Center City’s best-known holiday light show is dark this year. The Wanamaker Light Show is paused for 2026 and 2027 while its building is restored. The good news: the region has plenty of other lights, and several of the best are free.
Here are eight, grouped the way most people decide: free stops in Center City, ticketed evenings worth booking, and suburban lights you can see from a car or a short stroll. Pick one per night. Two big displays in one evening usually means rushing both.
Dates, hours and prices checked October 29, 2026.
2026 dates at a glance
Dilworth Park Wintergarden opens November 13. Franklin Square and the Philadelphia Zoo’s LumiNature open November 19. Longwood Gardens and Peddler’s Village begin November 20. Christmas Village and Shady Brook Farm begin November 21. Morris Arboretum’s Holiday Garden Railway starts November 21 (its FAQ says November 22).
Holiday closures to know: Christmas Village is closed November 23–25 and December 25. LumiNature is closed December 24, 25 and January 1. Morris Arboretum is closed December 24 and 25. The Wanamaker Light Show is paused for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. These are checked 2026 dates, not a recurring schedule.
Free in Center City
1. Christmas Village at LOVE Park and City Hall
- Where
- LOVE Park and City Hall, 1500 Arch Street, Philadelphia.
- Allow
- About 45–90 minutes.
- Budget
- No admission; food, drinks and gifts are extra.
An outdoor holiday market with wooden stalls, food and gifts around LOVE Park and City Hall. Go for the atmosphere and one treat rather than a long shopping trip; the walkways get crowded on weekend evenings.
The market runs November 21 to December 27, 2026: noon–8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and noon–9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It’s closed November 23–25 and on Christmas Day. Thanksgiving hours are 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and Christmas Eve noon–5 p.m.
SEPTA stops right there: Regional Rail to Suburban Station or the 15th Street/City Hall station. Check hours and getting there before a holiday-week visit.
2. The Electrical Spectacle at Franklin Square
- Where
- Franklin Square, 200 N. 6th Street, Philadelphia.
- Allow
- About 30–60 minutes.
- Budget
- The light show is free; food and other activities in the square are extra.
A free light show set to music in one of the city’s original squares, near the Old City end of Center City. It’s an easy short stop, and the square also has seasonal activities if anyone wants more than the show.
Historic Philadelphia lists Holidays in Franklin Square from November 19 to January 3 and the Electrical Spectacle Light Show from November 19 to February 28. Visit Philly lists the show through January 3, 2027, so check before planning a visit in January or February. 2026 show times weren’t posted when we checked.
3. Dilworth Park’s Wintergarden, with the rink beside it
- Where
- Dilworth Park, 1 S. 15th Street, Philadelphia.
- Allow
- About 30 minutes to look; 90 minutes for a skating session.
- Budget
- Visit Philly lists the Wintergarden as free. Skating is $10 for adults and $8 for ages 10 and younger, plus $11 skate rental.
The Wintergarden is a lit seasonal garden on the west side of City Hall, next to the Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink. It pairs naturally with Christmas Village across the street: look first, then decide whether anyone wants to skate.
The Center City District lists the Wintergarden from November 13, 2026, to March 28, 2027, and the rink daily from November 13 to February 21, 2027. Through January 3, rink hours are noon–9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon–11 p.m. Friday, 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m. Sunday.
Read the Center City District’s season details for current hours and skating sessions.
Ticketed evenings worth booking
4. LumiNature at the Philadelphia Zoo
- Where
- Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Avenue, Philadelphia.
- Allow
- About 1½–2 hours.
- Budget
- General admission $27–31 and Anytime admission $29–34, depending on the night; parking $22. Members get a discount.
A walk-through light trail around the zoo after dark. It suits families who want one clearly planned evening: buy a dated ticket, arrive near your entry time and follow the route at your own pace.
LumiNature runs on select nights from November 19, 2026, to January 9, 2027, 5–9 p.m., and is closed December 24, 25 and January 1. Advance online reservations are required. Dress for standing outside in the cold, and check which nights are open before promising a date.
5. Holiday Garden Railway at Morris Arboretum
- Where
- Morris Arboretum & Gardens, 100 E. Northwestern Avenue, Philadelphia.
- Allow
- About 1–2 hours.
- Budget
- Daytime viewing is included with general admission. Nighttime Express: $22 adults, $12 ages 3–17, free under 3 (members pay less).
Model trains run through miniature landscapes built from natural materials, in Chestnut Hill. The daytime visit is the easier choice for small children. The Nighttime Express adds lights after dark on selected evenings.
The railway runs November 21 to December 30, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. daily. Nighttime Express runs 4:30–8 p.m. on November 28 and 29 and on December 5, 6, 10–13 and 17–20, with advance tickets only. General tickets go on sale November 9. The arboretum is closed December 24 and 25, and the trains can’t run in heavy rain, snow or ice.
6. A Longwood Christmas at Longwood Gardens
- Where
- Longwood Gardens, 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, Chester County.
- Allow
- About 2–3 hours, plus travel.
- Budget
- Timed tickets required; prices vary by date. Check when booking.
One of the region’s best-known holiday displays, indoors and out, about an hour southwest of Center City in Kennett Square. It’s a full outing rather than a quick stop, so plan dinner and the drive home around your entry time.
A Longwood Christmas runs November 20, 2026, to January 10, 2027. The Christmas page lists 10 a.m.–11 p.m. daily, while another part of the site shows shorter general hours, so confirm your date’s closing time when you book. Members reserve through a separate link. Performances and fireworks are ticketed separately.
Book a timed ticket. Popular evenings sell out, so choose your date early.
Suburban lights from a car or a short stroll
7. Peddler’s Village Grand Illumination and holiday lights
- Where
- Peddler’s Village, Lahaska, Bucks County.
- Allow
- About 1–2 hours.
- Budget
- Free admission and free parking; food and shopping are extra.
The village’s lights switch on for the season at the Grand Illumination, then stay on every evening. Go for the opening ceremony if you like a crowd, or come on a quieter weeknight for an easy stroll between shops.
The 2026 Grand Illumination is Friday, November 20. The lights switch on at 6:15 p.m., and the village suggests arriving by 5:30 p.m. because parking can fill. The lights stay on every evening through January 18, 2027. The village advises leaving dogs at home because the paths get congested.
8. Shady Brook Farm Holiday Light Show
- Where
- Shady Brook Farm, 931 Stony Hill Road, Yardley, Bucks County.
- Allow
- About 45–90 minutes, plus any wait to enter.
- Budget
- Dated tickets: the farm lists $35 per vehicle to drive through, or $20 per person for a wagon ride, on its November 21 listing. Gate prices are higher.
A light show you can see from your own car, or from a wagon ride, on a farm in Yardley. It’s a good choice for cold nights, very young children or anyone who’d rather not walk far.
Visit Philly lists the show from November 21, 2026, to January 31, 2027. Prices can vary by date, and peak nights sell out. Tickets are non-refundable but can be moved to another date. Wagon rides depend on the weather.
Check dates, hours and tickets on the farm’s site before you go.
What about the Wanamaker Light Show?
The Wanamaker Light Show and Dickens Village won’t run in 2026. The building’s new owners are restoring it, and the show is paused for the 2026 and 2027 holiday seasons, according to 6abc. The Philadelphia Visitor Center says it plans to continue the tradition in future years.
How this guide was made: it’s a researched planning guide, not a claim of personal visits. Dates, hours and prices come from the organizers’ own pages where they were published. Time allowances are suggestions; weather, crowds and sold-out nights change the plan, so follow each official link before you leave.
Keep the night small: one display, a warm drink and an easy way home. If you’re spending the holidays near Philadelphia or thinking about a move here, the Local Guide has more ideas for every season.
Sources & method
Information in this guide was checked October 29, 2026. Source links appear in the text above. Dates, prices and hours can change, so confirm with the official source before you rely on them.
Photo credits and image details
These photographs were resized and converted to WebP for this website, with no crop or content changes. Source and license links are below. Dates describe the source photos, not current conditions or future events.
- Prphilachristmas · CC BY-SA 4.0Christmas Village’s Ferris wheel at night in LOVE Park. Shared in 2023; a past season, not a 2026 photo.
- Prphilachristmas · CC BY-SA 4.0Shoppers at Christmas Village’s wooden stalls, with City Hall behind. Shared in 2023; a past season.
- Wobbanight · CC0Franklin Square’s fountain, October 2025. Venue reference, not a Trick-or-Treat Street event photograph.
- Ii2nmd · CC BY-SA 4.0The rink at Dilworth Park, February 2022. A past season; layout and decorations change each year.
- Syed07 · CC BY-SA 4.0City Hall and its holiday tree at night, December 2025.
- Schiller12 · CC0Morris Arboretum & Gardens, November 2025. Seasonal reference; colors and access vary by visit.
- PLBechly · CC BY-SA 4.0Longwood Gardens’ conservatory decorated for Christmas, December 2021. Each season’s display changes.
- Dough4872 · CC BY-SA 4.0Lit trees along a path at Longwood Gardens, November 2023. A past season’s display.
- Staniulis · CC0Peddler’s Village, May 2024. A view of the grounds, not a Halloween event photo.
- Bruce Andersen · CC BY-SA 2.5The Wanamaker Light Show, December 2006. The show is paused for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.