The weather is getting colder and the days are getting shorter, which means it’s time for a beloved holiday tradition that will brighten anyone’s day: Christmas lights.
You don’t have to travel far to experience the dazzling lights of the holidays. Connecticut has many unique Christmas light displays, with everything from museums to holiday tours to boat parades decked out in the bright colors of the season.
Here are 10 Christmas light displays in Connecticut to watch this holiday season.
Holiday Lights at Lake Compounce
Winter nights transform Lake Compounce Amusement Park into a winter wonderland with thousands of twinkling lights. In addition to light displays around the park, guests can enjoy nightly light shows at the main entrance and a 100-foot lighted Christmas tree – the tallest in the state.
Other holiday attractions at the theme park include visits with Santa Claus, caroler performances, family-friendly attractions and concession stands full of festive treats.
Day admission to the park costs $40, and season passes and discounts are also available.
When: Holiday Lights at Lake Compounce runs Friday through Sunday, November 29 through December 29, as well as Thursday, December 26. Opening hours are Thursday and Sunday from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Friday from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM and from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM on Saturday.
Where: Lake Compounce Amusement & Water Park, 185 Enterprise Dr., Bristol, CT
Olde Mistick Village holiday lights spectacular
Busy holiday period? Combine your gift shopping with light viewing at Olde Mistick Village’s Holiday Lights Spectacular. Over the holidays, more than half a million lights will decorate the outdoor mall in New England’s largest holiday light show.
Wandering through the lights in the colonial-style village is free, even after the shops close.
When: The Village Light Show runs from November 22, 2024 through the end of January 2025. Holiday hours for the mall are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. .
Where: Olde Mistick Village, 27 Coogan Blvd., Mystic, CT
Magic of lights
Those who want to see holiday lights from the comfort of their car can head to Pratt & Whitney Stadium, home of the University of Connecticut Huskies, for the drive through Magic of Lights display.
Twinkling lights and creative digital animations come together in unique displays, including a 60-metre-long tunnel and a ‘prehistoric Christmas’ dinosaur exhibit.
Weekday tickets cost $25 per car, and weekend tickets cost $30. Tickets are cheaper if you buy them online, and special discounts are available all week: military members get $5 off on Mondays, all cars can cross twice on Tuesdays trail ride and first responders get $5 off on Wednesdays.
When: Magic of Lights runs from November 22, 2024 through January 4, 2025 in East Hartford. Opening hours are Sunday to Thursday from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM and Friday to Saturday from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
Where: Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, 615 Silver Ln., E. Hartford, CT
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Night of Lights Merry Christmas Hayride
Don’t want to walk or drive? Relax on a Christmas night ride as a tractor-drawn wagon moves through the lighted tree fields and holiday scenes of Fairview Tree Farm. After the ride, guests can warm up at the farm’s campfire with tasty treats, while kids can meet classic holiday characters like Santa and the Grinch.
A seat on the Night of Lights hayride costs $26.50. Tickets must be purchased in advance for a specific time slot.
When: The festive rides at this farm are available Friday through Sunday, November 30 through December 22, with hours from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Where: Fairview Tree Farm, 2 Saw Mill City Road, Shelton, CT
Glow Hartford
During the holiday season, the Connecticut Convention Center is illuminated by Glow Hartford, an indoor lighting display with more than one million lights. Interactive light shows showcase Christmas scenes and impressive structures from around the world, including the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower.
The light show will be accompanied by a vendor marketplace featuring unique gifts and holiday treats from more than 20 local vendors. Children can also enjoy attractions such as a light-up train ride, a scavenger hunt, a playground and visits with Santa Claus.
Tickets to Glow Hartford are $30 for adults, $20 for children ages 5 to 15 or $15 for seniors over 65, military, police, first responders and veterans.
When: From November 29 through December 29, Hartford’s Christmas lights will be on Thursday through Sunday, with additional dates the week before Christmas. Opening hours are from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM on weekdays and from 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays.
Where: Connecticut Convention Center, 100 Columbus Blvd., Hartford, CT
Tunnel of Lights
It may not be the Polar Express, but the Connecticut Trolley Museum offers an authentic Christmas train ride through their “Tunnel of Lights,” illuminated with more than 10,000 tiny lights. Passengers can choose to experience the lights from an open-air trolley car or stay warm with an enclosed car.
After the ride, the museum’s indoor visitor center greets guests with twinkling lights, decorated around elaborate model trains.
General admission tickets cost $16 for closed cars or $21 for open cars, although members’ tickets are offered at a discount. Walk-ins are welcome, but availability is not guaranteed, so it is best to purchase tickets online.
When: The trolleys run every Friday and Sunday from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM from November 29 to December 22.
Where: Connecticut Trolley Museum, 58 N. Road 9606, E. Windsor, CT
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Holiday walk
Equipped with all new displays for the 2024 season, Mill River Park’s Holiday Stroll is an outdoor stroll with a dazzling show of lights and sounds, complete with giant 3D ornaments, a 30-foot interactive Christmas tree and a 13-foot gingerbread house .
In addition to the dazzling lights, the park’s holiday village also includes an ice skating rink, a pop-up holiday bar and several food trucks and vendors. Tickets can be purchased in person or online.
When: The Mill River Park Holiday Walk is open from 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM on select days from November 24 through December 24.
Where: Mill River Park, 1010 Washington Blvd., Stamford, CT
Home for the Holidays Light Extravaganza
Mystic Aquarium is back for a second year with its Home for the Holidays Lights Extravaganza, a holiday light display perfect for animal lovers. Indoor and outdoor habitats, including the beluga exhibit and shark touch gallery, are decked out in Christmas lights and cheer all season long.
Santa Claus will appear at the aquarium each evening, and festive guests such as a gingerbread man and a nutcracker will make special appearances throughout the season. The entire event will be accompanied by live music and refreshments will be available from Quick Bites and the Saltwater Café.
Admission to the holiday aquarium is $28 for the general public and $22 for members.
When: The aquarium’s light show runs Friday through Sunday, November 29 through December 22, and then every day except Christmas until December 31. Opening hours are from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Where: Mystic Aquarium, 55 Coogan Blvd., Mystic, CT
Fantasy of lights
Goodwill of Southern New England’s Fantasy of Lights is back for its 30th year, bringing a dazzling ride through light show to New Haven. Every night during the holidays, Fantasy of Lights Lighthouse transforms Point Park into a glowing world of holiday cheer with light shows of classic Christmas scenes and characters.
Tickets cost $10 per car and all proceeds benefit Goodwill of Southern New England.
When: The New Haven Drive-Through Light Show is open from November 22 through December 31, with hours Sunday through Thursday from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM and Friday through Saturday from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
Where: Lighthouse Point Park, 2 Lighthouse Road, New Haven, CT
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Trees in the rigging
This Essex tradition brings the joy of Christmas lights at sea with a holiday boat parade. The free Trees in the Rigging event, hosted by the Connecticut River Museum, is an all-day event filled with Christmas crafts, a holiday fair and a lantern-lit carol walk.
As the sun sets, guests make their way to the front of the Connecticut River Museum for a parade of boats decked out in dazzling Christmas lights.
When: The River Museum’s annual event takes place on Sunday, December 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The boat parade starts at 5 p.m. in front of the museum.
Where: Connecticut River Museum, 67 Main St., Essex, CT
This article originally appeared in The Patriot Ledger: Where to Find Christmas Light Displays in Connecticut
