17 Magical Christmas Light Displays | The New England Holiday Bucket List
Brighten up a winter’s night at one of these magical New England seasonal light shows.
Every fence is wrapped hundreds of times with colorful lights.
Photo Credit : Mark FlemingAdd a festive glow to your holiday season by taking in a Christmas light show. These seventeen displays are some of the best around, and for more New England holiday essentials, check out the Yankee’s 2021 feature “The New England Holiday Bucket List.”
Photo Credit : Illustrations by Julia Emiliani
17 Magical Christmas Light Displays
1. Winter Lights at Shelburne Museum | Shelburne, VT
A highlight of one of New England’s newest holiday displays: seeing the historic steamboat Ticonderoga fully aglow, along with the buildings and campus of this family-favorite museum.
2. Lights of Christmas at The Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial | Royalton, VT
Live music, a Nativity scene with real animals, and lights galore make this display at the former home of Mormonism’s founder one of Vermont’s premier holiday illuminations.
3. Gift of Lights at the NH Motor Speedway| Loudon, NH
Only at this time of year does it pay to go slow while driving this 2½-mile race course—otherwise you miss the magic of some 500 eye-popping light displays.
4. Nubble Light | York, ME
While not a light show per se, the annual illumination of this lighthouse just off the Maine coast is one of the region’s most magical sights.
5. Northern Lights | Freeport, ME
Outdoor outfitter L.L. Bean gets into the spirit with a musical light show, a Twinkle Light Tunnel, and whimsical window displays.
Photo Credit : Mark Fleming
6. Gardens Aglow at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens | Boothbay, ME
Sparkly gardens and illuminated walks in the woods beckon at Maine’s biggest yuletide light display.
7. Night Lights at Tower Hill Botanic Garden | Boylston, MA
Grounds, gardens, and galleries twinkling with lights turn these 171 acres into a winter wonderland.
8. ZooLights at Stone Zoo | Stoneham, MA
Stroll through large-scale light displays amid the local residents, including bald eagles, reindeer, porcupines, and arctic foxes.
9. La Salette Shrine | Attleboro, MA
What began as a modest Nativity scene nearly 70 years ago has grown into a spectacular display of more than 300,000 lights.
10. Edaville Christmas Festival of Lights | Carver, MA
Travel by foot, train, or vintage amusement park ride through the millions of lights and creative displays on offer here.
Photo Credit : Alan Freeman
11. Bright Nights at Forest Park | Springfield, MA
The largest holiday light show in New England offers three full miles of wonder as you drive through brilliantly lit displays such as “Seuss Land” and “Jurassic World.”
12. Fantasy of Lights | New Haven, CT
Lighthouse Point Park glows with 100,000-plus lights, 60 animated displays, and the warmth of knowing that proceeds benefit Easter Seals.
13. Holiday Lights at Lake Compounce | Bristol, CT
A summertime theme park transforms into holiday heaven with a few hundred thousand twinkling bulbs, festive light shows, and one giant Christmas tree.
14. Magic of Lights | East Hartford, CT
Rentschler Field is given over to LED lights and digital animation for this drive-through extravaganza that runs through year’s end.
15. Winterfest and the Tunnel of Lights | East Windsor, CT
Climb aboard for a trolley ride through the lights while caroling with the friendly motormen at the Connecticut Trolley Museum.
16. Rhode Island Holiday Light Show | Richmond, RI
This one-mile drive-through experience lets you crank up the radio and sing along to the synced light show.
17. Holiday Lights Spectacular at Roger Williams Park Zoo | Providence, RI
Dinosaurs, reindeer, and smiling snowmen—oh my! These are just a few of the luminous wonders sure to get you into the spirit this season.
