Where to See the Best Christmas Light Displays Near Cleveland in 2025

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Clevelanders in the time I’ve been running this blog, it’s this: CLEVELAND LOVES CHRISTMAS.

I always tell people that Cleveland is a “summer city” because of all the great things there are to do when the weather is warm. But you know what? I think Cleveland is a Christmas city, too!

There’s always a long list of things to do in Cleveland at Christmas, from going ice skating to seeing theater productions to visiting pop-up holiday markets and bars. But by far my favorite part of the Christmas season in Cleveland revolves around the decorations – and especially the holiday lights.

There is no shortage of holiday light displays on offer each Christmas in the Cleveland area, whether they’re big commercial displays or smaller ones at people’s homes.

Below I’ve rounded up the best holiday light displays near Cleveland, along with info on each for the 2025 season.

Note: I try to keep this post updated as much as possible in the run-up to the holiday season! Info was last updated on December 4, 2025.

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Where to See the Best Christmas Lights in Cleveland

Holiday lights in the city

Downtown Cleveland does Christmas lights and decorations pretty well! Here are my favorite spots for holiday lights downtown:

1. Public Square

Where: Public Square, downtown Cleveland

The halls (er… sidewalks?) are always decked in Public Square for Christmas. With a giant tree, an ice skating rink, and thousands of lights to enjoy, this is a must-visit spot starting the Saturday after Thanksgiving (the official lighting ceremony is called WinterLand).

Take a stroll through lighted tunnels, and check out a light/animation show that involves Terminal Tower twice per hour (from 4-10 p.m.) every night of the week through early January.

How much: All the decorations in and around Public Square are always free to enjoy!

You can also see the Christmas window displays, Christmas trees, and other decorations inside Tower City. Don’t forget to stop by to chat with Bruce the Spruce (ask him to tell you a joke!).

2. The Arcade

Where: 401 Euclid Ave, Cleveland

The historic Cleveland Arcade is one of my favorite downtown places to visit any time of year, but especially around the holidays. The Arcade puts up twinkling garlands with bows and a sparkly Christmas tree.

This isn’t a huge lighting display like some of the others on this list, but it’s still a pretty place to stop for a photo if you’re already downtown.

How much: Free! (Though note that they do require a permit for professional photo shoots.)

Note: The Hyatt Regency owns most of the Arcade, and after a certain hour at night, only hotel guests are permitted inside the Arcade.

3. NELA Park display

Sadly NELA Park is NOT doing its light display this year. I’m leaving it on the list because I know lots of people look for info on it this year. But there won’t be any displays to see in 2025. 🙁

4. Wild Winter Lights at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Where: 3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is once again putting on a winter lights display in 2025. Wild Winter Lights features hundreds of lighting displays across several holiday-themed areas, including Candyland, Enchanted Forest, Starry Skies, Santa’s Workshop, and more scattered throughout the Zoo grounds.

There will also be costumed characters, hot cocoa for sale, ice sculptures, live performances, and, of course, the chance to meet Santa!

Wild Winter Lights is designed as a walk-through event, but they’re also offering a drive-thru option on specific nights.

The event is running on selected dates from November 18-December 30, 2025. Hours are 5-9 p.m. Purchasing tickets in advance is recommended.

How much: Walk-through tickets are $24 for Zoo members and $27 for non-members if purchased in advance. A discounted 4-pack is available for $70 for Zoo members and $80 for non-members. Drive-through tickets are $49 per car for Zoo members and $59 per car for non-members. It’s highly recommended that you book your timed tickets in advance. You can buy them here.

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Drive-thru Christmas lights

Speaking of drive-through holiday light shows, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo isn’t the only option. There are several professionally designed drive-through light shows in the Cleveland area, too, and they’re all popular during the holiday season.

Here are all the options within an hour of Cleveland:

1. Country Lights

Where: Lake Metroparks Farmpark, 8800 Euclid Chardon Rd, Kirtland

Another annual light display, the Lake Metroparks Farmpark is once again offering its popular Country Lights this year. Light displays of all shapes and sizes line the route, which will take anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes to drive through.

Country Lights takes place from 6-8:30 p.m. on weekends from December 5-28, 2025. This is a strictly drive-thru event, so you shouldn’t expect to get out of your car at all.

How much: Advanced tickets are required, and tickets are $27.50 per car. Buy tickets here.

2. Bethlehem Hills Christmas Light Park

Where: Geauga County Fairgrounds, 14373 N. Cheshire St., Burton

The Bethlehem Hills Christmas Light drive-through follows a 1.5-mile path through the Geauga County Fairgrounds. There are 40 different Christmas light displays to see, made with 2 million individual LED lights. Many of the displays are animated along to music.

This drive-through is open November 26, 2025-January 3, 2025 (closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) from 6-10 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday and 6-11 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. It takes 20-40 minutes to drive through, depending on how crowded it is.

How much: Tickets are $30 for cars with up to 7 passengers, and $60 for vehicles with over 8 passengers. Buy online here.

3. Holiday Lights Cruise-Thru

Where: Carlisle Equestrian Center, 13630 Diagonal Road, LaGrange

Another family-friendly drive-through lights event is happening at the Lorain County Metro Parks’ Carlisle Reservation. You’ll be able to see twinkling lights and holiday scenes throughout the 26-acre park.

This is another drive-through-only event, so don’t expect to leave your car.

You can drive through Wednesday-Sunday from November 28-December 21, 2025 from 5:30-9 p.m. Learn more here. (And note that on Wednesday-Saturday evenings in December, there’s also a walk-through trail at the Carlisle Visitor Center.)

How much: Free, but all visitors are asked to bring at least one non-perishable food item that will be donated to Second Harvest Food Bank.

4. Drive Thru Holiday Lights

Where: Medina County Fairgrounds, 720 W Smith Rd, Medina

This drive-through holiday light display at the Medina County Fairgrounds is one of the largest in the area, with 85+ different displays.

The event runs Fridays-Sundays from November 28-December 154, and also from December 19-28 in 2025. It is open 6-10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 6-9 p.m. on Sundays and weeknights. Find more info here.

How much: It costs $10 per car or $30 per van/small bus. Cash or check payments only.

5. Lights on the Lake

Where: Lakeshore Park, 1700 East 1st Street, Ashtabula

This light display in Ashtabula County claims to be the largest holiday light display on Lake Erie. It has 70 displays across the 54 acres of Lakeshore Park, including an even larger display this year that is animated to music.

Lights on the Lake runs on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings from 6-9 p.m. from November 29 through December 29, 2025. Learn more here.

How much: Suggested $5 donation per car

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Downtown displays in other cities/towns

Cleveland puts up some lovely holiday lights, for sure. But so do other small towns in northeast Ohio. Some you’ll definitely want to make the drive to visit include:

1. Strongsville Winter Wonderland

Where: Strongsville Commons, at the corner of SR 82 (Royalton Rd.) and SR 42 (Pearl Rd.)

Set up in the city’s public square each year before Thanksgiving, the Strongsville Winter Wonderland includes a decorated gazebo, clock tower, tunnel of lights, and 40-foot-tall Christmas tree.

The displays will be lit this year on November 23, and are free for anyone to enjoy every night through the holiday season.

At the kick-off event on November 23, visitors can also enjoy an ice tunnel and ice carvers, the Holiday Lights trolley, and free hot cocoa and donuts. Santa will also make an appearance, and there will be a fireworks display after dark.

2. Downtown Chagrin Falls

Where: Triangle Park, Riverside Park, and Chagrin Falls boardwalk, Chagrin Falls

The small town of Chagrin Falls looks like something straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie during the holiday season. Triangle Park in the middle of the town gets decked out with a live Christmas tree, giant red bows, and thousands of feet of garland.

And nearby, the boardwalk and steps leading down to the viewing platform of the Chagrin Falls waterfall also get festive with garland, bows, and twinkle lights.

You’ll also find decorated Christmas trees and more garland at Riverside Park, along with several beautiful lighted window displays in the shops along Main Street.

In 2025, Chagrin Falls is doing two days of family-friendly fun called Deck the Falls, which will feature photo ops with Santa, music, games, hot cocoa, and more. This is happening on December 6th and 13th.

There will also be a parade (featuring Santa) on November 24th during the Lighting of the Greens ceremony.

3. Medina Hometown Holidays

The Medina Public Square Historic District puts on a whole holiday celebration, with special events and extended shopping hours throughout the season. It also gets extra cute with decorations, with the pièce de résistance being the large decorated tree inside Public Square’s gazebo.

The city’s Candlelight Walk is back this year, too, being held November 21-23, 2025. This event kicks off the holiday season each year in Medina.

RELATED: 5 Cozy Christmas Towns to Visit Near Cleveland

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Private home displays

I of course can’t tell you about every single private home that is decorated for the holidays, but I can point you to a few stand-out properties in various neighborhoods in the Greater Cleveland area.

Here are just a sampling of local favorites (and I’d encourage you to tell me about more in the comments!):

1. Fairview Park Sidewalk Lights

Where: Mostly along Seabury Ave. in Fairview Park

What began at just one house in Fairview Park spread to a whole neighborhood… and then to the whole city! You can find “Sidewalk Garland Lights” throughout much of Fairview Park, along with lots of home displays.

The greatest concentration of decorated homes and sidewalk lights is along Seabury Ave., but there are lots of houses that participate now all through Fairview Park. They even have a dedicated mobile app guide now. Learn more here.

The garlands, light tunnels, and other displays are lit from Black Friday through New Year’s from 6-11 p.m.

2. Crown Point Parkway Festival of Lights

Where: Crown Point Parkway, Strongsville

A favorite every year in Strongsville, this display comprises not just one but several houses along the Crown Point Parkway cul-de-sac. The houses go all-out with lights, decorations, and music, and visitors can either walk or drive by to enjoy the displays.

The Hoag family house is the most over-the-top in the neighborhood, with hundreds of lighting elements in their front and side yard.

The displays can be enjoyed from Thanksgiving night through January 1, 2026 starting at 5:30 p.m. each evening. Kids can even visit with Santa Friday-Sunday from 6-9 p.m.

Note that residents ask that you don’t park in the cul-de-sac itself; there are several nearby residential streets you can park on and walk over. More info here.

3. Petkovsek Family Christmas Lights

Where: 10020 Applewood Drive, North Royalton

This family goes all-out with its Christmas decorations, which include lighted archways, inflatables, and lots of colorful lights.

This year, you can enjoy the lights from December 3-December 31, 2025. Hours for the Petkovsek Family Christmas Lights are sunset to 10 p.m. every night.

4. DeVere Family Christmas Display

Where: 688 Lear Rd, Avon Lake

The DeVere family has put up its outdoor display of 20,000+ Christmas lights, which include 30+ lighted trees, Christmas characters, a life-size gingerbread house, and a nativity scene. The lights cover 2 full lots, so there’s a lot to see!

The display will be up from after Thanksgiving until New Year’s Eve.

5. Lunar Family Lights

Where: Bell Road, Willoughby

This incredible lighting is found on a cul-de-sac in Willoughby*. The house and yard are illuminated, and a choreographed light show runs every night. You can see it Friday-Sunday from 6-9:30 p.m. (weather permitting) beginning Thanksgiving night and running through the holiday season.

Tune in to 101.1 FM. More info here.

*Note: The Lunar Family WON on the “Great Christmas Light Fight” TV show this year, and subsequently is likely to be VERY busy! Prepare to wait in line and limit your time watching the lights if you decide to go.

6. Dowell Family Christmas Lights

Where: 605 Joseph Dr., Aurora

This family home in Aurora is covered in multi-colored lights that “dance” twice an hour to popular Christmas songs. The shows run every 30 minutes from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and until 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

You can tune to 90.9 FM to listen in your car, or they also have speakers outside.

7. Bailey Family Lights

Where: 9872 Burton Dr, Twinsburg

Going viral in 2020 thanks to a choreographed light show on their house featuring Taylor Swift’s “Christmas Tree Farm” (Taylor Swift herself heard about it and made a very generous donation to the local food bank), the Bailey family has continued the tradition every holiday season.

Animations “sing” each song, and there are at least half a dozen songs in rotation (including, yes, “Christmas Tree Farm”). Tune to 87.9 to listen from your car.

The family also always accepts donations of non-perishable food items and money for the local food bank.

8. Lights on Acadia Drive

Where: 8456 Acadia Dr., Sagamore Hills

Here’s another “dancing house” for you a little further south. They have two large light trees, tons of lights in their front yard, and animations on their garage door, all synchronized to holiday tunes. This year, the show features 28,000 pixels “dancing” to 30 different songs.

Sequences run every night from 5-10 p.m. starting on December 5, 2025. There are speakers outside, or you can tune in to 98.3 FM to listen. More info here.

9. Garvas Family Lights

Where: 9821 Firestone Lane, Macedonia

Expanding to include tens of thousands of extra pixels and a 20-foot-tall tree, the Garvas family has a super fun light show choreographed to music.

Tune to 87.9 FM to listen from your car; there are 12+ songs in rotation. The lights are on from 5-11 p.m. every night starting December 1, 2025. More info here.

10. Bates’ Magical North Pole

Where: 709 Saratoga Trail, Medina

Enjoy over half an acre of professional-grade lighting displays at this Medina home. You can drop off a letter to Santa at the Official North Pole Magical Mailbox, and you can enjoy free hot chocolate on Saturdays in December from 6-8 p.m.

Lights are on nightly from 6-11 p.m. from November 26-December 31, 2025.

11. Wadsworth Griswold House

Where: 173 Duane Lane, Wadsworth

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A post shared by Wadsworth Griswold House (@wadsworthgriswoldhouse)

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation fans, rejoice! You can see a local take on the Griswold house in Wadsworth. Complete with 25,000 twinkle lights on the house and even an RV parked in the driveway, there’s no wonder why this is a holiday favorite.

The Wadsworth Griswold House is revealed each year in a celebration at 7 p.m. on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and the lights stay lit from 5-11 p.m. through January 1.

This light display is free to visit, but the family collects donations, which go towards the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Great Strides walk held each May.

12. The Jenkins Family Light Show

Where: 364 Oak St, Wadsworth

The Jenkins Family Light Show is always a favorite, with outdoor lights that are animated to various Christmas songs. The “show” runs from 6-10 p.m. every night from November 26, 2025 through January 3, 2026, and there’s a different show planned every night of the week.

Tune in to 89.1 FM to listen.

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Other notable displays

A little further away, but still worth visiting, here are some other light displays to check out:

1. Deck the Hall at Stan Hywet

Where: 714 North Portage Path, Akron

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens goes all-out for the holidays, with both indoor displays and decorations, and more than one million lights twinkling outside in the gardens.

Inside the manor house, every room is decorated with lights and trees.

Outdoors, there will be lots of lights, plus a light show choreographed to music called Dazzle. You can also pick up some fresh gingerbread from the Gingerbread Hut, or a hot drink from the Salty Reindeer.

Deck the Hall runs from 3-8 p.m. on select nights November 28-December 30, 2025.

How much: Tickets are $22 for members and $28 on peak nights, and $19 for members and $24 for non-members Friday-Sunday. Tickets must be purchased in advance this year; get your tickets online here.

2. ChurchLights

Where: Pleasant Hills United Methodist Church, 13200 East Bagley Rd, Middleburg Heights

The Pleasant Hills United Methodist Church is known for its annual double ChurchLights display. The display combines an outdoor display on the church’s lawn (available every evening from Thanksgiving to New Year’s) and an indoor ChurchLights Experience that runs every Sunday evening in December.

ChurchLights includes lights and videos programmed to music, and the indoor experience also includes puppet shows, live music, visits with Santa, and more. You can learn more here.

How much: Free, though a donation of non-perishable food items is encouraged.

3. Magic of Lights

Where: Victory Park, 7777 Victory Ln, North Ridgeville

Transitioning from a drive-thru event to a walk-through one in 2025, Magic of Lights is back with a reimagined “Wonderland Walk” this year. Walk through festive holiday scenes and digital animations set up in Victory Park — just be sure to bundle up, since it’s all outdoors!

Magic of Lights Wonderland Walk runs daily from November 27, 2025-January 3, 2026. Hours are 6-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and 6-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

How much: Advanced tickets are $16.99 for adults, $13 for seniors, $8 for kids 5+, and free for kids under 5. You can also get a family 4-pack of tickets for $35. Buy tickets here. (You can also purchase tickets at the gate, but they are a couple dollars more.)

READ NEXT: Christmas in Cleveland: 12 Things to Do This Holiday Season

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So there you have it! A huge guide to the best Christmas lights in Cleveland. I hope you can get out and enjoy many of these displays for yourself this year!

Where are YOUR favorite Christmas lights in the Cleveland area?

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