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Christmas lights at night in St. Louis
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Christmas lights · St. Louis, MO

Christmas lights in St. Louis

St. Louis has an unusual number of drive-thrus — a county park, a raceway across the river and another out west — and one big walk-through at the Missouri Botanical Garden, where parking is free.

4 displays · 0 free · 2 with 2026 dates announced

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Where to see them

Where to go: with kids, on a date, with friends

With kids

Short walks, Santa, rides and something to do besides looking.

For a date

Somewhere to walk slowly, a drink in hand, and look good in the photos.

With friends

Cheap by the carload, or a long evening with food and music.

Drive-thru shows

Paid per car, not per person, so a full car is the cheap way to do it. Weekends are the busy nights.

Winter Wonderland — illustrationIllustration
Drive-thru·Tilles Park, Ladue

Winter Wonderland

A classic St. Louis tradition: a slow drive through Tilles Park past more than a million lights — holiday characters, a Blues tribute and whimsical scenes — with music on the radio. Car only now.

🧒 With kids

What's there

  • A St. Louis tradition
  • Cheap per car
  • Music on the radio
  • Enter from southbound McKnight Road

What visitors sayGoogle 4.6 ★ · 476 reviews

Families call it bright, fun and a true local tradition, with a surprising variety of displays for a small park. The line can back up to the highway on busy nights — 30 to 40 minutes to get in — and the drive itself is short.

Cheap and cheerful with little kids — go early on a weeknight.

2025 season
Nov 26, 2025 – Jan 3, 2026 (closed Dec 24)
5 – 9 pm
Last year's dates — this year's aren't out yet.
Cost
$20 per family car, $60 limo or 15-seat van (2025)
Where
9551 Litzsinger Rd, St. Louis, MO 63124

Getting in and parking

  • Tilles Park on Litzsinger Road in Ladue. Join the car line on Litzsinger; one price per carload.

On the map

Worth knowing

  • Car only now: the walk-through and carriage rides ended in 2025.

Checked 2026-09-23 · St. Louis County Parks; KSDK (2025)

WonderLight's Christmas — illustrationIllustration
Drive-thru·World Wide Technology Raceway, Illinois side

WonderLight's Christmas

A 30–45 minute drive around the World Wide Technology Raceway track on the Illinois side, past more than a million LEDs synced to music on 89.5 FM.

🧒 With kids🎉 With friends

What's there

  • Drive on a race track
  • Long show
  • One price per car up to 8 people

What visitors sayGoogle 4.2 ★ · 151 reviews

People like the novelty of a race track and the length of the show; one says the back half is the best part. Critics mention two-hour lines even with a timed ticket, empty stretches, flashing lights that tire the eyes, and a playlist that isn't very Christmassy.

Fun for kids if the line is short — go on a rainy or weeknight evening.

2026 season
Nov 13, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027, nightly
5 – 10 pm
Cost
$30 per car up to 8 people; $50 limo or van; $100 bus or RV (2025)
Where
1905 Collinsville Road, Fairmont City, IL 62201

Getting in and parking

  • World Wide Technology Raceway on Collinsville Road, just across the river in Illinois. Buy in advance to keep the line short.

On the map

Worth knowing

  • Tickets are sold in two-hour slots; buy ahead to cut the wait.

Checked 2026-09-23 · wonderlightschristmas.com

Official site
Santa's Magical Kingdom — illustrationIllustration
Drive-thru·West St. Louis County

Santa's Magical Kingdom

A drive-thru trail of Christmas scenes in the Jellystone park out west, with a radio station, and train and wagon rides you can add on.

🧒 With kids

What's there

  • Drive-thru scenes
  • Train and wagon rides
  • Radio station

What visitors sayGoogle 4.2 ★ · 1,179 reviews

Some families spent over an hour and loved it. Others found it dated for $35 cash — cardboard cut-outs not all Christmassy or working, a bumpy trail that scraped cars, and a rushed feel.

Mixed. With young kids it's fine; otherwise WonderLight's or Tilles is the better drive.

Season
Last published schedule: Nov 20 – Jan 3, 5:30 – 10:30 pm, seven days a week.

Getting in and parking

  • In Eureka, off I-44 West, about 30 minutes from St. Louis.

On the map

Worth knowing

  • Cash only, paid at the exit.
  • Open 5:30–10:30 pm daily through Dec 24; shorter hours Dec 25 – Jan 3.

Checked 2026-09-23 · santasmagicalkingdom.com

Full 2026 guideOfficial site

Walk-through: gardens, zoo, parks

Mostly ticketed per person, and on foot. Check the hours before you set out.

Garden GlowPhoto: Chris Yunker · CC BY 2.0
Garden GlowClimatron Garden Glow- - -

Photos: Chris Yunker · CC BY 2.0 · Photos: Kbh3rd · CC BY 3.0

Garden·Missouri Botanical Garden

Garden Glow

The Missouri Botanical Garden lit with around two million lights, with the glowing Climatron dome as the centerpiece — the biggest walk-through display in the St. Louis area, and parking is free.

✨ Date night🧒 With kids

What's there

  • Two million lights
  • Glowing Climatron dome
  • Free parking
  • Family nights

What visitors sayGoogle 4.8 ★ · 18,194 reviews

The garden is one of the best-rated places in the Midwest, and visitors who come for its evening light events rave about the photos. Expect crowds on December weekends.

St. Louis's best Christmas evening out — book e-tickets for a weeknight.

2026 season
Nov 14, 2026 – Jan 2, 2027, select nights
Cost
Varies by date; e-tickets give faster entry.

Getting in and parking

  • Parking at the garden is free.

On the map

Worth knowing

  • Same-day tickets cost $2 more after 4:30 pm.
  • No pets; service animals only.
  • Manual wheelchairs are free; scooters rent for $35.

Checked 2026-09-23 · missouribotanicalgarden.org

Full 2026 guideOfficial site

Before you go

Why some dates say 2025

Most displays announce the season in October or November. Until they do, we show last year's dates and say so, rather than guess this year's. Every card shows the day we last checked it and where the facts came from.

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Questions

Which Christmas lights in St. Louis are free?
None of the St. Louis displays listed here are free — all of them sell tickets. Check each card for prices and go on a weeknight to avoid the longest lines.
When do the St. Louis light displays open this year?
So far Garden Glow (Nov 14, 2026 – Jan 2, 2027, select nights) and WonderLight's Christmas (Nov 13, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027, nightly) have announced their 2026 dates. The rest publish in October and November; until then this page shows last year's dates, marked as such.