Where The Find The Best Christmas Lights in the Bay Area

The day after Thanksgiving is like flipping a magical switch! Up goes the tree, Holiday tunes blare at full volume, and I’m shoveling down Peppermint Bark like it’s a competitive sport! But one of the best parts of living in the Bay Area is watching everyone’s jaws drop as places transform into a festive wonderland for the holidays! Places that deck the halls are a great way to celebrate the holidays. Admire the twinkling, colorful lights. They're definitely worth the trip.

Let's Glow SF

SAN FRANCISCO: This all-ages and family friendly event runs for 10 nights—from December 5–14, 2025. Breathtaking animated projections will illuminate eight landmark buildings across the city's core nightly from 5:30pm to 10:00pm, transforming them into colossal, colorful canvases featuring work by 19 artists from around the globe.

Holiday Light Spectacular

Don’t miss the brightest event of the season! Free! November 28, 2025 through January 4, 2026 Experience the wonder of winter like never before at the Holiday Light Spectacular! Your family, friends, and loved ones will enjoy a magical evening filled with dazzling light displays, twinkling pathways, enchanting photo ops, and joyful surprises around every corner. Wander through the lights, sip on hot cocoa, and make memories that will last a lifetime. 4:00pm to 9:00pm daily, rain or shine*

IlluminOdyssey

SAN MATEO: Your winter light experience just got a glow up—visit IlluminOdyssey, a journey into the science of light. Catch the light November 15, 2025–January 25, 2026. Inspired by the science of light, IlluminOdyssey is an immersive, interactive installation that will mesmerize kids and adults of all ages*. CuriOdyssey’s four-level Redwood Hall will transform into a glowing forest of science—light your way through a maze of luminous botanical geometry, play with rainbow refraction and swirling projections, paint with light on phosphorescent surfaces, and dance with your shadow. Explore the physical properties of light, such as photoluminescence, color, additive light mixing, waves, fluorescence, fluid dynamics, subtractive color mixing, and refraction.

Christmas in the Park

SAN JOSE: Beloved Holiday Tradition Since 1980 Experience the Christmas holiday magic with over 45 years of community tradition, featuring spectacular Christmas light displays, family entertainment, and unforgettable memories.

Lightscape

SAN FRANCISCO: Golden Gate Park, November 21 through January 4, A breathtaking mile-long trail of light and color, This one-of-a-kind, immersive light and music experience will transform the Botanical Garden into a mesmerizing world of wonder, food and beverages, and more than one million twinkling lights. Stroll through a mile-long trail of dazzling lights, dramatic colors, otherworldly lighted sculptures, and water features – right in the heart of San Francisco. Gather with family and friends, grab a hot chocolate, and experience the wonders of San Francisco Botanical Garden’s winter landscape through a kaleidoscope of color!

Glowfari

OAKLAND: It's Back! A Wildly Illuminating Lantern Festival! November 7, 2025-January 25, 2026, 4:30pm – 9:00pm. The Oakland Zoo has enabled a plan-ahead pricing ticketing system. Plan-ahead pricing allows you to book your zoo visit in advance while keeping your budget and schedule in mind.

Lights on Los Alondras

NOVATO: Lights on Los Alondras is back for 2025! Want to see us turn on the lights like Clark Griswold? Join us to start the Christmas season 11/28 at 6pm! If you can, please bring a new unwrapped toy or monetary donation to help make the holidays special and spread Christmas spirit to kids all over town (all donations go to the Foundation to help kids and stay in Novato). Display and toy drive will be open and collecting through 12/31 weather permitting.

Christmas at the Patterson House

FREMONT: Celebrate a turn of the 20th century holiday at a beautifully restored Queen Anne mansion. Join costumed docents for a tour of 14 rooms decorated with Victorian-style holiday ornaments. 11am & 2pm: Tot Tours for all ages, downstairs only, wheelchair accessible (20 min) 11:30am, 1pm, 2:30pm: Full tours for age 6 and over (45 min)

Fantasy of Lights

SANTA CLARA: Fantasy of Lights is a cherished Holiday tradition. Enjoy a magical evening in the warmth of your vehicle as you drive through large animated displays while listening to holiday music on your car radio, or bask in the warm glow of the holiday lights as you leisurely stroll through the park with family and friends. See the sights and sounds of an erupting volcano in the dangerously fun Dinosaur Den, cheer on Santa shooting hoops, wave at a pen of playful penguins, watch blazing pirate cannons and sail through tunnels of moving lights. Over 50 themed displays and a 90-foot twinkling tree will have you “oohing and aahing” throughout your adventure.

Harry Potter House

SAN JOSE: Bringing the joy and magic of Harry Potter to the San Jose.

Blinky's Illuminated Holiday

SAN JOSE: Blinky's Illuminated Holiday, will follow Blinky the reindeer through the musical journey of his imagination. A brand new display that will feature over 200,000 lights. Standard ticket for entry, or a VIP ticket (limit 5 per time slot) which includes front of the line entry and Christmas in the Park swag! San Jose.

Christmas at Temple Hill

OAKLAND: November 28 – December 31 Everyday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM 4770 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland, CA Come and enjoy peace and beauty this Christmas season at Temple Hill! Experience festive Christmas lights and holiday spirit at one of the many performances. Most “Days of Christmas” activities are free of charge. All are open to the public and family-friendly. Select below to learn more about the Christ-centered performances and activities on Oakland Temple Hill this Christmas Season!

Holiday in the Park Drive-Thru Experience!

VALLEJO: As one of the largest holiday drive-through events in Northern California and the only one inside a theme park, the Holiday in the Park Drive-Thru Experience will include a number of immersive, distinctly different areas. The 135-acre theme park, will be filled with an exquisite palette of colorful twinkling lights and festive music. Guests will also enjoy distanced greetings from their favorite holiday characters, iconic holiday decorations, an encounter with Santa, and much more.

Christmas Tree Lane

ALAMEDA: Residents along a stretch of Thompson Avenue in Alameda have pulled out all the stops during the holidays, transforming their street into what is dubbed "Christmas Tree Lane."

Crippsmas Place

FREMONT: Experience the magic of Crippsmas Place — stroll along the sidewalks or drive through the neighborhood to enjoy the dazzling holiday lights and decorations! ✨ Candy canes will be handed out nightly from 6–10 PM, Saturday, December 6 through Saturday, December 27, 2025!

VnA's Gingy House

SUISUN CITY: 340 Shoveller Drive. Treat your loved ones out for some sweet memories during the holidays!

W i d m e r - W o r l d

PLEASANTON: 3671 Chelsea Court. We will be doing a shake out of all our animation and lighting in our first days, but everything looks good now. Hope to see you soon for a magical walk through of our display!

Garden of D’Lights

WALNUT CREEK: Self-guided Holiday Light Experience at the Ruth Bancroft Garden See the Garden and plant collection transform into a dazzling waterwise wonderland illuminated with thousands of colorful lights, art installations, and lasers, creating a magical and enchanting atmosphere.

Deacon Dave's House of the Dove

LIVERMORE: 352 Hillcrest Ave. The Great Christmas Light Fight 2024 Winner!

Gardens Aglow

GLEN ELLEN: A Twilight Wonderland of Lights, Music & Holiday Cheer at Sonoma Botanical Garden is open Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, December 5-21, 2025, 5-8pm. After the sun sets, the magic begins. Visitors stroll through a dazzling tunnel of light to arrive at the Garden’s Winter Workshop, brimming with festive crafts for all ages, music that fills the evening air with cheer, lawn games, face painting, and more. Then gather for fireside fun to make s’mores, sip hot chocolate, or enjoy local wines, making cozy memories with loved ones under the glow of holiday lights. Gardens Aglow is set in an intimate area of the Garden, centered around the Founder’s House and adjacent to the Rose Garden.

Private Places in San Francisco

Tom & Jerry’s House, 3650 21st St
Light Tunnel, Outer Sunset on 43rd & Riveria 
68 Castro
45 Upper Terrace
3600 21st St
Fairmont Hotel Gingerbread House

Fantasy of Lights Drive-thru

SANTA CLARA: Tuesday, December 9 - Tuesday, December 30, 6:00 - 10:00pm (closed December 25) Enjoy a magical evening in the warmth of your vehicle as you drive through 1.5 miles of large animated displays while listening to holiday music on your car radio. See the sights and sounds of an erupting volcano in the dangerously fun Dinosaur Den, cheer on Santa shooting hoops, wave at a pen of playful penguins, watch blazing pirate cannons and sail through tunnels of moving lights. Over 50 themed displays and a 90-foot twinkling tree will have you oohing and aahing throughout your adventure.

Holiday's on Fourth Street

BERKELEY: Dazzling Holiday Lights ~ On Each Night STARTING NOV 1, 2025
On each night starting at dusk, Fourth Street street sparkles with cheer every night at about 5PM. Holiday lights embroider every tree and glowing balls of light dangle from the branches. Enjoy the three blocks of beauty with friends and family all season long! Location: Fourth Street at Hearst.

Holidays at Filoli

WOODSIDE: 'Tis the season to make special memories, bask in the vibrant landscape, and spend time together. Step into the magic of the House decked in holiday cheer and explore the winter Garden, where inspiration glows. During the day, bask in the winter sunlight as it brings out the hues of splendid decor, enchanting Garden displays, and sets the tone for the perfect family photo. Indulge in daytime delights with warm drinks by a firepit or stop for a hearty lunch at the Quail Café. In the evening, enter a dazzling world of holiday cheer as immersive displays and historic, natural beauty bring magic to returning favorites and new experiences.

Tam Valley Megatree

A 30-foot tree of lights with over 3000 individually controlled LED lights, synchronized to your favorite holiday music. Operating be between Thanksgiving and New Years Day.

Do you have a favorite? Please leave a comment below.