11 Magical Christmas Places in the USA

My first Christmas in the U.S. was in NYC. At first, I was disappointed that it didn’t snow at that time. But after exploring for a while, it was just breathtaking… almost like a movie:

Just wandering around midtown was my absolute highlight. The decorations were spectacular and felt like out of this world.

After that experience, I thought: I need to visit more places around Christmas in the USA. So, I did, and now I am sharing my experience with you, combined with the knowledge of many people I talked to.

Get ready for the 11 most stunning Christmas places in the US! Please make sure to check out the most fascinating destinations at the end of this guide:

 

1. New York City, New York

New York City is the most famous place for Christmas in the USA. You know it from many movies. The big tree at Rockefeller Center, the ice skating rink, and the store windows on Fifth Avenue. When you walk through Midtown at night, you feel the Christmas spirit everywhere.

My personal favorites:

• Dyker Heights Christmas Lights: Each corner brings a new, breathtaking display of lights and decorations in this Brooklyn neighborhood. Spectacular!
• Macy’s: They have decorations on all floors, including a Santaland, which is great for kids.
• Central Park: Ice skating rink, which is a lot of fun if you are into ice skating.
• Union Square and Bryant Park both have very nice winter markets
• Hudson Yards is heavily decorated. Close walk to Chelsea Market, which is also beautifully decorated -> take the High Line, a nice outdoor elevated walk.

The best part is free. You can walk Fifth Avenue and look at the window displays at Saks, Bergdorf Goodman and Macy’s. The Saks light show runs every few minutes and is right across from the tree. Bryant Park has a winter market with an ice rink and food stalls.

• State: New York
• Type: Big city, lights, shopping, ice skating
• Free or paid: Free to walk and look. You pay for ice skating, some tours, and shows like the Rockettes.
• When the lights are on: The tree lights up on the first Wednesday after Thanksgiving (early December). It stays up until mid-January. Fifth Avenue and the store windows glow through the whole season.
• Good to know: The tree area gets very crowded, and many people find it overhyped for that reason. Go early in the morning or late at night (around 10 pm), and try a weekday. The tree lighting night itself is packed and not good with small kids.

Tip:

Stay away from the crowd by using the underground Concourse under 30 Rock to move around. The north and south sides of the tree are quieter than the main side where everyone stands.

2. Leavenworth, Washington

Leavenworth looks like a small village in the German Alps. But you don’t need a passport. It sits in the Cascade Mountains, and every winter the whole town fills with lights. People call it the Village of Lights. Many visitors say it feels like a Hallmark movie.

You walk the streets, look at the Bavarian houses, and smell roasted chestnuts. There are German shops, restaurants and warm drinks. Around the town you can go sledding, tubing, or take a sleigh ride.

• State: Washington
• Type: Small Bavarian mountain town, lights, snow
• Free or paid: The lights are free to enjoy. You pay for food, shopping, and extras like sleigh rides or the reindeer farm.
• When the lights are on: More than half a million lights stay on every day from Thanksgiving until Valentine’s Day. The main festival runs on weekends from late November to just before Christmas.
• Good to know: Parking is hard on weekends, and the town tows cars fast. Come on a weekday, or take the bus from nearby Wenatchee. Book the reindeer farm and sleigh rides before you go.

Tip:

The lights are on every night, so you don’t need to come on a busy weekend. A visit on a weekday or after New Year is much calmer, and you still see the same beautiful lights.

3. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Bethlehem calls itself “Christmas City, USA”. The Moravian settlers named the town on Christmas Eve in 1741, and Christmas has been part of the town ever since. You see white lights in the windows, Moravian stars, and a big star that shines from the mountain above the town.

The old town center is the pretty part. You walk past historic stone houses, small shops and lit trees on every corner. The town also has a German-style Christmas market called Christkindlmarkt with handmade gifts and food.

• State: Pennsylvania
• Type: Historic town, German market, lights
• Free or paid: The town and lights are free. The Christkindlmarkt market needs a ticket (a few dollars).
• When the lights are on: Christmas events run from Thanksgiving to New Year. The market is open on set days from mid-November to just before Christmas. The star on the mountain shines all year.
• Good to know: The market is not in the pretty old town. It is on the old steel factory site (SteelStacks), which feels less charming. Plan the historic downtown as its own walk to get the real “Christmas City” feeling.

Tip:

Don’t just go to the market. Walk Main Street in the old town after dark, when the Moravian stars and window candles are all lit. That is the part people remember.

4. Frankenmuth, Michigan

Frankenmuth is called “Michigan’s Little Bavaria”. It is a small German town with old-style houses, a covered wooden bridge, and famous chicken dinners. But the big reason to come is Bronner’s, the largest Christmas store in the world.

Bronner’s is huge. It is about the size of one and a half football fields, with more than 50,000 ornaments, lights and decorations. Outside there is a half-mile light lane with about 100,000 lights. The store is open almost every day of the year.

• State: Michigan
• Type: Small Bavarian town, world’s biggest Christmas store
• Free or paid: The store and the light lane are free to visit. You pay for food, shopping and extras.
• When the lights are on: Bronner’s is open 361 days a year. The outdoor Christmas Lane glows every evening from dusk to midnight. The town’s own Christmas season runs from the weekend after Thanksgiving to New Year.
• Good to know: In peak season it gets busy and parking fills up. Come in the evening so you also see the light lane, not just the store.

Tip:

Bronner’s will personalize ornaments for free. It is a nice, cheap souvenir with a name or a date on it.

5. Branson, Missouri

Branson is a music and show town in the Ozark Mountains. At Christmas the star is the theme park Silver Dollar City and its event “An Old Time Christmas”. It has more than 6.5 million lights, an eight-story light tree, and Broadway-style shows.

This is a great pick for families. Beside the park, the town of Branson has more lights, Christmas shows, and decorations down at the old town and the lakeside. There is a lot to keep kids busy.

• State: Missouri
• Type: Theme park and show town, huge light display
• Free or paid: Silver Dollar City needs a ticket. Parking is free. Many town lights are free to drive past.
• When the lights are on: “An Old Time Christmas” runs from early November to early January. The park is usually closed on some weekdays, so check the days before you go.
• Good to know: In cold weather many rides do not run, and shows get long lines. Saturdays get so full the park can hit its limit and turn people away. Come on a Monday or Thursday, and dress warm because a lot of the eating areas are half outside.

Tip:

A big part of the crowd leaves right after the 6 pm parade. If you stay later, you get shorter lines and more space.

6. Santa Claus, Indiana

Yes, this is a real town, and it is really called Santa Claus. It is the only town in the world with that name. Kids from all over America send letters here, and volunteers answer every single one. There are more than 20 Santa statues around town and streets with names like Candy Cane Lane.

The fun here is the story and the small-town charm, not big light shows. You can visit the Santa Claus Museum, the old post office, and Santa’s Candy Castle for candy and frozen hot chocolate.

• State: Indiana
• Type: Tiny year-round Christmas town, history and fun
• Free or paid: Many spots are free to walk and look. You pay in the shops and the candy castle.
• When the lights are on: The Santa Claus Christmas Celebration runs on the first three weekends of December. Some spots, like the Candy Castle and museum, are open all year.
• Good to know: The town is very small. You can see most of it in about an hour. The Holiday World theme park here is closed in winter. Best as a fun stop on a bigger trip, not a full holiday on its own.

Tip:

Send a letter or a postcard from the Santa Claus post office. It gets a special Santa Claus postmark you can’t get anywhere else.

7. Natchitoches, Louisiana

Natchitoches (you say it “NACK-a-tish”) is the oldest town in Louisiana. It sits on a river with old brick streets and French-style houses. Every winter the town lights up with more than 300,000 lights along the water. This is Christmas in the warm South, so don’t expect snow.

The lights along the river are the main show, plus over 100 lit set pieces on the riverbank. There is music, local food, and one of the oldest Christmas festivals in the country, going back to 1927. The famous local food is the Natchitoches meat pie.

• State: Louisiana
• Type: Historic river town, lights, Southern charm
• Free or paid: The lights are free to see. Some festival days and events need a ticket.
• When the lights are on: The season runs about six weeks, from the Saturday before Thanksgiving to January 6. There are fireworks on weekends in December.
• Good to know: The big festival Saturday (first Saturday of December) is the most crowded and the most expensive. A weekday is calmer, and you still see all the lights. Book your hotel early because rooms sell out.

Tip:

It gets cold by the river after sunset even in the South. Bring a jacket and a blanket, and take cash for the food stands on the riverbank.

8. McAdenville, North Carolina

McAdenville is a tiny town near Charlotte with only about 700 people. But every December the whole town lights up, and people call it “Christmas Town USA”. The families here decorate their own homes and trees, so it feels warm and real, not like a big paid attraction. Best of all, it is free.

There are more than half a million lights on around 250 trees, plus a lake with floating Christmas trees and a nativity scene. You can drive through or, even better, walk and hear the church bells play carols.

• State: North Carolina
• Type: Tiny town, free community lights
• Free or paid: Free. This is a community event.
• When the lights are on: The lights are on every night from December 1 to December 26, from about 5:30 pm to 10 pm (on a timer).
• Good to know: Weekend traffic is very bad. Some people wait more than three hours in the car. Go Monday to Thursday and arrive before dark. Drive your own car, not a taxi, and stay on the sidewalks because the houses are private homes.

Tip:

Park early, have dinner in town, then walk the route after dark. Walking is nicer than sitting in the slow line of cars.

9. St. Augustine, Florida

St. Augustine is the oldest city in the USA, with a Spanish old town by the sea. Every winter about three million white lights cover the old buildings for the “Nights of Lights”. This is a warm-weather Christmas, so you get lights and history but no snow.

The white lights come from an old Spanish tradition of putting a white candle in the window. They cover about 20 blocks of the historic district. You can walk, take a trolley, ride a golf cart, or even see the lights from a boat.

• State: Florida
• Type: Historic seaside city, millions of white lights
• Free or paid: Walking and looking is free. Trolley, cart and boat tours cost money.
• When the lights are on: The lights are on from about mid to late November until mid-January.
• Good to know: Parking in the old town is hard and costs money. Use the free shuttle, and expect big crowds on weekends and holidays.

Tip:

Walking is the nicest way to see the lights up close. If you have small kids or tired legs, a trolley or golf cart tour saves you the crowd and the parking stress.

10. Solvang, California

Solvang is a Danish village in the hills of California, between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It has windmills, Danish bakeries, and old-style houses. At Christmas it holds “Julefest” (you say it “Yoola-fest”), with lights, markets and a light show. Like other spots on this list, this is warm-weather Christmas, not snow.

The main street, Copenhagen Drive, is for walking only, so it is easy and calm. You get Danish pastries, wine tasting rooms, a tree lighting, a parade, and even a hidden-elf hunt called the Nisser Adventure for kids.

• State: California
• Type: Small Danish village, European feel, lights
• Free or paid: The town and lights are free. You pay for food, wine, and some events.
• When the lights are on: Julefest runs from late November to early January. The tree lighting is usually in early December.
• Good to know: The town is small, and Julefest happens in just a few blocks. It can feel quiet after Christmas Day, but shops stay decorated until January 1. It is best as a day trip or a short stay, not a full week.

Tip:

The bakeries get long lines. Go early in the morning for the famous Danish pastries before the crowds arrive.

11. Stowe, Vermont

If you want a classic snowy New England Christmas, Stowe is the one. It sits in the Green Mountains with a pretty village, white church, and small shops all under the snow. Many people say it looks exactly like a Hallmark movie. This is the place on the list with the best chance of real snow.

The village glows with holiday lights and has a big community Christmas tree. You can go skiing, ice skating, or take a sleigh ride. The famous Trapp Family Lodge (from The Sound of Music) is here, with Austrian-style buildings and decorated trees.

• State: Vermont
• Type: Snowy mountain village, skiing, New England charm
• Free or paid: Walking the village and seeing the lights is free. Skiing, skating and sleigh rides cost money.
• When the lights are on: Village lights and decorations are up through December. The town’s holiday festival, with a tree lighting and a children’s lantern parade, is usually in early December.
• Good to know: The holiday weeks get busy and hotels get expensive, so book early (months ahead for Christmas week). Use the resort shuttles to skip the parking stress.

Tip:

You don’t have to ski to enjoy Stowe. Spruce Peak has a walkable village with skating, shops and lights that non-skiers and families love.