Washington, DC)
Open: November 24 to December 31
Price: $24+ per child tickets; $34+ for adult tickets depending on date and time
✨ National Christmas Tree (NW Washington, DC)
Open: December 2 to January 1
Price: Free!
✨ District Dazzle (Various Locations throughout Washington, DC)
Open: November 17 to January 7
Price: Free!
Virginia
✨ Winter Lantern Festival (Tysons, VA)
Open: November 24 to February 18 (Select Dates)
Price: $30 per adult ticket; $20 per child ticket
✨ Meadowlark Botanical Garden's Winter Walk of Lights (Vienna, VA)
Open: November 10 to January7
Price: $16 to $18 per ticket depending on date
✨ Bull Run Festival of Lights (Centreville, VA)
Open: November 10 to January 7
Price: $30 per car
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