Christmas / Lights / Atlanta

The best Christmas lights in Atlanta

6 displays · 2 free · Georgia

Atlanta's holiday lights come with southern scale and mild-enough evenings to actually enjoy them outdoors. The Botanical Garden throws one of the most acclaimed garden light shows in the country, Stone Mountain wraps an entire park in glow, and whole subdivisions in the suburbs light up hundreds of homes at a time.

The season starts early here, with Stone Mountain Christmas going live in early November and the Botanical Garden mid-month, and stretches into January. Expect a mix of polished ticketed productions inside the Perimeter and generous free traditions, from Marietta Square's hanging light spheres to a Cumming subdivision where nearly 300 homes participate.

1.Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at Atlanta Botanical Garden

Midtown, Piedmont Park

Ticketed eventAround $30-45 per person

Regularly voted metro Atlanta's best holiday event, this show covers 30 acres in more than two million LED lights. Signature pieces include the 100-foot Tunnel of Light, the Ice Goddess, and Nature's Wonders, billed as the world's largest curtain of synchronized light and sound. Timed tickets are essential on December weekends.

Season: Mid-November through mid-January

2.Stone Mountain Christmas

Stone Mountain Park, east of Atlanta

Ticketed eventAround $35-45 per person plus parking

The whole park becomes a holiday attraction with more than two million lights, live shows, a Christmas parade, and nightly seasonal entertainment. It opens earlier than almost anything else in the region, often the first week of November. Between the rides, shows, and lights, it is a full evening rather than a quick stroll.

Season: Early November through early January, select dates

3.IllumiNights at Zoo Atlanta

Grant Park

Ticketed eventAround $20-30 per person

Zoo Atlanta's after-dark lantern festival fills the grounds with handcrafted illuminated animals, some more than 20 feet tall, celebrating wildlife from around the world. It is a walking loop that takes about an hour at a relaxed pace. The lantern craftsmanship makes it feel distinct from standard string-light shows.

Season: Late November through end of December

4.Lights of Life

Life University, Marietta

Drive-throughFree drive-through; small fees for rides and attractions

A metro Atlanta tradition since the late 1980s, this 1.5-mile drive through the Life University campus passes more than a million lights and a nativity scene. Midway stops offer pony rides, a petting zoo, a train, and concessions for a small charge. The drive itself costs nothing, which keeps it a beloved budget night out.

Season: Thanksgiving through New Year's

5.Ashebrooke Lights

Ashebrooke subdivision, Cumming

Free neighborhoodFree

Up to 300 homes in this Forsyth County subdivision light up together each December, drawing slow parades of cars through the streets after 6pm. On one special night each season the neighborhood adds hundreds of luminarias, a live nativity, hot cocoa stands, and Santa visits along a preset drive-through route. It is metro Atlanta's most famous neighborhood display.

Season: December evenings

6.Marietta Square Holiday Lights

Marietta Square and Maple Avenue, Marietta

Free neighborhoodFree

The historic square and the surrounding streets, especially Maple Avenue, keep a charming local tradition of glowing light spheres hung high in the old trees over the roads. Combined with the decorated storefronts and square-side tree, it makes an easy, free evening stroll. Pair it with the nearby Lights of Life drive for a full Marietta lights night.

Season: Late November through early January

Local tip

Garden Lights sells out on December weekends, so book the late entry window on a weeknight; crowds thin noticeably after 8pm and the Tunnel of Light is far easier to photograph. If you are heading to Ashebrooke in Cumming, go Sunday through Thursday; weekend car lines through the subdivision can stretch past 45 minutes.

Displays and prices are researched from recent seasons and stated approximately; hours, routes, and admission change year to year, so check an event's official page before you drive out.

Want your house on this list someday?

See your own home decorated before you buy a single strand: upload a photo and our free AI visualizer lights it up. Then let the light calculator tell you exactly how many bulbs the real thing needs.

Try the visualizer, freeLight calculator

Common questions

When do Christmas lights go up in Atlanta?
Earlier than most cities. Stone Mountain Christmas opens the first half of November, Garden Lights at the Atlanta Botanical Garden follows mid-month, and IllumiNights and Lights of Life start around Thanksgiving. Neighborhood displays like Ashebrooke are in full glow by the first week of December, and several shows run into January.
What is the best free Christmas light display in Atlanta?
The drive through Lights of Life at Life University in Marietta is free and passes more than a million lights. For neighborhoods, the Ashebrooke subdivision in Cumming lights up to 300 homes, and the light spheres hanging in the trees around Marietta Square and Maple Avenue are a free stroll-worthy classic.
Is there a drive-through Christmas light display in Atlanta?
Yes, Lights of Life in Marietta is the standout: a 1.5-mile free drive through more than a million lights on the Life University campus, with optional stops for pony rides, a petting zoo, and a train. The Ashebrooke neighborhood in Cumming also works as a free DIY drive-through with hundreds of participating homes.
Is Garden Lights, Holiday Nights worth the ticket price?
It is consistently rated among the best botanical garden light shows in the country, with two million lights across 30 acres and showpieces like the 100-foot Tunnel of Light and a massive synchronized light curtain. If you only buy one ticket in Atlanta, this is the one. Weeknight entries cost less and feel far less crowded.
What should I do with kids versus for a date night in Atlanta?
With kids, Stone Mountain Christmas and IllumiNights at Zoo Atlanta are the winners, with rides, shows, and giant animal lanterns. For a date, the Atlanta Botanical Garden's Garden Lights is the clear pick, especially the later entry windows with a drink in hand.

Share this guide

Lights in other cities

New YorkChicagoPhiladelphiaBostonWashington DCMiamiAll cities →

Lights season, planned properly.

Seasonal decorating tips and the occasional new tool, straight to your inbox. One list, no spam.

Seasonal decorating tips and new tools. No spam.