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10 Spectacular Holiday Light Displays Across the U.S.

Cities, parks and gardens offering bright and beautiful seasonal shows

by Gigi Ragland, AARP, Updated November 18, 2021

Holiday lights at Silver Dollar City

Courtesy of Silver Dollar City

Holiday lights at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri

En español | Lights, camera, action! No, it’s not a movie, but there’s plenty of all three involved. A range of destinations, from Phoenix’s Desert Botanical Garden to the Detroit Zoo, offer sparkling holiday light shows and displays from Thanksgiving through New Year’s. Here are 10 beautiful ones around the country.

Gigi Ragland is a Colorado-based travel and food writer whose work has appeared in National Geographic Travel, Hemispheres, Sierra, AFAR, American Cowgirl and many others.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on December 1 , 2020. It's been updated to reflect new information and destinations. 

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