Christmas / Lights / Austin

The best Christmas lights in Austin

6 displays · 2 free · Texas

Austin keeps Christmas weird, and that is exactly why the lights here are so much fun. The same city that spins a 155-foot tree of lights out of a historic moontower also lets a neighborhood turn its yards into glowing art installations complete with a stuffed animal petting zoo.

The season runs from late November through New Year's, anchored by the Trail of Lights in Zilker Park. Beyond the big trail you will find lakeside light shows set to music, candlelit garden paths, and free neighborhood displays that could only exist in Austin.

1.37th Street Lights

North University, near Guadalupe

Free neighborhoodFree

Austin's famously weird block, where residents string lights across the street and fill yards with found-object sculptures, offbeat themes, and the legendary Stuffed Animal Petting Zoo. It is an all-volunteer effort that has become a city institution. Lights come on around sunset and glow until about 10 pm.

Season: Mid-December through New Year's Day

2.Austin Trail of Lights

Zilker Park

Ticketed eventFree on select nights, around $10 otherwise

A 2.5-mile path through Zilker Park lined with more than two million lights, 90 lighted trees, and over 70 themed displays, running for more than half a century. Food trucks, live music, and photo stops turn it into a full evening. Certain nights are free community nights, while others require inexpensive timed tickets.

Season: Late November through New Year's Day

3.Zilker Holiday Tree

Zilker Park

Walk-throughFree

A 155-foot tree of lights strung from one of Austin's historic moontowers, glowing nightly beside the Trail of Lights. Spinning under it until you are dizzy is a genuine Austin rite of passage. You can visit the tree for free even on nights when the Trail itself is ticketed.

Season: Late November through New Year's

4.Mozart's Lake Austin Festival of Lights

Mozart's Coffee Roasters, Lake Austin

Ticketed eventAround $3-5 per person

A lakeside coffee shop puts on a choreographed light show set to music over the water, with hundreds of thousands of lights synchronized to a rotating holiday soundtrack. General admission is just a few dollars, with upgrades like table reservations, igloos, and boat cruises for those who want to linger. Pair it with hot chocolate and their famous desserts.

Season: Mid-November through early January

5.Luminations at the Wildflower Center

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Southwest Austin

Walk-throughAround $25 per person

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center lights its native-plant gardens with thousands of luminarias and gentle light installations for a quieter, more contemplative holiday evening. Expect glowing paths, warm drinks, and Hill Country stars overhead. It is the anti-crowds pick of the Austin season.

Season: Late November through December

6.Peppermint Parkway

Circuit of The Americas, Southeast Austin

Ticketed eventStarts around $8, add-ons extra

COTA's holiday spectacular blends light tunnels, themed walk-through zones, rides, and characters at the Formula 1 track southeast of town. Recent seasons have shifted toward an immersive walk-through festival format with unlimited-ride add-ons. It is the most theme-park-like lights experience in Central Texas.

Season: Late November through end of December

Local tip

Do the Trail of Lights on a weeknight and park at one of the official shuttle lots instead of circling Zilker for street parking, which barely exists. Then hit 37th Street after 8 pm later in December; it opens later than the big displays and peaks the week of Christmas.

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.

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Common questions

When do Christmas lights go up in Austin?
The Trail of Lights and Zilker Holiday Tree light up in late November and run through New Year's, and Mozart's light show starts around mid-November. The 37th Street Lights are the late arrivals, typically switching on in mid-December and staying up through New Year's Day. The week before Christmas is when everything overlaps.
What are the best free Christmas lights in Austin?
The 37th Street Lights are the free must-see, a gloriously weird neighborhood display unlike anything else in Texas. The Zilker Holiday Tree is always free, and the Trail of Lights offers free community nights early in its run. Together they make a great zero-dollar lights night.
How much does the Austin Trail of Lights cost?
It depends on the night. The Trail offers select free community nights, while standard timed-entry tickets on other nights run around $5-15, with premium passes and parking extra. The Zilker Holiday Tree next door is free every night of the season.
Is there a drive-through Christmas light display in Austin?
Austin proper leans walk-through, but Peppermint Parkway at Circuit of The Americas has featured drive-through tunnel elements alongside its walk-through zones. For a classic drive-through, Santa's Ranch in New Braunfels is about 45 minutes south down I-35. Honestly, though, Austin's best lights reward getting out of the car.
What is special about the 37th Street Lights?
It is pure Austin: neighbors string lights across the street itself and build displays out of bikes, bottles, and whatever else is lying around, including a stuffed animal petting zoo kids can actually touch. It is free, volunteer-run, and completely uncommercial. Go the week of Christmas when every house is participating.

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