4 Magical Christmas Light Displays In Pennsylvania Worth The Winter Drive
A 22-foot Fraser fir spins slowly in the middle of a Pennsylvania garden this winter, ringed by giant handmade red ornaments. It even wears a shooting star garland.
That tree is just one reason to load up the car.
Another stop packs more than 3 million lights onto a farm. You can roll through in your own car or bundle up for an open-air wagon ride.
A third turns a theme park into a forest of candy-themed trees with lasers and swirling fog.
I love how different these displays feel from one another. One leans elegant, one leans silly, and one leans old-school country.
Each one is within reach of a winter afternoon drive.
So grab a thermos of cocoa and a carol playlist. Then pick a night and point the car toward the glow.
Which one gets your first December visit?
1. Longwood Gardens
Somebody at Longwood Gardens looked at Christmas and decided it needed a whole galaxy. A Longwood Christmas this season takes its theme from the cosmos, with soaring, rotating trees dressed in stars.
Indoors, the Music Room becomes a gilded astronomer’s observatory. The Exhibition Hall turns into a spherical galaxy swept with poinsettias.
Over in the East Conservatory, you’ll find a gilded supernova of intertwined vines and planet-like forms made from moss and poinsettias. Big Moravian stars and towering trees glow in gold, copper, white, and champagne tones.
Out on the Center Walk, a 22-foot Fraser fir rotates inside a ring of giant handmade metallic red ornaments. A shooting star garland finishes the look, which feels very on brand for a space-themed holiday.
Plant lovers get their own treat, too. Thousands of poinsettias in more than 25 varieties share the conservatories with paperwhites and amaryllis.
The display runs from late November into early January in Kennett Square, and timed reservations are required for all guests, members included. Hungry stargazers can grab a bite at The Café or 1906 without leaving the grounds.
Hours and ticket details can shift, so check ahead before you go. Address: 1001 Longwood Rd, Kennett Square, PA 19348
2. Shady Brook Farm
Three million lights is a lot of lights to fit on one farm, yet Shady Brook Farm in Yardley pulls it off. The Holiday Light Show turns the property into a drive-through trail of whimsical displays and glowing tunnels.
The fun part is choosing how to see it. You can cruise the route from your own heated car, or climb aboard an open-air wagon and feel December air on your cheeks.
Wagon riders might want an extra scarf, since the ride is open to the night sky. Drivers, meanwhile, can crank up the holiday radio and let the kids narrate from the back seat.
The show stretches from late November all the way into late January, which gives you more breathing room than many seasonal displays. Wagon rides run on a shorter schedule, mostly through the holidays, so plan around that if a hayride is the goal.
Shady Brook is a working farm the rest of the year, with pick-your-own crops like strawberries, peaches, and pumpkins. During the holiday season, the farm market, garden center, Farmer’s Kitchen, and Uncle Dave’s Ice Cream stay open, though hours vary.
Yes, ice cream in winter counts as a Pennsylvania tradition if you say so. Address: 931 Stony Hill Rd, Yardley, PA 19067
3. Hershey Sweet Lights
Fair warning before you program the GPS: Hershey Sweet Lights, the drive-through show off Sand Beach Road, is not returning this season. Hersheypark is putting that energy into a bigger Christmas Candylane instead.
Good news, then, because Candylane packs more than two million lights across the park in Hershey. You can visit Santa and all nine of his reindeer, catch holiday shows, and ride festive versions of select rides.
The headline addition is the Fire and Ice Experience. Icy lights and blazing flames sync up to an atmospheric score, which sounds like a winter blockbuster with a candy budget.
TREEville also got bigger this year. You walk among a grove of Hershey’s candy-themed trees decked out with lights, lasers, and swirling fog.
Smaller surprises pop up along the way. The Twin Turnpike gains festive cars and displays, and Holly Jolly Laff Trakk picks up a holiday soundtrack.
Over at the Chevrolet Music Box Theatre, Twinkling Thru Time adds a show to the lineup. Breakfast with Santa at The Chocolatier happens on select dates, so early risers get their own reward.
Candylane runs on select dates from mid-November into early January, and admission covers select family rides and attractions. Check the calendar before you go.
Address: 100 Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, PA 17033
4. Overly’s Country Christmas
A talking Christmas tree is not something most of us expect to meet on a winter night, yet Overly’s Country Christmas in Greensburg has one. The rest of this western Pennsylvania stop leans proudly old-school, with festive light displays and a Christmas village.
Train fans get a miniature train display with a nostalgic feel. The Grinch may make an appearance too, so keep one eye on your cookies.
Chilly fingers have an easy fix here. A fire pit gives you a spot to thaw out and toast marshmallows between laps around the lights.
The country part of the name shows up in a nativity scene with live animals and horse-drawn carriage rides. Santa himself may be on hand, so bring the wish list.
Kids can burn off holiday sugar at the playground and small play area. Then there’s the gift shop, which sells fudge, because a road trip without fudge is just a drive.
The setup feels like a small-town Christmas card you can stroll around in. It’s a sweet pick for families who prefer carriage rides and campfire glow over roller coasters.
Operating nights change through the season, so check ahead before making the drive. Address: 116 Blue Ribbon Ln, Greensburg, PA 15601
