Holiday Lights Near Washington, DC

ZooLights — WashingtonVisit official site →

Smithsonian's National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW

Lit pathways and a lantern trail through ocean, desert, grassland, rainforest and polar habitats, with live music and carolers on select December nights.

Dates

• November 20, 2026 – January 3, 2027
• Monday–Saturday 5–9pm; Sunday 5–8pm; last entry 30 minutes before close
• Wednesday, December 16 is an adults-only (21+) night

Tickets

$10; every child 3 and up needs a ticket, 2 and under free. Buy only from the Zoo — resold tickets may be refused. Winter maze, train and carousel $6 each

Know before you go

• ZooLights parking is its own pass: $30 bought a day ahead, $40 on the day — daytime passes and member parking don't apply
• Bring your own food — the Zoo welcomes it, and a thermos of cocoa earns its weight in December
• Metro is the alternative: two children age four and under ride free with each paying adult, and evening and weekend rail is $2.25–$2.50

Who it's for

Any age, bundled up — it is an outdoor walk in the cold

Bull Run Festival of Lights — Centreville, VAVisit official site →

Bull Run Regional Park, 7700 Bull Run Drive

A 2.5-mile drive-through display you never get out of the car for.

Dates

• Daily, November 14, 2026 – January 3, 2027, weather permitting
• Monday–Thursday 5:30–9:30pm; Friday–Sunday and holidays 5:30–10pm

Tickets

$30–45 per vehicle bought online in advance, depending on date; tax and fees extra. Buying ahead saves up to $20 a car. Carnival rides and camel rides cost extra

Know before you go

• About 25 miles from the District, out I-66
• Monday to Thursday is the quiet window; weekends and the weeks around Christmas are the busiest
• The Holiday Village, stable and carnival at the end of the drive are included

Who it's for

A baby, a napping toddler or a child who melts down in a queue — pyjamas, car seats, nobody gets cold

Skip if

You want the children out and walking

Winter Walk of Lights — Vienna, VAVisit official site →

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court

A walk-through on a half-mile paved trail, the easiest of the region's walk-throughs with a toddler in tow.

Dates

• November 11, 2026 – January 3, 2027
• 5:30–10pm through December 3; 5–10pm from December 4
• Last admission 9:30pm

Tickets

$19 online, $24 at the door; December 4–31 is $24 and online only, with no door sales. Tax and fees extra

Know before you go

• NOVA Parks states the route is wheelchair and stroller accessible
• Hot drinks along the trail, and a fire for roasting s'mores at the end

Who it's for

Toddlers in strollers, and anyone who would rather be out of the car

Skip if

You want to stay in a warm car — that is Bull Run

The National Christmas Tree and Pathway of Peace — WashingtonVisit official site →

The Ellipse

Smaller trees ring the big one, carrying ornaments designed by students from the states and territories and from Bureau of Indian Education and Defense Department schools.

Dates

• Lighting ceremony Thursday, December 3, 2026, by free lottery ticket
• Ticket lottery on Recreation.gov: October 28, 10am ET – November 4, 3pm ET; winners notified November 12
• No 2026 visiting dates posted yet

Tickets

Free — there is no fee to visit the site.

Know before you go

• A short, flat, stroller-friendly loop with the trees at child eye level
• Finding your own state's tree occupies a four-to-nine-year-old for twenty minutes with no help from you
• The America Celebrates ornament programme goes back to 1954, when a tree was added per state, and to 1942, when DC students donated ornaments during wartime restrictions

Who it's for

Any age, any budget — the strongest default December outing in the city

The Capitol Christmas Tree — Washington

West Front Lawn, the Capitol

The 2026 tree comes from Idaho's Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests and makes whistle-stops in Idaho towns on its way east.

Dates

• No 2026 lighting date posted yet

Who it's for

Anyone already near the Capitol — it is free and needs no ticket