Between tree lighting ceremonies and pop-up events, the holiday spirit in NYC is absolutely unmatched! Of course a major part of this is the stunning holiday lights that are lighting up all across the boroughs, dazzling New Yorkers everywhere they look.
And with the holiday season approaching, you’ll definitely want to take in all the gorgeous lights scattered across the city!
It’s not all about the LEDs; you also catch a festive Candlelight concert where flickering flames illuminate extraordinary musical performances. Whether you’re looking for a neat Instagram shot, or want to just get into a festive mood, here are some of the best places to find holiday lights in NYC:
1. Dyker Heights Christmas Lights
The Dyker Heights Christmas Lights are world-renowned, and dazzle throughout the streets of Brooklyn every holiday season! The neighborhood’s impressive light display has been a tradition for more than 30 years and spans three avenues and several streets. The houses on the block bring all the decor you can think of…from over the top Santas to illuminating snowflakes.
The decor usually starts popping up the weekend after Thanksgiving, but we suggest going in Mid-December to see them at their peak! Learn everything about the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights here.
Where: 12th Ave & 84th St, Brooklyn
2. Rockefeller Center
Of course we couldn’t leave out one of the most iconic light displays of the holiday season in NYC! The gorgeous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree and its 50,000 multi-colored lights will once again be lit in the center of the Midtown plaza! The tree will be officially lit up on December 4th!
Where: 45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York
3. Bronx Zoo Holiday Light Show
Covering several acres of the zoo, you can explore a glowing forest at this year’s Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights show! See millions of lights and nearly 100 larger-than-life animal and plant species lanterns! The zoo has created the ultimate walkway of twinkling lights and unique illuminated wildlife…all while welcoming interactive glowing walls, six 12-foot interactive trees, and illuminated flowers brand new for 2024.
Plus, beyond the lights you can also check out a festive holiday train, ice carving demonstrations, animal-themed performers, seasonal treats, and more! It’s happening this year from November 22nd – January 5th! Learn more about the Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights via their website.
Where: 2300 Southern Blvd, The Bronx
4. Lightscape at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn
Roam under 1 million sparkling lights at Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s astonishing holiday trail. Walk along the garden’s landscapes to a curated soundtrack and experience incredible light sculptures, & vibrant effects—like the pictured above “Winter Cathedral.” The 18 different installations will wow you, illuminating the many trees and water features under the holiday moonlight. It’s open from November 22nd, 2024 – January 5th, 2025! Learn more about Lightscape here.
Where: 990 Washington Ave
5. Bryant Park Winter Village
It’s no secret that we love the Bryant Park Holiday Market and Winter Village, and they have a bunch of lights that makes it even more festive. Plus, what could be better than looking at some holiday lights while shopping for presents, or even ice skating for free? There’s so much to do! The Bryant Park Winter Village is officially open for the season now!
Where: Bryant Park
6. Shine Bright Hudson Yards
Hudson Yards’ annual holiday installation called “Shine Bright” is always stunning, taking over the West side neighborhood all holiday season. The area gets decorated in more than 2 million twinkling lights and the shopping center’s interior gets decked out in 115 miles of shimmering string lights. Step outside to see the Vessel gleaming gold alongside other holiday trees and the beautiful hot air balloon display suspended in The Great Room of The Shops & Restaurants! All of the lights are set to return on November 25th and learn more about year’s past here.
Where: 20 Hudson Yards
7. Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an iconic NYC venue, especially during the holiday season when The Rockettes famously take it over for a month! Be sure to check them out this year, along with their gorgeous Christmas tree that sits on the roof of the building.
Where: 1260 6th Ave
8. Washington Square Park
Being situated right under the Washington Square Arch, the angle of this incredible illumination is one of our favorites in all of NYC! This year’s Washington Square Tree will be illuminated on December 11th so be sure to stop by at 6 pm then or anytime after!
Where: Washington Square Park
9. Chelsea Market
Walk under multi-colored mylar fringe and ornaments when you visit Chelsea Market. You’ll find dazzling lights along the exterior of the market and decorative presents, lit up Christmas trees, and shiny ornaments on the inside.
Where: 75 9th Ave
10. Fifth Avenue
As you’re strolling through the shops, window displays, and lights on Fifth Avenue, be sure to look up at the 30-foot-tall snowflake hovering above the famous street! The Fifth Avenue Snowflake Foundation is honoring its 200th anniversary by bringing a 30-foot, 3,300-pound snowflake with 16,500 individual crystal prisms to hover above 5th Ave. It’s set to be lit up officially on November 22nd and will twinkle throughout the holiday season.
Where: 767 Fifth Avenue (between 58th & 59th Streets)
11. Grand Army Plaza’s Menorah
Brooklyn’s largest menorah will once again shine bright at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn this year when Hanukkah kicks off on December 25th! Continuing through to the eighth night of Chanukah, the menorah lighting is accompanied with live music and hot food to celebrate—and it’s free for everyone to go see! Learn more about the largest menorah in Brooklyn here.
Where: Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn
12. Central Park
NYC’s magical Central Park gets adorned with holiday lights every year, including the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center which gets lit up every night during the festive season. Their one-of-a-kind flotilla of lit Christmas trees on the Harlem Meer is a staple of their light display as well!
13. New York Lotte Palace
The New York Lotte Palace is one of the best Christmas hotels in NYC to book this year, and it’s because they go all out with their lights! From the iconic Christmas tree in their courtyard to the stunning lobby lights, this place is a thing of dreams! The festive decor usually arrives sometime in late November / early December!
14. The Shops at Columbus Circle
The Shops at Columbus Circle are best known for their annual “Holiday Under the Stars” installation, which features 14-foot stars that illuminate the atrium and are synchronized to holiday music! The light show typically runs every half hour from 5 pm – 11 pm daily. They’re set to return this year on November 18th, debuting 44 new stars and more than 3,000 feet of glittering garland! Learn more about all of the festive programming happening at Columbus Circle here!
Where: 10 Columbus Cir, New York
15. Lincoln Square
Last year, Lincoln Square had a sensory light show called Magical Lights that had 8 London Plane trees dazzling from hundreds of strands of hanging light vines. While this year we’re still awaiting on what will light up the iconic square, we can only imagine it’s going to be something incredible. Stay tuned for more info!
16. Neighborhood Brownstones
Take a quaint stroll on the UWS to discover gorgeous facades, elegantly decorated in wreaths and garland. The sparkling lights will enchant you as ornaments are strung in bright shades of red and green along the perimeters.
Where: (zip codes) 10023, 10024, 10025, 10069
17. NYC’s decorative restaurants
Of course many of NYC’s restaurants go all-out with decor for the holidays, and many of them take careful curation when it comes to lights. Whether it’s Rolf’s (pictured) or Oscar Wilde, there are many places across the city to get mesmerized by lights while enjoying a meal or a festive cocktail! Check out our full list of NYC restaurants that go crazy with festive decor here!
Where: Various places around NYC
18. Santa’s Winter Wonderland, Seaport
Catch glimpses of holiday lights at Santa’s Winter Wonderland at Watermark! The Seaport District and restaurant/bar is decked to the nines, and is a great spot to enjoy waterfront views, seasonal drinks, holiday decorations, light bites, and a visit from Santa himself! You can snap pictures in front of the tree or dine in an illuminated glasshouse…it’s worth a visit! Learn more about Santa’s Winter Wonderland here and purchase your tickets below!
Where: 19 Fulton St
🎅 Buy tickets to Santa’s Winter Wonderland here!
19. Brookfield Place, Battery Park City
Brookfield Place is introducing a brand new concept for 2024, called Holiday Under the Palms, where there will be plenty of twinkling lights in the Winter Garden and throughout the shopping center! The glistening lights will be set amongst a tropical backdrop, making for the perfect escape during the colder weather! They’ll be welcoming seasonal programming too…like the annual ice rink, performances of The Nutcracker, and so much more.
Where: 230 Vesey St
20. LuminoCity Festival, Long Island
Just outside NYC lies LuminoCity Festival, an immersive walkthrough of illuminated sculptures and art installations! The walk-through experience on Long Island features all sorts of holiday lights…including an themed lights of candy, animals, a dinosaur safari, and a winter wonderland. Learn more about LuminoCity Festival here.
Where: 1899 Park Blvd, East Meadow, NY