Christmas / Lights / St. Louis
The best Christmas lights in St. Louis
7 displays · 2 free · Missouri
St. Louis has a light-season lineup that punches far above its size, anchored by a botanical garden glow that draws visitors from all over the Midwest and a brewery that parades Clydesdales under a million bulbs. It is also a city where the free options are legitimately great, not consolation prizes.
The switch flips in mid-November when Garden Glow opens, and by Thanksgiving weekend nearly everything is running, from drive-through parks to the candy-striped block in St. Louis Hills. Most displays hold on through the first days of January.
1.Candy Cane Lane
St. Louis Hills
The 6500 block of Murdoch Avenue goes all-in every December, with nearly every home wrapped in lights and candy-cane theming in a tradition that stretches back decades. Ted Drewes Frozen Custard is around the corner, and pairing the two is a certified St. Louis ritual. Donations are welcome but never required.
Season: Late November through New Year
2.Garden Glow
Missouri Botanical Garden
One of the country's premier botanical light events, with more than two million lights draped across the garden's most iconic spaces, including the Climatron dome and the rose garden. S'mores stations and festive drinks dot the route. It routinely lands on national best-of lists and sells out December weekends.
Season: Mid-November through early January
3.Wild Lights
Saint Louis Zoo, Forest Park
The zoo lights up on select nights with more than a million bulbs across themed areas like Arctic Alley and Gingerbread Lane. It is one of the more affordable zoo light events among major U.S. cities, and a sensory-friendly night is offered each season. Forest Park itself makes a pretty approach.
Season: Late November through end of December
4.Winter Wonderland
Tilles Park, Ladue
A county-park drive-through covering 75 acres with over two million lights and around 100 festive scenes, from leaping reindeer to giant candles. Carriage rides are available on select nights for a slower pass through the glow. It has been a metro-area tradition for over three decades.
Season: Late November through early January
5.Brewery Lights
Anheuser-Busch Brewery, Soulard
The historic brewery strings more than a million lights along Pestalozzi Street, with two light shows built around 50-foot trees, a light tunnel, and a nightly parade featuring a marching band and the world-famous Clydesdales. Adults get a complimentary beer with admission. It is peak St. Louis in the best way.
Season: Late November through end of December
6.Way of Lights
National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, Belleville, Illinois
Running since 1970, this free drive-through across the river tells the nativity story through a mile and a half of light displays on the shrine's grounds. Donations are accepted but the tradition has stayed free for over 50 years. It is the region's most peaceful counterpoint to the flashier commercial displays.
Season: Late November through end of December
7.Santa's Magical Kingdom
Eureka
A long-running 35-acre drive-through wonderland west of the city, packed with animated scenes and archways of light along a winding wooded route. It is one of the metro's oldest paid drive-throughs and an easy add-on for families out toward Six Flags. One admission covers the whole carload.
Season: Mid-November through early January
Local tip
Do Garden Glow on a weeknight with timed entry, then finish at Candy Cane Lane and Ted Drewes, which stays open for the holiday custard rush. If you only have one night with kids in the car, Winter Wonderland at Tilles Park and the free Way of Lights in Belleville are only about 25 minutes apart.
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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