Best Places to See Holiday Lights Around Dallas (2025)

From Highland Park streets to lakeside drive-through tunnels, here’s a cozy, local guide to DFW’s brightest traditions.

Always check official websites or social pages for the latest dates, times, tickets, and weather updates before you go. Details can change, especially around holidays and bad weather.

People walking through a garden decorated with holiday lights at night — Holiday at the Arboretum turns the gardens into a glowing storybook each night.

Holiday at the Arboretum – Dallas

The Dallas Arboretum’s Holiday at the Arboretum is pure postcard energy: gazebos themed to the “12 Days of Christmas,” a European-style Christmas village, glowing pathways, and this year’s expanded nighttime “Night Glow” installations across the gardens.

It’s one of the best spots if you want that “holiday movie” feeling: strolling with hot chocolate, kids darting between light displays, and the Dallas skyline a short drive away when you’re done.

Pro tip: Weeknights are calmer than weekends. Time your visit for just after opening or later in the evening to dodge the biggest crowds.

Trees wrapped in colorful lights reflected in a pond — Vitruvian Park in Addison: a ring of towering, color-drenched trees reflected in the water.

Vitruvian Lights – Addison

Just north of Dallas, Vitruvian Lights in Addison turns Vitruvian Park into a glowing grove of neon-wrapped trees, all mirrored in the water below. It’s free to walk around, with lights typically on nightly from late November through New Year’s Day, though parking is usually paid.

It’s one of the easiest places for casual photos: wide paths, space for strollers, and a mix of bold color and softer corners where you can just sit and watch the reflections.

Pro tip: Go on a non-event night for a quieter walk. Wear comfy shoes; you’ll want to loop the park at least twice.

Car driving through a tunnel of holiday lights — Prairie Lights in Grand Prairie: a drive-through wonderland with a famous LED light tunnel.

Prairie Lights – Grand Prairie

If your ideal holiday night involves staying warm in the car with music up and snacks in hand, Prairie Lights at Lynn Creek Park on Joe Pool Lake is the move. It’s a two-mile drive-through park with millions of lights, a midway “Holiday Village” with rides and a walk-through forest, and a huge LED tunnel finale.

It runs nightly from late November through December 31 and charges per vehicle, with optional fast-pass upgrades if you don’t want to wait in the long line on peak nights.

Pro tip: Weeknights and earlier in December are best if you hate long waits. Bring a thermos of hot chocolate and let the kids wear pajamas for maximum cozy.

Town square decorated with Christmas lights and a large tree — Frisco’s Christmas in the Square: a choreographed light show synced to holiday music.

Christmas in the Square – Frisco

Up in Frisco, Christmas in the Square wraps the whole town center in light. More than 150,000+ lights and animated displays are synced to holiday music you can hear from the square or on your car radio, usually running nightly from late November through early January.

On select nights, the square layers on extras: carriage rides, snow machines, outdoor movies, and family activities. It’s a solid “bring-the-grandparents and the kids” kind of outing.

Pro tip: If you want photos without a crowd in the background, arrive right at start time on a weekday, soak in the show, then grab dinner nearby.

Residential street lined with homes decorated in Christmas lights — Highland Park and other neighborhoods turn regular streets into winding galleries of lights.

Highland Park & Neighborhood Light Drives – Dallas & Beyond

Sometimes the best lights aren’t in a park at all – they’re in neighborhoods that go all-in together. In Dallas, the classic is Highland Park, where streets of historic homes pull out all the stops with elegant displays. You can drive on your own or book a guided bus or carriage tour that loops through the prettiest blocks.

Around the metro, other neighborhoods like Deerfield in Plano and Interlochen in Arlington are also known for big light displays and long lines of cars inching past decorated houses. Bring patience, snacks, and a good playlist.

Pro tip: Go later in the evening on a Sunday or early in the week. Keep headlights on low, drive slowly, and remember you’re in someone’s neighborhood – not a theme park.

Zoo path decorated with lanterns and holiday lights at night — Dallas Zoo Lights adds glowing animal-themed displays to a nighttime zoo walk.

Dallas Zoo Lights – South Dallas

Dallas Zoo Lights turns the zoo into a glowing after-hours trail, with animal-themed lanterns, light tunnels, music, and snack stops scattered along the paths. For 2025, the zoo is leaning into over two million lights, themed displays, and combo tickets that let you see animals by day and lights by night.

It’s a great option for families with younger kids: the paths are walkable, there are plenty of photo spots, and it feels magical without being overwhelming.

Pro tip: Strollers are welcome, and so are layers. Dallas evenings can swing from “sweater weather” to “why is it this cold in Texas?” in the span of an hour.

How to Choose Where to Go This Year

If you want a calm walk with pretty photos, aim for the Arboretum or Vitruvian Park. If you want something low-effort and warm, follow the taillights into Prairie Lights. For a classic Dallas night, wander Highland Park or book a lights tour. And if the kids want animals with their elves, the zoo is waiting.

However you do it, pick one evening to leave the to-do lists behind and just drive slow, walk slow, and let the lights do their strange, old-fashioned job: making the year feel softer on the way out.