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’Tis the season! Every year, zoos, gardens, parks, and even private homes throughout the Denver metro area deck the halls with elaborate displays of holiday lights that would make Clark Griswold cry tears of joy (and jealousy).
Below, we’ve rounded up a list of the best residential and public spots where you can stroll through spectacular setups, drive by flashy facades, and pose for the perfect family photo-op.
Residential Displays
The Gingerbread House
This sparkly scene, which features 20,000 LEDs outlining nearly every edge of Walter Hazard’s home, is beloved by those near (neighborhood kids were the ones who named it “The Gingerbread House”) and far (German magazine Der Spiegel featured it in a roundup of the best holiday displays in America). “It’s so orderly,” Hazard says. “The Germans love that.” Last year, the Hazards were even chosen to compete on ABC’s The Great Christmas Light Fight. Although the family didn’t win the coveted light bulb trophy, the house has earned its place as one of Colorado’s best residential light shows. 10221 S. Fairgate Way, Highlands Ranch
Star Wars: The Battle for the North Pole
Ron DePoty’s love for Christmas lights started as a child, when his family would adorn his grandmother’s house each Thanksgiving. Since then, he’s decorated every college dorm room, apartment balcony, and home he’s called his own. In 2014, DePoty and his wife, Megan, bought a Star Wars inflatable for their growing display, prompting the DePotys to transform their Highlands Ranch house into one of the most colorful attractions in the galaxy. Ron, Megan, and their three children spend roughly ten days setting up 50 inflatables and 20,000-plus lights. Once the work is done, you’ll often find the DePoty kids selling hot cocoa outside the display to fund their grandfather’s cancer treatments. New this year, the family added a 17-foot-tall Santa that is flying amongst the trees, and on select nights, they’ll open the gate to allow onlookers access to their backyard to peep even more lights. Catch Yoda, C-3PO, and giant inflatable starships before the DePoty display closes on January 2. 9973 Blackbird Place, Highlands Ranch
Corey Christiansen’s decorating theory is pretty straightforward: “I want my display to be as dense as possible.” For 2024’s show, Christiansen is adorning his Aurora home with over 100,000 bulbs, which he starts hanging up the day after Halloween. This year, he’s incorporating new colors, neon signs, and he even borrowed his neighbor’s tree to expand his display. Visitors are encouraged to donate to the Autism Society of Colorado, an organization Christiansen is passionate about after his children were diagnosed with autism. Stop by on December 14 for a night of hot chocolate, live music, and selfies with superheroes. 4822 S. Picadilly Ct., Aurora
Onstott Christmas Extravaganza
When Mike and Jenn Onstott met more than 10 years ago, they immediately bonded over their love of Christmas decorations. Now, they share their affection for all that twinkles with the rest of us via a massive display of 35,000 LED lights and colorful arches set to Christmas music. Plus, the Onstotts have a magical mailbox that delivers letters straight to St. Nick in the North Pole. (Letters dropped off with a return address will even receive a special reply from the big guy himself.) 10046 Fraser St., Commerce City
Cottoncreek Manor
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The Rohr family has been decorating their Highlands Ranch home since 2012—and not just for Christmas. Each year, they host a ticketed haunted house event complete with live actors and jump scares, then they trade in gore for garland once November rolls around. This year, they’re adding even more lights to their display of over 100,000 that includes snowmen, gingerbread houses, and a mailbox where you can drop off letters to Santa. Be sure to bundle up because you’ll want to get out of the car for this one: The family encourages onlookers to walk through some of the displays. 9971 Cottoncreek Dr., Highlands Ranch
Arvada Light Show
It’s still unclear whether the wise men followed a star or the glow of this home on 66th Avenue. Nestled on a hilltop, it shines like a beacon across the burbs. Although its elevated location gives passersby a great show even from afar, the owners allow visitors to walk up their driveway and around the yard to see it closer, which means you’ll catch a gazebo aglow with blue lights and filled with snowmen, an illuminated koi pond with a waterfall, plenty of characters like a yet and Minnie Mouse, and yet another mailbox where you can drop off letters for Santa—just to make sure your first two wish lists didn’t get lost in the mail. 8205 W. 66th Ave., Arvada
Stricker’s Winter Wonderland
Joe Stricker and his family are no strangers to the holiday decorating game (swing by around Halloween to catch their aptly named Haunted Yard, filled with skeletons and jack-o’-lanterns) but their annual Christmas light display is particularly showstopping. With holiday music, a Christmas countdown, Santa and his elves working hard in the window, and a life-size Clark Griswold cutout, this whimsical wonderland is a Centennial staple. Plus, littles can sit on the Strickers’ front steps to watch movies like Frosty the Snowman projected by the front door. 6636 S. Lafayette St., Centennial
Public Displays
No list of Denver holiday lights would be complete without Zoo Lights, which enters its 35th straight year of creating Christmas cheer. In 2024, more than three million lights will illuminate the Denver Zoo’s 80 acres—a feat that requires months of preparation. Cherry pickers begin clearing plants and hanging lights as early as August. While the Zoo Lights masterminds typically stick to tried-and-true displays (elephant silhouettes with moving trunks, a bright-blue whale, and flashy fluorescent peacocks), they introduce something new each year. In 2024, visitors will get to see new animated light sculptures and explore the zoo’s recently added habitat, Down Under, which will be decked out with lit-up kangaroos. Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, 2300 Steele St.; now–Jan. 5; times vary; $25–$28 for adults, $18–$21 for kids
Luminova Holidays at Elitch Gardens
If you’re looking for a light show that’s both theatrical and a little thrilling, this sprawling seasonal display at Elitch Gardens might even spark a smile from the Grinches of the group. At Luminova Holidays, more than four million lights illuminate tunnels, a 65-foot-tall Christmas tree, snowmen, and interactive swings. Take a photo in front of the 300-foot-long wall of lights, and then tell Santa, who is on-site nightly, exactly what you’ll be expecting in your stocking. This year’s Luminova includes more rides with your ticket than ever, so climb on the Tower of Doom, Boomerang, or the Big Wheel to take in the twinkling from a new perspective. Elitch Gardens, 2000 Elitch Circle; November 29–December 31; dates and times vary; $25–$30
Hudson Holidays
At Littleton’s Hudson Gardens, stroll the trails to catch plenty of lit-up trees, projections, holiday mazes, and scenes from Santa’s workshop. Visit on special theme nights throughout the season for extra activities, like snowflake crafts on National Snowflake Day, or the invitation to dress your crew up in Christmas garb, like on Ugly Sweater Night. Adults can grab cocktails at the on-site bar, and hot chocolate and food concessions are also available for purchase. Hudson Gardens, 6115 S. Santa Fe Dr., Littleton; November 29—January 12; 5–9 p.m; prices vary
Ride your sleigh up north for the annual Garden of Lights—a half-mile stretch at the Gardens on Spring Creek in Fort Collins where nearly every square inch is covered in Christmas lights. Santa Claus touches down nightly, and you can sip on a holiday cocktail from the on-site bar. Check the online calendar for additional entertainment like a cappella carolers and the Sugar Plum Furries Dog Troupe. The Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave., Fort Collins; December 5–December 23; 5–9 p.m; $12 for adults, $8 for kids
For more than 30 years, locals have flocked to Denver Botanic Gardens each holiday season to see one million LED lights illuminate the property’s 23 acres. From the glowing snowflakes that appear to float on the water or the innovative show where glowing rods of light change color in sync across a massive lawn, it certainly seems like Santa sprinkled some extra magic here in the Mile High City. And don’t forget to grab a cup of loaded hot chocolate—a warm cup of cocoa topped with marshmallows, whipped cream, and drizzled chocolate—to keep you cozy as you stroll. Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St.; November 20–January 12; 4:30–9 p.m.; $27–$31 for adults, $22–$24 for kids
In these three over-the-top creations, you can stay warm and cozy while enjoying holiday lights from your vehicle. Drive the mile-long corridor through light-up tunnels, singing Christmas trees, and waving reindeer—all of which sync to music you stream through a radio station.
To keep the 1.5 million lights bright and colorful, the crew replaces about 40 percent of the LEDs each year. But new technology has allowed Christmas in Color to push the boundaries even further. “The ability to control every bulb really makes it into a screen like your TV, where each bulb is a pixel,” says Todd Glover, CEO of Christmas in Color. Water World, 8801 N. Pecos St., Federal Heights; Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison; Arapahoe Fairgrounds, 25690 E. Quincy Ave., Aurora; now–December 29; 5:30–10 p.m.; $40 per vehicle
Although the Mile High Tree was honored with Denver’s nickname, the tree itself was built an ocean away. The Denver-commissioned, seven-story-tall wonder was created by 75-year-old ILMEX Illumination in the small southern city of Puente Genil, Córdoba, Spain, but now it stands as the seasonal crown jewel of Civic Center Park. Adorned with 110 feet of lights and set to a medley of classic holiday tunes, it turns on nightly this month for free shows. Visitors can even sprawl out on the ground inside the tree to catch the show from a different perspective. Stop by on New Year’s Eve (9 p.m.) for a New York City–style ball drop to ring in 2025 and to say farewell to the tree for another year. Civic Center Park, 101 14th Ave.; November 22–December 31; 5.–10 p.m.; free
