The Best Holiday Lights in Los Angeles

During the holidays, dazzling light displays throughout Los Angeles bring the city to vibrant life at night. From traditional lighting ceremonies to festive decorations at popular attractions and local neighborhoods throughout the city, here are the best holiday light displays in LA.

The internationally acclaimed extravaganza of light, art and music, Lightscape returns this year to transform The Arboretum into an illuminated night experience the whole family can enjoy. Wander along new installations along an expanded path, including the magnificent Winter Cathedral.

Tickets to Lightscape are now on sale at The Arboretum website. Admission to Lightscape and The Arboretum are separate. Timed entry to Lightscape starts at 5:30pm - once inside, guests can stay as long as they like. This self-guided walking event is just over a mile long and takes about 90 minutes to complete.

Lightscape is accessible for wheelchairs, mobility assistance devices, and strollers. Note that there is travel over paved paths, grass and other natural surfaces. Wheelchairs are not provided and cannot be rented on-site.

Experience a magical holiday show as 18 million hues of lights illuminate the night and synchronize to festive tunes. SPARKLE DTLA at The Bloc will take you through an unforgettable nighttime journey that includes one of LA’s largest multi-colored interactive holiday displays. Capture your perfect photo-op moments at this ultimate holiday experience.

SPARK DTLA will kick off on Thursday, November 17 with a special lighting ceremony from 5pm-7pm, hosted by iHeart Media KOST 103.5 Host Ryan Manno and performance by students from Grand Arts High School in Downtown LA.

The festivities include hot cocoa and holiday sweet treats provided by Café Balzac and Starbucks; marshmallow snowmen decorating cart, and a “SNOW” cotton candy on an LED light up stick cart. Guests will also enjoy in-store activities and special offers by retail partners at The Bloc. This event is free and open to the public.

One of the Los Angeles Zoo's most popular annual events has been reimagined for the 2022-23 season! LA Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow features an immersive landscape filled with spectacular lantern sculptures of animals among blooming flowers, towering trees, and more for a wildlife-centered experience that’s as inspiring as it is breathtaking.

Explore a wild wonderland of light under the stars:

• Take a self-guided 60 to 90-minute stroll through select areas of the Zoo filled with wildlife-inspired lantern displays, interactive elements, and fabulous photo ops.
• Highlights include California Condor Peak, Butterfly Garden, Tiger Terrace, Sloth Forest, Frog and Lotus Lagoon, Lemurs of Madagascar, Koala Grove, glowing savannas with giraffes and zebras, and a dazzling desertscape with peninsular pronghorn.
• Warm up with hot cocoa and other tasty treats available for purchase.
• Add to the lightscape with glowing merchandise available for purchase.
• Park for free any night.

Tickets are on sale at the LA Zoo website. Admission for this all-ages evening program is separate from daytime Zoo admission. No live animals will be on view during evening events.

VIP tickets include express entry and access to a private lounge with gourmet hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine, and a signature cocktail. Must be 21+.

The Safari Shuttle will not be running during LA Zoo Nights. Manual and electric wheelchairs and strollers will be available for rent on a first-come, first-served basis.

Enchanted Forest of Light is an interactive nighttime experience that features a one-mile walk through stunning lighting displays in some of the most beloved areas of Descanso Gardens.

Popular returning favorites include an entire town of magical “stained glass” creations built in the Rose Garden by contemporary sculptor Tom Fruin; sparkling geometric installations from HYBYCOZO on the Main Lawn; Flower Power on the Promenade; and exquisite lighting effects in the Ancient Forest.

Enchanted Forest of Light runs daily from 5:30 -10pm. Enchanted is closed on Thanksgiving Day (November 24), Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Timed tickets are on sale at the Descanso Gardens website and must be purchased in advance.

While guests usually take about an hour to walk through Enchanted, Descanso Gardens recommends allowing at least 90 minutes to enjoy the experience. Evenings in La Cañada Flintridge can be chilly - for their comfort, guests are encouraged to dress warmly and wear walking shoes. Enchanted is accessible for strollers, wheelchairs and mobility assistance devices.

Beginning the day after Thanksgiving, the Griffith Park & Southern Railroad welcomes the whole family for an evening train ride around a festively decorated one-mile track. The Holiday Light Festival features magical scenes and thousands of lights that will help set the mood for a wonderful holiday season.

Weather permitting, the train will run nightly except Christmas Eve, Christmas Night, and New Year's Eve. Tickets are $7 per person (18 months and younger are free). Tickets are available for purchase in-person or online.

Taking place at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas, Holiday Road is a family-friendly walking experience that features larger-than-life holiday displays, thousands of Christmas lights, Santa & Mrs. Claus, elves, and countless candy canes. Stop by the Holiday Bar for an adult beverage to sip along the trail, nosh on food truck bites, and shop for keepsakes in the souvenir store. Tickets are on sale at the Holiday Road website.

The City of Los Angeles ushers in this festive season with the lighting of the official L.A. County Holiday Tree - a magnificent 75-foot-tall tree dressed in its holiday finest - on Monday, November 28.

Taking place at 5pm on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center, the all-ages event includes free hot chocolate and a live performance by Urban Voices Project.

The landmark Union Station in Downtown LA is hosting the 7th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony under the stars on Tuesday, November 29. "The Last of the Great Train Stations" will illuminate a towering 35-foot tree while guests are immersed in thousands of glowing lights on the South Patio.

The family-friendly holiday celebration also features free hot cocoa, holiday cookie bar, holiday arts & crafts zone, custom photo ops, and Santa selfies. Guests can enjoy live music from the Kingston Ska Collective and Grupo Bella, plus live sketching by illustrator Joey Mason.

The festivities begin at 6:30pm with the tree lighting slated for 7:15pm.

Spanning Windward Avenue at Pacific, the Venice Sign is a modern-day replica of the original that was installed in 1905 by Abbot Kinney, the legendary founder of the "Venice of America."

Now in its 11th year, the Venice Sign Holiday Lighting has become a beloved tradition, when the Venice Sign's lights change from white to red and green for the holidays. Windward Avenue east of Pacific Avenue will be closed for the event, which takes place on Saturday, December 3 and includes live music, a poster contest, and activities for the whole family. The festivities start at 6:15pm on Windward and the holiday lighting is scheduled for 8pm.

Marina Lights will cast a festive glow on Burton Chace Park from 4–10pm nightly in December. Make it a fun family outing with dinner at one of the Marina’s waterfront restaurants, then a walk around the park and enjoy the light displays. For more seasonal events, like the popular Holiday Boat Parade, check out the Visit Marina del Rey website.

We’ve always been told to reach for the stars, but what if the stars came to us? Created by Moment Factory in partnership with Fever, Astra Lumina will transform the South Coast Botanic Garden into an immersive multimedia world that awakens the imagination.

Inside the hour-long outdoor experience, guests will be guided on an illuminated nature pathway that leads to eight different celestial viewing zones, along with a photo booth, gift shop, and food and beverage available for purchase at the end.

All ages are welcome. For more info and tickets, visit the Astra Lumina website.

Every year, an eight square-block area of the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Woodland Hills is transformed into Candy Cane Lane, a dazzling celebration of lights, figures and artificial snow. A holiday tradition for decades, Candy Cane Lane is an informal group of Woodland Hills homeowners who collectively put on an amazing holiday display of lights and decorations. Santa is often seen posing for photos with children and Santa's elves have been glimpsed roaming the neighborhood. The annual event begins on the second Saturday of December and lasts through the end of the year.

Candy Cane Lane is located at the intersection of Lubao and Oxnard Streets in Woodland Hills. Visitors drive slowly down the street with their headlights dimmed so that everyone can enjoy the lights. The closest exit is Winnetka, off the 101 freeway. Residents ask that visitors drive by no later than 10pm on weeknights and 11pm on weekends.

Its name sounds more like a place you’d visit on Halloween, but the Torrance neighborhood of Sleepy Hollow (aka Seaside Ranchos) has been embracing the Christmas spirit for decades with spectacular holiday light displays. Begin your visit to the Sleepy Hollow Christmas Lights from Pacific Coast Highway in Torrance, then slowly drive or stroll along Robert Road, where every house is decorated and the tree-lined street is glittering with lights. The Sleepy Hollow Christmas lights start brightening the holidays the first full weekend of December and last until the first week of January.

Located just north of Pasadena on Santa Rosa Avenue in Altadena, Christmas Tree Lane is the oldest large-scale Christmas lighting spectacle in the United States. Since 1920, the majestic deodars on the "Mile of Christmas Trees" have been strung with 10,000 lights during the holiday season. Christmas Tree Lane was added to the National Register of Historic Places in September 1990 and is designated a California Historical Landmark.

The Christmas Tree Lane Facebook Group has announced that the annual Christmas Tree Lane Lighting Ceremony & Winter Festival is taking place at the Altadena Library on Saturday, December 10 from 3pm to 9pm. Enjoy delicious food and beverages, support local arts & crafts vendors, and stroll beneath the world-famous lights at this family-friendly SoCal holiday tradition.

Previously a drive-through experience, this year's edition of Santa's Speedway invites visitors to leave the car in the parking lot, and walk right up to the massive light exhibits.

Highlights include the 11-story Christmas Light Tree, 4-story Rocking Santa, 3-Story Ornaments, Giant Teddy Bear, Christmas Sweets Land, Under the Sea Land, Giant Light Train and Race Car Stables.

Stop by Santa's Village and stroll through the reindeer stables, grab dinner or drinks, and meet Santa for the perfect Christmas picture. Speaking of perfect pics, there are multiple spots for guests to take selfies at this magical holiday event.

Adult Admission is $35 for Peak Days, $29 for Non-Peak, and $19 for Kids (ages 2-12). Children under 2 are free. Tickets on sale at the Santa's Speedway website.