Holiday Lights in Houston

City Lights DownTown Holiday Magic
Nov. 22 - Dec. 31, 2024

City Lights Downtown Holiday Magic, presented by Shell Energy, is pulling out all the stops to transform Downtown Houston into the perfect winter wonderland with 11 unique themed villages. Open to the public and mostly free to enter, these sites offer an ice-skating rink, lights to gaze at, and activities to brighten the season for the whole family.

Enjoy Deck The Trees, Land of Sweets, Ice @ Discovery Green, Texas Winter Lights, Twinkle Town, Mistletoe Square, Winter Wonderlawn, Sugar Plum Plaza, Jingle Town, Peppermint Plaza, Snow Glow at the Bayou, and City Hall-iday Lights.

EXPORE 12 UNIQUE VILLAGES

Zoo Lights 
Nov.22, 2024 – Jan. 5, 2025
5:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. (last entry at 9:30 p.m.)

A favorite holiday tradition among Houston families, Zoo Lights at the Houston Zoo will once again wow visitors with its impressive array of attractions. Experience the Holiday Grove with animal-themed lanterns and dancing trees under the great oak trees wrapped in winter lights. Snap a photo at Snowy Slopes. Stroll through the vibrant Enchanted Forest. Snap a photo at Geo Prism Safari. Enjoy Winter Wonderland and visit the Polar Bear display in Flamingo Terrace. Don’t forget to stop by Santa’s Workshop to say hi and to take a photo with Santa in his workshop at Twiga Café until December 23. New this year: Take a photo in front of the brand new Whimsical Wildlife Tree at the end of the Reflection Pool. Enjoy cookie decorating and more at Twiga Cafe and Cypress Circle Cafe. Stroll through an immersive Twinkle Trail in African Forest and discover pathways of colorful moving lights. Make sure you buy your tickets online before you go. Tickets will not be sold at the gate.

Self-Guided River Oaks Christmas Lights Tour
Nov. 25 – Dec. 26, 2024

If you want to see one of Houston’s most beautiful neighborhoods transformed into a magical Christmas village, head to River Oaks. The residents of River Oaks spare no expense in adorning their homes and properties with thousands of Christmas lights. Start at the River Oaks Country Club and work your way around the neighborhood. The intriguing lighting displays and fanciful mansions are truly reminiscent of your favorite Hallmark holiday movies.

Self-Guided Christmas Lights Tour in The Heights
Dec. 1 – Dec. 25, 2024

The charming Heights neighborhood has some of the best light displays in the city. Drive or walk around admiring the beautiful craftsman-style architecture of the area looking even more beautiful decorated for the holidays. Try starting Highland and Omar streets, between Studewood and Florence, and explore the area from there.

Galaxy Lights
Nov. 16, 2024 – Jan. 5, 2025
6  – 10 p.m. Daily 

Space Center Houston is ready to welcome you to an out-of-this world lights experience this holiday season. During Galaxy Lights, visitors experience interactive, technologically advanced displays like kinetic light shows, where dozens of suspended lights move to music in precise choreographed sequences. Other attractions include a light tunnel, an indoor meteor shower, and a brand new interactive show – “Celebrate Light” – that explores the science behind light. The show takes place every hour starting at 6:30 p.m. with the last show starting at 9:30 p.m.

Radiant Nature
Nov.8, 2024 - Feb.23, 2025

In its second year at the Garden, more than 50 larger-than-life Chinese lantern installations come to life in stunning displays that showcase the beauty of nature and celebrate the promise of the Lunar New Year in a spectacular way. Radiant Nature, presented by Reliant, is an unforgettable adventure for the entire family. Radiant Nature, presented by Reliant, is an unforgettable adventure for the entire family. The highlights include towering ginkgo and pine trees, a majestic Chinese temple, a geometric dome, pandas with bamboo, and much more. The interactive zone again features illuminated swings and an angel wings photo spot, plus a collection of new immersive, Instagram-worthy features sure to put a smile on the faces of visitors of all ages.

Classic Christmas
Nov.16 - Dec. 29, 2024

Step into a world of real holiday magic at Coca-Cola's Classic Christmas. This season, cherished holiday traditions come to life at Memorial City Mall (303 Memorial City Houston, TX 77024) amid a spectacle of dazzling lights. Crafted by the creators of the renowned World's Largest Christmas Light Maze, Enchant Christmas, this immersive holiday celebration promises to create unforgettable moments of togetherness and joy at this beloved time of year. Holiday revelers can look forward to an array of joyful activities and cherished experiences, ensuring a season full of happiness and wonder, including larger-than-life light displays, a market square, a snow slide, live entertainment, and more.

Uptown 2024 Holiday Season
Nov. - Dec. 2024

This holiday season in Uptown, you can expect the sights and sounds of Christmas, like the 300 dazzling holiday trees along Post Oak Boulevard and 1000 twinkling stars, to be adorning the area in festive lights. Uptown will be illuminated earlier than ever this year, which means we can enjoy the magic together even longer! Download the Uptown Radio app for wonderful holiday music, synched to the majestic sweeps of holiday tree lights along Post Oak Boulevard. The easy-to-use app is more than a music player. You can get directions, local weather, and explore Uptown’s ultimate shopping, delicious dining options, and more. Grab your earbuds and a friend, and enjoy the show. The Uptown Radio app is available on both Apple and Google App Stores.

Sugar Land Holiday Lights
Nov. 15, 2024 – Jan. 5, 2025
Sun. – Thurs. 6 pm. – 9 p.m., Fri. – Sat. 6 p.m. – 10 p.m., New Year's Eve 6 p.m. - Midnight

Just 20 minutes south of Houston, you’ll find a sparkling wonderland! The 11th annual Sugar Land Holiday Lights, presented by Houston Methodist, returns to Constellation Field. Bring your friends and family out to enjoy over 3.5 million lights, a dazzling 40 ft. lit-up tree, light shows, numerous themed displays, Santa Claus (through 12/23), holiday vendors, food, and so much more! New in 2024: Fans can enjoy a synthetic ice rink on the field each night of Sugar Land Holiday Lights! When purchasing tickets, be sure to include your Ice Skating ticket add-on in your cart screen.

Make sure to check out the calendar of events to find out more about themed nights, discounts, and holiday movie showings.

Moody Gardens Festival of Lights
Nov. 23, 2024 – Jan. 1, 2025
4 p.m. – 10 p.m. Daily

Enjoy a festive stroll along the mile-long illuminated trail at Moody Gardens’s Festival of Lights. Featuring 2 million lights themed to holiday music with spectacular views of Galveston Bay, this beautiful attraction will get the whole family into the holiday spirit. Along the way, visitors can enjoy concession areas, hot chocolate, s’mores and plenty of opportunities for pictures. Moody Gardens also hosts other holiday activities, such as holiday 3D films, train rides, and an arctic slide.

Annual Nite of Lites
Dec. 11, 2024 – Jan. 2, 2025

The residents of Prestonwood Forest in Northwest Houston have been decorating their homes in grand fashion since the 1970s. Hundreds of homes participate in the neighborhood's annual Nite of Lites event. Neighbors compete in several categories, such as best block, best all-around, best house, best special effects, and even best mailbox. Start on Prestonwood Forest Drive, just off of Texas Highway 249, and you’re sure to run into other cars lining up to experience the neighborhood’s holiday hoopla.

The Light Park at Hurricane Harbor Splashtown
Nov. 1, 2024 – Jan. 1, 2025
5:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.

The Light Park is a very merry, drive-thru spectacular at Hurricane Harbor Splashtown. Brighten your holiday with this festive and safe holiday light display near Spring. This holiday attraction features millions of lights synchronized to a festive mix of music. Tickets start at $29 per vehicle, so pack your cars, bring some holiday treats and enjoy the ride. Keep in mind that tickets must be purchased online in advance with a reserved show time.

Magical Winter Lights
Fort Bend County Fairgrounds, 4310 TX-36 S, Rosenberg, TX 77471
Nov. 15, 2024 – Jan. 5, 2025

Explore illuminated castles and world landmarks, peek under the sea and step into imaginary lands of delight and adventure at Magical Winter Lights (MWL) in Rosenberg, Texas. Encompassing more than 7 dazzling themed displays and with more than 6-million lights, the 2023 MWL is held all holiday season from November 15, 2024, to January 5, 2025, including Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.

Happy Holiday Season!

Whether before or after viewing Houston's holiday light displays, discover holiday events the family won't want to miss and view our exclusive hotel deals if you want to be closer to family in town for the holiday season--but not too close.