Holiday Light Displays in Pittsburgh
Check individual websites for specific dates, times, details and prices before you go!
Kennywood Holiday Lights
More Than 25 Rides & Attractions
Model Trains (Opening Nov. 21)
Letters to Santa
Special Photo Ops
Make Your Own Personalized Santa Hats
Make Your Own Ornament
Meet Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Every day during Holiday Lights in Christmastown
Santa’s Arrival on the Gingerbread Express
Happening 15 min after park opens at Gingerbread Junction
Gingerbread Junction Light Show
Nightly, throughout the evening at Gingerbread Junction
Holiday Reflections Light Show
Nightly, every 30 minutes beginning at 5:30pm around the Lagoon.
Tree Lighting Ceremony
Nightly at 5:45pm near Kiddieland
Jingle Bell Jamboree
Nightly at 4:30pm, 7:00pm, and 8:00pm at Kennyville Stage
Holiday Highlight: Local Performance Groups
Select nights at 5:30pm, 7:00pm at Garden Stage
Celebrity Reading of ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas'‘
Select nights at 7:30pm at Kennville Stage
Local Pittsburgh celebrities share their rendition of a Christmas classic!
Doc Dixion’s Holiday Magic Show
Nightly Dec. 27- Jan. 4 at 4pm, 7:30pm, and 8:30pm
Park Map
Pittsburgh Zoo Wild Illuminations
Wild Illuminations: A Holiday Lantern Experience, presented by UPMC Health Plan, is a fabulously frosty reimagination of the Zoo’s treasured Asian Lantern Festival and Zoo Lights. Guests who have marveled at the handmade silk and steel structures will be amazed by an all-new lineup of sights, sounds, and surprises. More than a million twinkling lights will further enhance our biggest and brightest holiday glow-fest ever! Wintry activities, holiday treats, and a visit by Santa himself will make this your family’s new must-see holiday tradition.
Colossal Christmas-themed lanterns include snowflakes, trees, candy canes, and a surplus of Santa Claus. A fantastical Secret Forest is a frigid home to unicorns, a griffin, a snow monster, and an unforgettable ice dragon. Lanterns such as a mystical dream tunnel and spectrum of zodiac animals will shine light on Lunar New Year. Be sure to plan a family visit to this can’t-miss seasonal event.
Extras- Scavenger Hunt
Note: The Aquarium, Tropical Forest Complex, and Kids Kingdom not open.
November 22, 2025- January 11, 2026
5:30pm-10:00pm with last entry at 9:00pm
Closed November 26-27, December 24-25, 31 and January 1
Molly’s Trolleys
Jolly Trolley Holiday Sightseeing Tour
The Jolly Trolley is a 1-hour long holiday sightseeing tour of Pittsburgh, perfect for all ages! Beginning in the North Shore, this tour takes you throughout the city to discover the wonder and magic of the holidays in a unique and festive way.
Learn interesting facts about Pittsburgh holiday displays and traditions from Santa himself! Take photos with our decked out trolley car, and sing along to holiday favorites! You won’t leave this trolley without becoming just a little bit more jolly. Special youth guests might even receive a small gift - sent all the way from the North Pole!
During your trip you will visit and see several holiday favorites of the city, including:
The Mr. Rogers statue with a view of Point State Park
Joseph Horne's 6-story tall historic tree
PPG Plaza to view the ice skating rink
The City of Pittsburgh's Official Tree outside of the City-County Building. You can get off of the trolley and view the gingerbread houses - AND take your own picture with Santa!
The Pittsburgh Crèche - the only authorized replica of the 64 foot wide nativity scene in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome
Join us for a fun, family-friendly holiday outing! All tours begin in the North Shore next to the Fred Rogers Memorial Statue (Tribute to Children) - between the river and Acrisure Stadium.
Saturdays & Sundays, November 29th through December 21st
Tour Times: 10:00-11:00am and 11:30-12:30pm
Check link for ticketing info- Tickets must be booked at least 48 hours in advance!
Holiday Nights, Lights, & Sights Trolley Ride
Join us for a special evening ride to see the best of Pittsburgh's holiday displays and activities from the comfort of a vintage-style trolley. Listen to festive holiday music while taking in the sights and lights! Adult beverages (wine and beer) are permitted on the trolley limited to the amount you can place under your seat (no large coolers).
The Holiday Nights, Lights, and Sights Trolley Ride is a 1.5-hour long holiday sightseeing shuttle throughout Pittsburgh.
Beginning in the Strip District, our route takes you to downtown Pittsburgh.
The trolley will make its way past the Joseph Horne's historic holiday tree. Guests can enjoy a stop to explore the holiday market, take photos with the tree and ice skating rink at PPG Place, and check out the Spirits of Giving from Around the World international Santas display.
The trolley ride continues to the city's Official Christmas Tree at the City-County Building, followed by a 10-minute stop at the U.S. Steel Tower to experience the Pittsburgh Crèche (the larger-than-life nativity scene). We return to the Strip District where there are plenty of bars and restaurants to enjoy!
Fridays & Saturdays November 28th through December 27th
Tour Times: 4:30-6:00pm, 6:15-7:45pm, 8:00-9:30pm
Check link for ticketing details and location! Tickets must be booked at least 48 hours in advance!
Dazzling Nights
Where: The Pittsburgh Botanic Garden - 799 Pinkerton Run Rd, Oakdale, PA 15071
Enjoy new, one-of-a-kind holiday experiences and immersive lighting displays:
Experience the brilliance of hundreds of thousands of lights festooning the trees throughout the garden
Travel through a bright, 70’ long tunnel of lights
Celebrate among nightly snowfall
Explore a forest of dancing light synchronized to music
Travel through a meadow illuminated by candy-cane white and red neon
Get in a festive spirit with live holiday music from local Pittsburgh musicians
Gather for a family photo in front of a giant, shimmering Holiday Celebration Tree
The evening wouldn’t be complete without sweet treats and holiday (and adult) beverages.
November 28th-January 3, 2026
All ticketing info at the link!
Oglebay Festival of Lights
The dazzling drive-through experience is lit up nightly from dusk to midnight, including holidays, from November 7 – January 5. Enjoy reduced wait times when you visit Monday through Wednesday, and beat the rush when you arrive early between 5 – 6 pm.
Holiday Magic! Winter Flower Show and Light Garden at Phipps
’The holiday season isn't complete without a visit to Phipps Holiday Magic for festive displays and glowing gardens! With a whimsical theme of “Enchantment”, guests are sure to be captivated by a forest of fantasy.
Phipps has pulled out all the stops for this year's Winter Flower Show with magnificent new displays featuring mystical creatures, gorgeous holiday trees and our signature floral delights, including amaryllis, orchids and 21 varieties of poinsettias. Plus, the beauty isn't just indoors: our celebrated Winter Light Garden fills our outdoor spaces with spectacular lights in vivid shades that will awe guests of all ages.’
Opening November 14th nightly at 5pm.