Best Holiday Lights to See in Milwaukee 2024: Free Displays & More

Get Ready to Experience the Best Christmas Lights in Milwaukee for 2024!

Brew the hot cocoa, gather the family, and prepare for a magical journey through the best Christmas lights in Milwaukee this holiday season.

As the nights grow longer and the air turns crisp, there’s something enchanting about driving or strolling through dazzling holiday displays that captivate both kids and adults.

We’ve handpicked 15 of the most spectacular Christmas light displays around Milwaukee for 2024, guaranteed to fill your heart with holiday cheer.

Whether you’re exploring the enchanting *free* Christmas light displays that illuminate our parks, driving through dazzling drive-through displays, wandering through charming walk-through exhibits, or discovering festive neighborhood displays that bring community spirit to life, these must-see holiday lights in southeastern Wisconsin are sure to create lasting memorie.

Free Displays

Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival

Location: Downtown Milwaukee (Various Parks and Wisconsin Avenue)
Dates: November 21, 2024 – January 1, 2025
Entry Fee: Free

• The Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival celebrates its 26th season this year!
• Four parks feature unique displays, including Community Spirit Park at Cathedral Square Park, where evergreens are decorated by local schools and organizations
• Pere Marquette Park comes alive with animated holiday characters and North Pole scenes
• Zeidler Union Square offers interactive photo opportunities with Santa, reindeer, and festive settings
• Wisconsin Avenue is lined with glittering chandeliers and harp lamps, creating a stunning holiday atmosphere
• The Ornament Trail features 15 hand-painted ornaments designed by local and national artists with ties to Milwaukee

Miller Valley Holiday Lites

Location: Miller Valley, 3897 W State St, Milwaukee, WI
Dates: (TBD)
Entry Fee: Free

Highlights:

• Miller Valley Holiday Lites is a beloved Milwaukee tradition, offering a spectacular light show that takes place at the historic Frederick Miller’s Plank-Road Brewery.
• Typically runs throughout December
• Holiday lights synchronized to festive music.
• The show runs every 10 minutes between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
• Visitors encouraged to pull up their cars, tune in to 91.1 FM, and enjoy the dazzling lights from the warmth of their vehicle.

Candy Cane Lane

Location: West Allis, between 92nd-96th St. and Montana Ave to Oklahoma Ave
Entry Fee: At-will donation to the MACC Fund (Credit cards now accepted)

• Over 300 homes decorated with festive lights and candy cane-wrapped trees
• Visitors can drive through or walk the neighborhood
• Mr. and Mrs. Claus often make appearances to spread holiday cheer & pass out treats
• Began in the 1980s to support a local child battling cancer
• Donations benefit the MACC Fund, supporting childhood cancer research
• A long-standing holiday tradition for families in Milwaukee

Winter Wonderland in the Garden District

Location: 6th & Norwich, one block south of Howard
Hours: Dusk-Midnight
Dates: TBD for 2024

• This festive holiday display is free for families to walk through and enjoy.
• There is typically a tree lighting ceremony at the beginning of the season with music and caroling and special treats
• Look out for other special events like a chance for kids to visit with Santa and share their holiday wishes

Corners of Brookfield

Location: 20111 W Bluemound Rd, Brookfield, WI 53045

• From Thanksgiving through the New Year, The Corners will light up the night with larger-than-life light installations and displays. The highlights these year are TBD!
• Santa’s mailbox in Market Square vestibule allows little boys and girls to deposit their wish list letters to Santa all season long. 
• A sell-out event each year, live reindeer typically visit the town center
• The Corners also holds a beloved annual Town Holiday Tree Lighting

Enchantment in the Park

Location: Regner Park, 800 N. Main Street, West Bend, WI
Dates: November 29 – December 24, 2024
Entry Fee: Free (suggested $10 donation or non-perishable food item to support Washington County food pantries)

Highlights:

• Drive-through entrance on Silverbrook Drive, with access to the full holiday light display
• Walk-through entrance on Main Street, featuring a shorter route with access to holiday lights
• Horse and carriage rides available on select nights for $5 per person (ages 15 and under ride free)
• Concessions provided by Casa Guadalupe Education Center, with proceeds supporting local Hispanic communities
• Pro Tip: Expect a wait – this is a popular event!

Santa’s Workshop

Location: Washington Avenue, downtown Cedarburg, WI 53012
Entry fee: FREE (donations appreciated)

Highlights:

• 15×15-foot gingerbread house graces Cedarburg’s Washington Avenue for the entire Christmas season
• Santa and Mrs. Claus often stop by in the days leading up to Christmas.
• When Santa’s not in to greet guests, you can peek in the windows to see his charming fireplace and the toys he and the elves have been working on.
• Santa’s helpers will be welcoming walk-up visitors and scheduling families into time slots the day of each event.
• Keep an eye out for a special events when Santa and Mrs. Claus will spend the evening walking around Cedarburg and posing for photos!

Drive-Through Displays

Winter Wonders at Boerner Botanical Gardens

Location: Whitnall Park, 6751 S. 92nd Street, Franklin, WI
Dates: TBD for 2024 (typically late November through December)
Entry Fee: $25 per carload

Winter Wonders is a popular 1.4-mile drive-through holiday light display located at Boerner Botanical Gardens and Whitnall Park. Featuring over one million LED lights, this event transforms the surrounding area into a magical winter scene, with over 500 illuminated trees and festive holiday-themed displays. As one of the longest light displays in the area, Winter Wonders offers a dazzling experience for visitors of all ages, with new and exciting displays added each year.

Country Christmas at the Ingleside Hotel

Location: Ingleside Hotel, Pewaukee, WI
Walking Nights: November 15-17, 22-24, 2024
Drive-Through Nights: November 29, 2024 – January 1, 2025
Wagon Rides: Select dates in December 2024
Entry Fee: Pricing varies by experience (walking, drive-through, wagon rides)

Highlights:

• Over a mile-long drive-through trail with more than one million holiday lights
• Features include the 200-foot Bearville Tunnel with 30,000 computerized lights and other themed displays
• Christmas Village: Indoor space with festive treats, a model train display, and the new Raccoon Band singing Christmas tunes
• Village Park: Stroll through with photo opportunities, including a 42-foot Christmas tree and new walk-through light tunnel
• The Streets of Bethlehem: A walk-through exhibit of nearly life-sized nativity figurines, including a replica of the Pope’s personal collection
• Special experiences include Walking Nights, Wagon Rides, and Bikes and Lights nights

Plus, discover what’s new at Country Christmas this year, including Bearville, extended walking nights, and Bikes & Lights!

The Wisconsin Christmas Carnival of Lights

Jellystone Park Camp-Resort, 8425 Hwy 38, Caledonia, WI 53108
November 23 – December 31, 2024 (Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas)
November 23 – December 24: Sun-Thurs: 5-9pm; Fri & Sat: 5-10:30pm
December 26 – 31: 5-9pm

Highlights:

• Over 2 million dazzling lights synchronized to holiday music
• Drive through a 1.6-mile route filled with hand-crafted displays and lights high in the trees
• View the entire display from your vehicle
• Santa’s GIANT Sleigh and Golf Cart Holiday Train offer unique viewing experiences
• Santa’s Workshop features festive treats, holiday gifts, and specialty items
• 10 minutes south of General Mitchell Airport.

Kapco’s Kids2Kids Christmas Wonderland

Location: 1150 Cheyenne Ave, Grafton, WI
Dates: TBD for 2024
Entry Fee: $20–$25 per vehicle

Highlights:

• Drive-thru experience with over one million lights
• Three light tunnels and hundreds of holiday inflatables
• Live nativity scene and Santa’s Workshop featuring live reindeer
• Christmas Village with quaint storefronts and a rink for ice skating villagers
• Guests are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys to donate as part of the Kids2Kids Toy Drive, which has collected over 225,000 toys for local charities.

Illuminate Ozaukee

Location: Herman A. Zeunert Park, Cedarburg, WI
Dates: December 6 – December 23, 202
Fridays & Saturdays: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Additional nights: December 22 and December 23
Suggested donation of $20 (cash and credit accepted)

Highlights

• A festive drive-thru holiday light show
• Beautiful displays created by local nonprofits and businesses
• Special characters and Santa will be on-site to greet guests
• Donations support the Ozaukee Nonprofit Center and partner agencies
• Visitors will receive a booklet with a QR code to vote for their favorite display
• Tune in to 93.9 FM for holiday music as you enjoy the lights
• Bring letters to Santa and drop them in his mailbox

Christmas at Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary

1901 Shalom Drive, West Bend, WI 53090

In the warmth of your own car, drive slow, relax and enjoy the wildlife and the unique holiday displays and decorations. The entire zoo is lit up with special LED lighting for the night time drive-thru. Wildlife viewing is good day or night. The drive-thru will take one hour.

After the Holiday drive-thru, enjoy entrance into the petting zoo and a crackling camp fire. Animal feed for the petting zoo is available for purchase in the gift shop. 

Walk-Through Displays

Wild Lights at Milwaukee County Zoo

Address: 10001 W Bluemound Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53226
Dates: November 30 – December 31, 2024 (Closed Dec. 2, 9, 16, 24, and 25)
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (Gates close at 8:15 p.m.)

HIghlights:

• The Milwaukee County Zoo transforms into a festive wonderland during Wild Lights
• Features hundreds of thousands of sparkling lights along a 1-mile walk-through trail
• Pathways and forested areas are illuminated with vibrant animal-themed sculptures and dazzling displays
• Suitable for all ages, offering a magical holiday experience
• This year’s event includes even more lights, making it bigger and brighter than ever
• Drive-Through experience is available on select dates. The 30-minute drive follows the same illuminated route, with food and merchandise stops along the way

Admission:
Discounts: Zoological Society members receive 20% off online and at the gate.
Online: Adults $18 | Children (3-12) $16 | 2 and under FREE (includes parking)
At the Gate: Adults $20 | Children (3-12) $18 | 2 and under FREE
Wild Lights Wednesdays (Dec. 4, 11, 18): All tickets $12
Drive-Through Tickets (Dec. 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17): $40 per carload (advance purchase only)

Neighborhood Displays

Lights on Glen Cove

Location: S71 W16459 Glen Cove Ct., Muskego, WI (off Janesville Rd.)
Dates: Starting the second week of December
Entry Fee: Non-perishable food item or monetary donation for the Muskego Food Pantry

• Marvel at over 35,000 LED lights synchronized to holiday music at Lights on Glen Cove, a free, community-focused display in Muskego.
• Tune in to 87.9 FM to enjoy the festive tunes while you watch the lights
• Runs nightly from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and until 10 p.m. on weekends (weather permitting). Located in a residential neighborhood, visitors are reminded to be respectful of the area and its residents while enjoying the show.
• Donations of non-perishable food or monetary contributions are accepted to support the Muskego Food Pantry.

The Lightmare Before Christmas

Location: N102W17515 Lone Oaks Dr., Germantown, WI 53022
Dates: Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve
Entry fee: FREE

Highlights:

• The same Germantown house that hosts a not-so-spooky Halloween light show in October also does a very merry Christmas show set to music.
• Tune your car radio to 101.5 FM, sit back and enjoy the show. Playlist changes nightly!
• The house is located in the Lone Oaks subdivision, one mile north of County Line Road and just west of Division Road.
• For another impressive lights display in Germantown, head to Jefferson Lane. Local meteorologist Lisa Michaels posted in 2023 about a festive holiday house:

Jamestown Lights

Location: Taurus Drive (South) Just East of Highway K and 38, Caledonia, WI, United States, 53406

Head to Caledonia where seven home in the Jamestown subdivision decorate with lights synchronized to a music program heard on 97.7 FM.  It’s now in its 14th year! Don’t miss the talking tree called Douglas Fir, and he has a co-host guitar playing tree by the name of Randy Balsam. 

Santa Street in Whitefish Bay

Lexington Boulevard has become a wonderland of towering, 12-foot-tall inflatable Santas, delighting residents and visitors alike. It all started with one mom’s fun idea and rapidly grew into a neighborhood-wide display. What began as a group of seven Santas has now expanded to 17, creating a magical parade of “ho-ho-homes” along the street.

Dive Deeper into the Holiday Spirit!

As you gear up for the festive season, don’t miss out on these wonderful resources we’ve gathered just for you. Explore our related articles to make the most of your holiday experience:

• Places to Meet Santa: Find the perfect spot for your little ones to share their holiday wishes with the big guy himself.
• Santa’s Mailboxes: Learn where you can send your kids’ letters to Santa and add some extra magic to their holiday season.
• Magical Holiday Experiences: Uncover special activities and events that will make this holiday unforgettable.