The Christmas Season is upon us, so we’ve complied a list of the top ten Christmas displays and events within driving distance of Indy to help get you in the Christmas Spirit!
- Winterlights at Newfields
It’s very merry. It’s really bright. Winterlights at Newfields returns for a third year, making it an official holiday tradition in Central Indiana. Create even more memories this season with friends and family as you stroll through our spectacular Winter Wonderland, sip apple cider or hot chocolate (spiked options are available for adults) and make s’mores over a fire pit.Watch lights dance to music on the Lilly House lawn and stop to take photos at the Snowflake Bridge, Frosted Forest and other illuminated displays throughout the grounds. Special glasses will be available that transform every one of the 1.5 million lights into a shimmering snowflake.Guests can also revisit another beloved Newfields tradition, Deck the Halls at the Lilly House, during Winterlights. Each room in the elegant, historic mansion will feature decorative surprises, including beautiful holiday floral arrangements.Cost: Kids 5 and under are free. Non-Members: $20 for adults and $12 for youth (6-17) if purchased before December 3rd, $25 for adults and $17 for youth if purchased after December 3rd.
Address:Newfields Indianapolis | Corner of 30th and Michigan | Indianapolis, IN
- Lights Under Louisville
From November 15 – January 4, drive your own vehicle through the Louisville MEGA Cavern to experience the ONLY underground holiday light show in the world!Each year the LOUISVILLE MEGA CAVERN is transformed into an underground holiday light spectacular for the Christmas season. Enjoy a 30 minute ride through part of our 17 miles of underground passageways. Featuring over 850 lit characters with over 3,000,000 points of light. It’s the only underground light show of its kind on the planet!LIGHTS UNDER LOUISVILLE at the Louisville Mega Cavern allows the public to drive their own vehicle through the cavern during the Christmas season. Experience this one of a kind holiday attraction and begin a new family tradition! Load up the kids and enjoy the sights and sounds of LIGHTS UNDER LOUISVILLE. to make a weekend out of it! We can help set up accommodations and other area attractions such as the Louisville Slugger Museum, Bourbon Trail and Science Museum!Cost: $27 for a standard car. $49.99 for Priority Pass. ($5 off coupon available on their website)
Address: Louisville Mega Cavern | 1841 Taylor Avenue | Louisville, KY 40213
- 50 Days of Lights at French Lick
French Lick Resort is the place for all things jolly this holiday season. The 50 Days of Lights begins with two grand tree lighting ceremonies and the holiday hoopla stretches all the way into the new year, with Thanksgiving feasts and Christmas cheer spread throughout. The 50 Days of Lights are packed with festivities to fill your little ones with holiday spirit. Santa is here every Saturday afternoon to hear wish lists. Story time with Mrs. Claus, cookie decorating, classic holiday movies and a toymaker workshop are also part of the merry itinerary. One thing that will definitely make your Christmas list after visiting – holiday memories that will last a lifetime. Activities include Bounce Houses, video games, a NYE masquerade ball, Dicken’s Carolers and so much more! Plan ahead for next year, as French Lick’s Polar Express tickets are already on sale for 2020!Contact usto make a weekend out of it! We can help set up accommodations at the West Baden Hotel of Big Splash Adventure!
Cost:Varies by activity
Address: French Lick, Indiana
- Gaylord Opryland Resort’s A Country Christmas
November 8 – January , 2020.xperience favorite scenes from the beloved classic holiday movie A Christmas Story in magnificent hand-carved sculptures made from more than TWO million pounds of ice. From indoor tubing to ice skating, to the outdoor nativity and photos with Santa, Gaylord Opryland has everything you need to get in the Christmas Spirit! See Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer The Musical, experience favorite scenes from “A Christmas Story” at ICE! which features handmade ice sculptures made from over two million pounds of ice!You and your family will marvel at more than 3 million holiday lights and acres of magnificent decorations, plus spectacular holiday activities and events that are sure to get you in the spirit of the season and create lasting family memories. Experience SoundWaves, an upscale water experience featuring four combined acres of year-round indoor and seasonal attractions.
Contact usto make resort reservations!
Cost:Varies by activity. Free and ticketed activities available.
Address: 2800 Opryland Drive | Nashville, TN 37214
- Holiday Fun in Chicago
From gorgeous store windows on the Magnificent Mile to 170,000 square feet of carnival rides, slides and more at Winter WonderFest at Navy Pier, Chicago has endless opportunities for Christmas-filled fun!Schedule holiday tea with your little girl and her favorite doll at The American Girl Doll Store. Take a tour of the Bears Stadium then shop till you drop at the LEGO store with your son!
Visit the ZooLights at the Lincoln Park Zoo and follow it up with a trip to Christkindlmarket Chicago.
Contact us for details on vacation packages!
Cost:Varies by activity. Free and ticketed activities available.
Address: Chicago, Illinois
- Cincinnati Zoo Festival of Lights
The PNC Festival of LIghts at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens is celebrating its 37th year! Admire 3 million LED lights, watch a Madcap black-light puppet show, ride the Toyland Express train, marvel at the spectacular Wild Lights show on Swan Lake, or snack at one of two S’mores-n-More stands. Santa will be available for visits starting at 4 p.m., an hour before the rest of the festivities begin. NEW this year at PNC Festival of Lights! Guests will feel like they’re blanketed by stars in the new, immersive “Northern Lights” light experience. This is the last year for the 4D Theater and Polar Express, so be sure you don’t miss it before it’s too late!
Contact usto for area hotel reservations and more to do in the great Cincinnati area!
Cost: Festival of Lights is included with your Zoo admission. Open Sunday – Thursday until 9pm; Friday and Saturday until 10pm. Price varies by ticket type purchased.
Address: Cincinnati Zoo & Botantical Garden | 3400 Vine Street | Cincinnati, OH 45200
- Christmas Nights of Lights Show at the Indiana State Fairgrounds
Christmas Nights of Lights is coming to Indianapolis for the 2019 season! Come see over 1 million lights synchronized to traditional and newer, rocking Christmas music played through your car stereo. Pack your vehicle full of friends and family to enjoy the show and begin a new Christmas tradition with us.Open rain or shine November 8, 2019 – January 1, 2020, dusk to 10pm. Extended hours on weekends.
Cost: $7 per person (ages 3 and under are free) OR a Carload of up to 9 people is $30
Address: Indiana State Fairgrounds | 1202 East 38thStreet | Indianapolis, IN 46205
- ChristmasTown at the Creation Museum
Tour the dazzling garden of lights, reflect on the true meaning of the season at the live nativity, and more during our free annual ChristmasTown at the Creation Museum event to celebrate Christmas in Cincinnati/NKY. Enjoy all this for only the cost of parking.Catch a glimpse of the reason for the season and the remarkable events that surrounded the wonder of Christ’s birth during ChristmasTown at the Creation Museum! Experience includes the Garden of Lights, Live Nativity, Eden Animal Experience and 4D Theater.
Cost: $5 for Parking. Add on unlimited hot cocoa in an exclusive ChristmasTown souvenir mug for $14.99. Event runs nightly from 5-8:30pm November 29 – December 30, 2019. Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Address: The Creation Museum | 2800 Bullittsburg Church Road | Petersburg, KY 41080
- Lights Over Gatlinburg
The holidays are a special time in Gatlinburg, and this year there’s no better place to experience the magic than the SkyLift Park.Join us as the SkyLift and SkyDeck become a celebration of the holidays with Christmas decorations and thousands of twinkling lights, and take in the best views in Gatlinburg as you gaze out over town and deep into the Smoky Mountains while warming up around the fire pit with a hot chocolate or cider.
Next, make your way up to the SkyBridge which will become even more incredible as it is transformed into a tunnel of vibrant lights stretching out across the mountain to create a holiday experience you’ll always remember.
Cost: $20 for adults unlimited all-day access
Address: Gatlinburg Skylift | 765 Parkway | Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Through Sunday, December 15, guests can save $4 on tickets purchased at the SkyLift Park by bringing a new toy to donate to the Boys & Girls Club of the Smoky Mountains.
- Lights at the Brickyard
No list from Indianapolis is complete without mentioning the Indianapolis Motor Speedway!Lights at the Brickyard presented by Fifth Third Bank returns Nov. 27 through Jan. 5 and will feature dozens of colorful displays totaling more than three million bright lights on a 2-mile course through the IMS infield and historic oval, including the front stretch and world-famous “Yard of Bricks” start-finish line.
New this year! Exciting new out-of-car experiences in and around the iconic IMS Pagoda, as well as a new presenting sponsor in Fifth Third Bank and a new philanthropic partnership with Riley Children’s Foundation, have been added to Lights at the Brickyard this holiday season, giving fans, families and friends rare opportunities and memorable nights at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this holiday season.
Cost:Standard Lane admission will be $25 per car on Mondays-Wednesdays and $30 per car Thursdays-Sundays at the gate. Vehicles with 15 or more passengers will be charged $50 at the gate, with Standard Lane access. Standard Lane admission can be purchased only at the gate, with each admission valid for one drive through the displays per vehicle.
The popular Speedy Pass can be purchased at its lowest price now at IMS.com for $40 per car until Nov. 26. Starting Nov. 27, online and on-site prices will be $50 Monday-Wednesday and $60 Thursday-Sunday. Speedy Pass not only gives fans exclusive access to the Pagoda Experience, but it gives participants the quickest access to the course by skipping the longer lines and arriving through a special entry near the IMS golf course.
Address:Indianapolis Motor Speedway | 4790 West 16thStreet | Indianapolis,, IN 46222
We’d love to know… which of these choices is your favorite, and what would you add to the list?
