The Best Holiday Lights in Los Angeles

During the holidays, dazzling light displays throughout Los Angeles bring the city to vibrant life at night. From traditional lighting ceremonies to festive decorations at popular attractions and local neighborhoods throughout the city, here are the best holiday light displays in LA.

The City of Los Angeles ushers in this festive season with the lighting of the official L.A. County Christmas Tree on Monday, November 27. Taking place at 5pm on Jerry Moss Plaza at the Music Center, the all-ages event invites Angelenos to gather around a magnificent Christmas tree dressed in its holiday finest. The festivities include a holiday marketplace, hot cocoa and live music.

The landmark Union Station in Downtown LA is hosting the 8th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Monday, November 20. Taking place on the South Patio from 6pm to 8:30pm, the free ceremony includes live performances by Mariachi Los Servidores and The Beverly Belles; special guests from the North Pole, hot cocoa and sweet treats, holiday arts & crafts, Santa selfies, photo booth and more.

Experience a magical holiday show as 18 million hues of lights illuminate the night and synchronize to festive tunes. SPARKLE DTLA at The Bloc will take you through an unforgettable nighttime journey that includes one of LA’s largest multi-colored interactive holiday displays. Capture your perfect photo-op moments at this ultimate holiday experience.

SPARKLE DTLA kicks off with the Grand Debut on Thursday, November 16:

• Free and open to all ages
• Giveaway to iHeart Jingle Ball Concert 1 Pair for Floor Level
• Hot cocoa & sweet treats
• Ugly sweater voting competition
• iHeart 102.7 KIIS-FM DJ Santana and Host EJ
• Live ice sculpture carving
• The Bloc retailer activations

LA Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow features an immersive landscape filled with spectacular lantern sculptures of animals among blooming flowers, towering trees, and more for a wildlife-centered experience that’s as inspiring as it is breathtaking.

This year’s experience features all-new seasonal wonders, including a magical Winter Wildlands with majestic pine trees, glowing ice crystals, snow-loving animals, views of the “northern lights,” and photo ops for the ultimate holiday snaps.

• Take a self-guided 60- to 90-minute stroll through a large area of the Zoo filled with wildlife-inspired lantern displays, festive photo ops, interactive experiences, and roaming live entertainment.
• Discover all-new wonders like the holiday-themed Winter Wildlands, the Dazzling Desertscape, magnificent scenes of native California wildlife, and much more.
• Get interactive and dance along with motion-sensing cacti, play on luminous swings, challenge the family to a round of holiday hopscotch, enter a giant walk-in kaleidoscope and more.
• Warm up with hot cocoa and other tasty treats available for purchase. Guests 21 and older can enjoy beer, wine and spiked hot chocolate.
• Add to the lightscape with glowing merchandise available for purchase.
• Enjoy a spin on the carousel for an additional fee.
• Park for free any night!

Tickets are on sale at the LA Zoo website. Admission for this all-ages evening program is separate from daytime Zoo admission. VIP experiences and a sensory-inclusive evening are also available. No live animals will be on view during evening events.

The Safari Shuttle will not be running during LA Zoo Nights. Manual and electric wheelchairs and strollers will be available to rent on a first-come, first-served basis.

Enchanted Forest of Light is an interactive nighttime experience that features a one-mile walk through stunning lighting displays in some of the most beloved areas of Descanso Gardens.

Popular returning favorites include an entire town of magical “stained glass” creations built in the Main Lawn by contemporary sculptor Tom Fruin; sparkling geometric installations from HYBYCOZO in the Rose Garden; Flower Power on the Promenade; and exquisite lighting effects in the Ancient Forest.

Enchanted Forest of Light runs daily from 5:30 -10pm. Enchanted is closed on Thanksgiving Day (November 23), Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Timed tickets are on sale at the Descanso Gardens website and must be purchased in advance.

While guests usually take about an hour to walk through Enchanted, Descanso Gardens recommends allowing at least 90 minutes to enjoy the experience. Evenings in La Cañada Flintridge can be chilly - for their comfort, guests are encouraged to dress warmly and wear walking shoes. Enchanted is accessible for strollers, wheelchairs and mobility assistance devices.

Beginning the day after Thanksgiving, the Griffith Park & Southern Railroad welcomes the whole family for an evening train ride around a festively decorated one-mile track. The Holiday Light Festival features magical scenes and thousands of lights that will help set the mood for a wonderful holiday season.

Weather permitting, the train will run nightly except Christmas Eve, Christmas Night, and New Year's Eve. Tickets are $7 per person (18 months and younger are free). Tickets are available for purchase in-person or online.

Reimagined for 2023, Lightscape transforms The Arboretum into an illuminated night experience the whole family can enjoy. Let your imagination soar with new sights and sounds along the Serpent Trail and Forest Path. Nature and art merge in the mesmerizing Fire Garden, awesome Arch of Light, eye-catching Feast of Light, exotic Dancing Palms, and the magnificent Winter Cathedral. Santa will be at Lightscape on select nights, along with nightly food trucks and a full bar for the grown-ups.

Tickets to Lightscape are now on sale at The Arboretum website. Admission to Lightscape and The Arboretum are separate. Timed entry to Lightscape starts at 5:30pm - once inside, guests can stay as long as they like. This self-guided walking event is just over a mile long and takes about 90 minutes to complete. Arboretum members save up to $6 a ticket. Group rates are available.

Taking place at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas, Holiday Road is a family-friendly walking experience that features larger-than-life holiday displays, thousands of Christmas lights, Santa & Mrs. Claus, elves, and countless candy canes. Stop by the Holiday Bar for an adult beverage to sip along the trail, nosh on food truck bites, and shop for keepsakes in the souvenir store. Tickets are on sale at the Holiday Road website.

Spanning Windward Avenue at Pacific, the Venice Sign is a modern-day replica of the original that was installed in 1905 by Abbot Kinney, the legendary founder of the "Venice of America."

Now in its 12th year, the Venice Sign Holiday Lighting has become a beloved tradition, when the Venice Sign's lights change from white to red and green for the holidays. Windward Avenue east of Pacific Avenue will be closed for the free, family-friendly event, which will take place from 6pm to 9pm on Saturday, December 2. The festivities start at 6:15pm on Windward and the holiday lighting is scheduled for 8pm.

New for 2023, Venice's streets will come alive with photo ops with Santa and complimentary carnival games at the "Windward Wonderland"; and a tantalizing array of free food and drinks at the "Holiday Taste of Venice." Live performances will feature GRAMMY Award winners, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, and emerging local talent.

Marina Lights will cast a festive glow on Burton Chace Park from 4–10pm nightly in December. Make it a fun family outing with dinner at one of the Marina’s waterfront restaurants, then a walk around the park and enjoy the light displays. For more seasonal events, like the popular Holiday Boat Parade, check out the Visit Marina del Rey website.

We’ve always been told to reach for the stars, but what if the stars came to us? Created by Moment Factory in partnership with Fever, Astra Lumina transforms the South Coast Botanic Garden into an immersive multimedia world that awakens the imagination.

Inside the hour-long outdoor experience, guests will be guided on an illuminated nature pathway that leads to eight different celestial viewing zones, along with a photo booth, gift shop, and food and beverage available for purchase at the end.

All ages are welcome. For more info and tickets, visit the Astra Lumina website.

Every year, an eight square-block area of the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Woodland Hills is transformed into Candy Cane Lane, a dazzling celebration of lights, figures and artificial snow. A holiday tradition for decades, Candy Cane Lane is an informal group of Woodland Hills homeowners who collectively put on an amazing holiday display of lights and decorations. Santa is often seen posing for photos with children and Santa's elves have been glimpsed roaming the neighborhood. The annual event begins on the second Saturday of December and lasts through the end of the year.

Candy Cane Lane is located at the intersection of Lubao and Oxnard Streets in Woodland Hills. Visitors drive slowly down the street with their headlights dimmed so that everyone can enjoy the lights. The closest exit is Winnetka, off the 101 freeway. Residents ask that visitors drive by no later than 10pm on weeknights and 11pm on weekends.

Its name sounds more like a place you’d visit on Halloween, but the Torrance neighborhood of Sleepy Hollow (aka Seaside Ranchos) has been embracing the Christmas spirit for decades with spectacular holiday light displays. Begin your visit to the Sleepy Hollow Christmas Lights from Pacific Coast Highway in Torrance, then slowly drive or stroll along Robert Road, where every house is decorated and the tree-lined street is glittering with lights. The Sleepy Hollow Christmas lights start brightening the holidays the first full weekend of December and last until the first week of January.

Located just north of Pasadena on Santa Rosa Avenue in Altadena, Christmas Tree Lane is the oldest large-scale Christmas lighting spectacle in the United States. Since 1920, the majestic deodars on the "Mile of Christmas Trees" have been strung with 10,000 lights during the holiday season. Christmas Tree Lane was added to the National Register of Historic Places in September 1990 and is designated a California Historical Landmark.

The Christmas Tree Lane Facebook Group has announced that the annual Christmas Tree Lane Lighting Ceremony & Winter Festival is taking place at the Altadena Library on Saturday, December 9 from 3pm to 9pm. The lighting ceremony begins at 6pm. Shop arts & crafts, enjoy food from local vendors, and stroll beneath the world-famous lights at this family-friendly SoCal holiday tradition.

Previously a drive-through experience, this year's edition of Santa's Speedway invites visitors to leave the car in the parking lot, and walk right up to the massive light exhibits.

Highlights include the 11-story Christmas Light Tree, 4-story Rocking Santa, 3-Story Ornaments, Giant Teddy Bear, Christmas Sweets Land, Under the Sea Land, Giant Light Train and Race Car Stables.

Stop by Santa's Village and stroll through the reindeer stables, grab dinner or drinks, and meet Santa for the perfect Christmas picture. Speaking of perfect pics, there are multiple spots for guests to take selfies at this magical holiday event.

Adult Admission is $35 for Peak Days, $29 for Non-Peak, and $19 for Kids (ages 2-12). Children under 2 are free. Tickets on sale at the Santa's Speedway website.