Looking for the best holiday lights in KC? We’ve got you covered with a full guide to all the must-see displays in the area! From neighborhood favorites to epic events, it’s all in one spot—perfect for planning a magical outing with your family.
This guide is made possible by Winter Magic
Hop in the car and head to Kansas City’s FAVORITE drive-thru holiday party! With over a mile of synchronized holiday lights, Winter Magic is the perfect way to “party-in-your-car” and create lasting memories. Tickets start at just $25 per car, so grab the fam, turn up the holiday tunes, and let the vibes begin!
Luminary Walk at the OP Arboretum
$15/ person, kids 5 and under are free
Kick off your holiday season with a festive family walk through the lights at the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens. Nov. 25-Dec 30
Free
Join us for the 94th Annual Plaza Lighting Ceremony on Thursday, November 23rd. The Plaza Lights will be on from thanksgiving night through January.
A local tradition for more than 90 years, Plaza Lights is a 15-block holiday spectacle on the famed Country Club Plaza, featuring thousands of glimmering, jewel-colored lights that accentuate every dome, tower and window of the Spanish-inspired shopping district.
Mayor’s Christmas Tree at Crown Center + Hallmark Christmas Experience
Free
The 100-foot-tall Mayor's Christmas Tree, one of the nation's tallest, is the centerpiece for an illuminating holiday celebration. The tree is a symbol of the Mayor's Christmas Tree Fund, which is dedicated to assisting the people of Kansas City during the holiday season. The Mayor’s Christmas Tree will shine brightly on Crown Center Square from Thanksgiving weekend through January.
New this year: Come visit the Crown Center Square to experience immersive, festive activities for the whole family to enjoy. Outdoors, open to the public, and free to visit.
No ticket is required to access.
Fridays and Saturdays 10am to 10pm
Sundays 10am to 6pm
Lights on Farmstead Lane at Deanna Rose Farmstead
Free
Experience the enchantment of the season at Holiday Lights on Farmstead Lane!
Tune in to 90.5 Rose FM to hear your favorite holiday songs and movie music as you watch the spectacular show dance across the barn and front entranceway of Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead.
Please turn off your vehicle’s lights while watching the show.
Bring some cocoa, cookies and blankets as you view the lights and hear the music from the warmth of your car in the Farmstead’s parking lot. The display is at the main entrance of the Farmstead.
Nov. 28 - Dec. 31. 5 - 10pm
Free
Sar-Ko Aglow in Lenexa is one of the Kansas City metro’s best holiday light displays. Miles of light strands and thousands of colorful bulbs brighten this favorite park each winter. Take a nighttime stroll around Rose’s Pond during December and January to view the stunning spectacle and its reflections on the water.
Whether at dusk or dark, Sar-Ko Aglow makes a picture-perfect scene for family photos.
Dec. 6-Jan 20 nightly
Glide around our twisting ice skating trail, feel the rush of snow tubing on real snow and enjoy wandering with your friends and family through a festive holiday light path! Indulge in festive tunes at Bah Humbug's Sing-A-Long Piano Bar or enjoy a cup of cheer at the Tipsy Tree Lodge. Find the perfect gift for that special someone amongst our local artists and handmade crafts.
Tickets start at $26/pp
Free
Thanks to that 50th anniversary year, every house on Candy Cane Lane is attractively decorated. In 2021 this display of lights is still worth a special visit and has a steady stream of car loads of people enjoying the holiday display.
Thanksgiving through January
5 - 10:30 PM
Christmas in the Park at Longview Lake
Free
Now in its 37tb year, this magical winter wonderland features more than half million lights and 200 animated displays, all designed and built entirely in-house by our talented crews!
Wednesday, November 27 to December 31 | 05:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Gate prices are $12 for kids 5-12, $20 for adults. Children under 5 are always free!
Walk through a Winter Wonderland at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival! Beginning November 29th, enjoy a spectacular light show from Landers Visions, plus food, entertainment, activities for the kids & fun for everyone! Ring in the New Year at our special extended December 31st show. More details to come!
Holiday Reflections at Union Station
Prices start at $8
Union Station expands and adds to its magical “Holiday Reflections” walk-thru holiday village. This spectacular themed experience fills Union Station’s massive Grand Plaza and features sky-reaching lights, dozens of decorated trees, forest friends and giant, floating mirrored ornaments PLUS a bigger-than-ever Rudy’s Wonderland where kids can ride the historic Jones Store Train (Mini Holiday Express Train). Immerse yourself in the holiday spirit with brilliant sights and sounds as only Kansas City’s historic home can deliver.
KC Winter Wonderland at KC Pumpkin Patch
Check website for pricing
KC Pumpkin Patch & KC Wine Co’s ROCKIN’ holiday light experience is back and better than ever! Join us for some “walkin’ in a winter wonderland” at the farm where you’ll take in the sights and sounds of the holidays this year.
Christmas in the Park in Gardner's Cornerstone Park
Free
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! The 33rd Annual Christmas in the Park holiday event kicks off with the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on December 2nd at Cornerstone Park. Seasonal music will be performed by area school children. The event will include arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus. A lucky individual will be selected to flip the switch that turns on thousands of beautiful lights throughout the park. Following the festivities, don't miss visiting Santa and Mrs. Claus at Santa's Workshop in Cornerstone Park!
Haymarket Square Lights in Leavenworth
Free
Each year, lights are put up at Haymarket Square and set to music on a specified radio station. The display stays up until the Monday after New Year's Day for all citizens to enjoy. Just pull into Haymarket Square and tune your radio to the station showing on the signs.
Free
A walk-through, penguin-themed display delights for the holiday season and raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It’s open and worth visiting during the day, but the best experience is at night when the display is lit up.
Free
A festive display of giant trees and twinkling lights. There is also a lighted luminary path that goes partially around the lake at the rear of the community center building.
Altasciences Holiday Lights Display
Free
The Altasciences light display (formerly Vince & Associates Clinical Research) includes more than 200,000 LED lights synchronized to music. The best viewing experience is sitting in your car across the street in the parking lot of Emmanuel Baptist Church. Tune into 99.5 FM and enjoy.
Festival of Lights at Powell Gardens
Prices vary, see website
Select dates in November and December
During the Festival of Lights at Powell Gardens, more than 20 miles of lights turn Kansas City’s botanical garden into a winter wonderland. Enjoy a breath of fresh air during a hectic holiday season! Bundle up with family and friends while you stroll a lighted outdoor path, pausing for plenty of Instagram and holiday-card worthy photo moments along the way. Encounter immersive botanic installations that show off the exceptional architecture and landscape elements of the Gardens and accentuating the natural joy of the most festive season.
Free
Zona Rosa will kick off the 2024 holiday season with the annual lighting ceremony featuring the historic holiday crowns and majestic 55′ Christmas tree!
Holiday Lights and Magic in KCK
It’s a one-mile long drive-thru display showcasing the most amazing, mesmerizing, WINTERrifically magical holiday light displays you ever Bliztzen seen. There’s Santa scenes, elves, ice queens, gingerbread peoples, dinosaurs, and freakin’ Kawaii Pizza! Man, I’m telling ya, your snodsokklers will never believe you.
Winter Magic in NKC
$25 and up
Kansas City’s FAVORITE, drive-thru, holiday party (now in our 4th season)! Come experience the most fantastic ONE MILE of synchronized holiday lights this side of the North Pole! Create LASTING MEMORIES with family and friends while you “holiday-party-in-your-car”. You’re sure to be vibin’ away to the most modern versions of holiday classics! And, all this for just $25 per car!
For more holiday fun, including character appearances, light shows, holiday pop-up bars, and more, check out the complete Family Guide to The Holidays in Kansas City!
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