The Best Christmas Light Displays In Every State Gallery

There are a few things that no holiday season is complete without. Cookies, of course. Time spent with family. A fun gift exchange game, perhaps. And Christmas lights. No matter where you live in the United States, you don't have to travel too terribly far to see a fantastic Christmas light display. From the shores of Florida and Maine to the wild and wonderful Midwest to the West Coast states of California and Washington, each and every state has one standout Christmas light display that is an absolute must-visit destination.

North Pole, Alaska, is a Christmas town year-round, so of course it has a superb Christmas lights display. Not only does the Santa Claus house illuminate with stunning white lights, but the nearby Christmas in Ice putss a unique spin on the holiday lights display by illuminating stunning ice sculptures.

Covering 18 acres, the Holiday Lights at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs is a true Christmas celebration. For 2017, a new addition to the winter garden display is getting people talking: The ice dandelion will feature dandelion seeds blowing in the wind, as lights shine upon it.

Nearly 24 acres of the Denver Botanic Gardens are lit up every year for their Blossoms of Lights. The interactive light display in the UMB Amphitheater is a guest favorite, as is the truly magnificent O'Fallon Perennial Walk. Despite frigid temperatures, this annual tradition is a perfect winter date.

Of course Delaware keeps things classic and classy for their holiday displays. Yuletide at Winterthur features a truly remarkable dried-flower Christmas tree, and Henry Francis du Pont's former home showcases holiday traditions from the 1800s and early 1900s in addition to plenty of elaborate lighting displays.

You'll definitely want to keep a look out in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, for Rock City's Enchanted Garden of Lights. Here, you'll find over 30 holiday scenes and nearly 1 million bright LED lights. But that's not all! There's gingerbread cookie decorating, specialty foods and drinks, and a peculiar toy solider mime named Jerry wandering the grounds. Be sure to try and spot him!

Drawing inspiration from the Aurora Borealis, Winter Wonderland in Caldwell, Idaho, is a true sight to see. Winter Wonderland kicks off with a festival before Thanksgiving and the lights run through mid-January, so you'll have plenty of chances to take in the 500,000-plus LED lights, roast s'mores by the fire, and eat at the many food trucks.

Who doesn't dream of speeding down the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? OK, maybe you can't race around the track, but you can drive at a reasonable, slow pace at the annual Lights at the Brickyard. Over 2.5 million lights stretch out over two miles through the infield and along the front stretch of the historic racetrack. And there's always something to see, with 40 different scenes and 500 displays.

Brightly lit larger-than-life flowers, fish, and bugs turn Wichita's Botanica into Illuminations every holiday season. Over 30 garden areas turn in to differently themed lands thanks to over 1 million twinkling lights. Look anywhere and you'll see lit butterflies, fairies, and even "monster trees." Of course no holiday light display would be complete without warm beverages, so there's plenty of cocoa for the kids and a hot toddy bar for adults.

The Festival of Lights in Natchitoches, Louisiana, has over 300,000 twinkling lights and 100 set pieces, turning the town's riverbank into a snowbank. Natchitoches is a small town but one of the best places in America for Christmas, thanks to musical entertainment, classic Cajun cuisine, and visits from Santa himself.

Drive through Seneca Creek State Park to take in the Winter Lights Festival in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The 3.5-mile drive turns the forests into over 65 animated vignettes themed to the winter woods, teddy bears, and of course, the North Pole. There are also special events at the Winter Lights Festival, including a wine walk, a pets' night, and trolley rides.

Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, Michigan, turns into the Christmas Lite Show every year. Over 1 million lights stretch out over two miles with animated displays and light tunnels, turning this display into a fun interactive activity. If you come on select nights, you can even visit Santa to tell him everything on your Christmas wish list.

Holmes Water Park in Tylertown, Mississippi, turns into Christmas in the Park every holiday season. Millions of lights depict Santa Claus, nativity scenes, and wintery landscapes. Each year, you can honor loved ones who have passed on with a lighted display for a donation of $75, giving true meaning to the holiday season.

Each of the past 20 years, ZooMontana has transformed in to ZooLights! for the holiday season. Drive through portions of the zoo to take in the stunningly bright LED light displays and listen to festive Christmas music. If you're lucky enough to register early, you can also take in the sights via a traditional horse-drawn sleigh. Just like "Jingle Bells!"

The Glittering Lights at Las Vegas Motor Speedway truly earn their names. It's a completely LED-lit course spread out over 2.5 miles. There are over 3 million lights and nearly 500 animated displays. If it sounds over-the-top, that's because it is. But hey, that's Vegas for ya!

Keith Shaw is just your average guy with a passion for the holidays, and that's why his Christmas Spectacular on Main Street in Cranbury, New Jersey, is a must-see. His 36-foot-tall Christmas tree is a towering spectacle with over 50,000 lights — that's more than the Rockefeller Plaza tree! Each show features 120,000 lights and musical synchronization all in one yard.

We really don't mean to hate on the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree — it's one of the reasons to visit New York for the holidays — but it has nothing on the Dyker Heights Christmas lights. This deep Brooklyn neighborhood has an unofficial competition to see who can have the best display, and yes, experts get involved. At the end of the day, the visitors are the true winners.

The Roger Maris Drive in Fargo's Lindenwood Park features over 65 holiday displays. Local businesses sponsor wondrous illuminated displays that feature everything from Santa and his reindeer to nativity scenes to snowy banks and everything in between. At just $6 per car, it's one of North Dakota's best holiday bargains.

The Chickasha Festival of Light has been running for 25 years now, and it lives up to its legacy. The massive display features over 3.5 million lights, over 100 light displays, and synchronized animated light shows fit to holiday music. If that isn't enough to get you to Chickasha, take a gander at the 172-foot tall Christmas tree!

Charming is truly the only word to describe Koziar's Christmas Village in Bernville, Pennsylvania. For 70 years, Koziar's has been putting up a Christmas display both indoors and outdoors, complete with over 1 million lights, a miniature train, homes that are decorated better than the finest gingerbread houses, and a meet-and-greet with Santa Claus.

Christmas lights started as candles, and that's what Brookgreen Gardens Nights of a Thousand Candles honors. In addition to 5,500 hand-lit candles, hundreds of thousands of soft, sparkling white lights illuminate the Brookgreen Gardens of Myrtle Beach. "Magical" doesn't even begin to cover it.

You didn't think you could get through a Christmas in Tennessee without a little country music, did you? Gaylord Opryland's "A Country Christmas" is as lavish as the hotel itself, of course. Over 3 million bright lights take over the hotel's lobby and courtyard. If that isn't enough Christmas magic for you, check out their "ICE!" display, with dozens of ice sculptures; just be sure to keep your mittens on! The ice room is kept at a frigid 9 degrees.

Thirty-five acres of downtown Salt Lake City turn into a winter wonderland annually for the Temple Square Christmas Lights Celebration. Preparations go on for months as bright LED lights are wrapped around tree trunks and strung up on Christmas trees. Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe this display.

The Meadowlark Gardens in Vienna, Virginia, holds their Winter Walk of Lights every year. Over 500,000 LED lights turn this botanical garden into a fun holiday display featuring all sort of natural themes, such as jumping fish, dragonflies, and a bubbling stream. Visit the gingerbread village for an extra dose of seasonal flavor.

The Smithsonian's National Zoo's ZooLights just gets better and better every year, and it's free! LED lights — 500,000 of them — illuminate the zoo, making this one of Washington, D.C.'s favorite holiday traditions. If you want to take your ZooLights experience to the next level, consider taking part in BrewLights, a ticketed event with beer tastings from a dozen breweries in the D.C. area.

Don't want to brave winter cold in Wisconsin? Head to the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa for Christmas in the Country. Over 2 million lights sparkle indoors and outdoors in favorite displays such as the "12 Days of Christmas." Don't just take in the sights! Have breakfast with the Clauses, enjoy a midday holiday tea, and mail a letter to Santa with all your Christmas wishes.