Although strolling by your neighbor’s holiday lawn décor is a nice way to spend an evening, sometimes it takes a professional to create a truly first-class light display. To kick the bulb-and-extension-cord experience up a notch, get behind the wheel of the car, fill the backseat with neighbors or friends, crank up the holiday tunes, and make a night of enjoying these above-and-beyond electrical sights.

The following recommendations from the Mommy Poppins Blog and Uncovering PA are all accessible from Montgomery County.

Herr’s Snack Factory Christmas Lights Display, Nottingham

Visit the Herr’s Snack Factory in Nottingham and drive through its campus to view 600,000 dazzling lights in a spectacular holiday display. Guests will see decorated trees, shrubs, and even some reindeer.

Shady Brook Farm, Yardley

Although it’s about a 90-minute drive from Chester County (plenty of time for holiday singalongs), the effort is worth it. The Shady Brook Farm Holiday Light Show blankets acres of farmland with a bounty of beautiful bulbs (three million).

Christmas Spirit Light Show, Lancaster

Clipper Magazine Stadium blazes with thousands of color-changing lights along its mile track.

Walkable Lights

If you’re okay parking and hoofing it, there are also several area walk-through light shows that will set your eyes a’sparkle:

• Refreshing Mountain, Lancaster: For the other 11 months of the year, this is an elevated ropes course and zip-lining adventure. But in Dec., it becomes a blazing sight to behold. Light fans who want to deepen the experience can stay onsite in a Christmas-themed cabin.
• Festival of Lights, Media: The flora of Rose Tree Park become a kaleidoscope of color after sunset. Characters like Charlie Brown and the Peanuts crew can be spotted onsite.
• Hershey Park Christmas Candylane, Hershey: Five million lights cover just about every foot of this park, whose rides (including the coasters!) still operate for December thrill-seekers.
• Sesame Place: A Very Furry Christmas, Langhorne: This theme park is chock-full of electrical colors this time of year, and the Sesame Street regulars are joined by Santa and Rudolph.
• Holidays in the Village, Lahaska: The 65 shops (and carousel!) have lights strung from their foundations to their rooftops. The gingerbread house display is also a favorite stop.
• Peddlers Village, Bucks County: While you’re holiday shopping, check out one of the most beautiful Christmas light displays in the area.
• LumiNature at the Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia: hundreds of lights are mixed throughout the zoo, so see the animals and enjoy the atmosphere.
• Longwood Garden, Kennett Square: Longwood Gardens claims to have “Christmas down to an art,” and it’s absolutely true. Each evening, under the starlit Dec, sky, the landscape bursts into a Technicolor treat.
• And don’t miss Tinseltown in Oaks or Wild Lights at Elmwood Park Zoo in Montgomery County; it operates on selected days, so consult its website before making plans.

More on these drive-through holiday light displays is at Mommy Poppins Blog and Uncovering PA.

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This video captures some of the magic of Tinseltown in Oaks, one of a number of drive-through, walk-through light displays.

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Editor’s Note: This post ran originally on Dec. 3. 2021; its details have been verified as still applicable.