Eleven Christmas light displays in Minnesota and just across the Wisconsin border, all within a day trip of Minneapolis–St. Paul, have published their 2026 dates: GLOW at CHS Field in St. Paul opens first, on Thursday, November 19, 2026, and the others open between November 20 and December 5 and run into late December or early January.
Five displays in this guide are free to enter. Adult tickets for the paid walk-throughs cost from $10 (Spirit of Winter in Waconia) to $35 (Northern Lights at the Arboretum); Magic of Lights in Eagan charges per car, from $21.99 in November.
Checked October 30, 2026. Not announced yet: Sever's Holiday Lights in Shakopee, the 2026 nights of E.L.F. near Rochester, Magic of Lights' December prices, and the 2026 dates of Celebrate the Light of the World in Willmar (its site says Thanksgiving to December 31, without a year).
Christmas lights in Minnesota 2026: every display at a glance
This table lists thirteen of the biggest organized Christmas light displays within a day trip of the Twin Cities, two of them just across the Wisconsin border, sorted by opening date, with what each had published by October 30.
| Display | Where | Walk or drive | Dates 2026–27 | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GLOW Holiday Festival | CHS Field, St. Paul | Walk | Nov. 19 – Jan. 3, select nights | $22.75 adults, $12.75 ages 3–12, plus tax and fees |
| Northern Lights | Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska | Walk | Nov. 20 – Jan. 3 | $35; members $25; 15 and under free |
| Magic of Lights | Viking Lakes, Eagan | Drive | Nov. 20 – Jan. 2 | Per car: $21.99 in November, $34.99 any day if bought by Nov. 19 |
| Spirit of Winter | Sovereign Estate winery, Waconia | Walk | Nov. 21 – Dec. 31, Thursdays to Sundays, plus Dec. 21–23 | $10, ages 3 and up |
| Bentleyville Tour of Lights | Bayfront Festival Park, Duluth | Walk | Nov. 21 – Dec. 26 | Free; parking $12 |
| Holiday Lights Drive-Thru | Martin Luther Campus, Bloomington | Drive | Nov. 27 – Jan. 3 | Free |
| Light the Night | Central Park, Delano | Walk or drive | Nov. 27 – January | Free |
| Kiwanis Holiday Lights | Sibley Park, Mankato | Walk or drive | Nov. 27 – Dec. 31 | Free; donations welcome |
| Sam's Christmas Village | Somerset, Wisconsin | Walk; drive Dec. 14–15 | Nov. 27 – Jan. 3 | $25 adults, $20 ages 4–10; $15 on drive nights |
| Miracle at Big Rock | St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin | Walk Wed–Sun; drive Mon–Tue and Dec. 2, 3, 24; Dec. 22 walk | Nov. 27 – Jan. 2 | Per person: $22 walk, $17 drive |
| Santa's Pioneer Village | Stearns County Pioneer Grounds, Albany | Drive | Dec. 5 – Jan. 3, Fri–Sun plus Dec. 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1 | Donations asked; no price published |
| E.L.F. light festival | Chester Woods Park, Eyota, near Rochester | Drive | Weekends in December; 2026 nights not announced | Free |
| Sever's Holiday Lights | Shakopee | Drive | Not announced | Not announced |
GLOW and Northern Lights sell tickets for a date and an entry time; the free displays need no ticket.
Drive-thru Christmas lights near Minneapolis 2026
Two drive-thru Christmas light shows in the Twin Cities have published their 2026 dates: Magic of Lights at Viking Lakes in Eagan (November 20 – January 2, priced per car) and the free Holiday Lights Drive-Thru at Martin Luther Campus in Bloomington (November 27 – January 3).
Magic of Lights at Viking Lakes in Eagan is a drive-thru light show open every night from Friday, November 20, 2026 to Saturday, January 2, 2027, 5:30–9 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays and 5:30–10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Magic of Lights charges per car, not per person. A November-only ticket costs $21.99 online or $25 at the gate; until November 19, an online ticket for any night costs $34.99 and a Monday-to-Thursday ticket $28.99; a season pass costs $97.99.
Magic of Lights' December gate prices were not published on October 30. Dogs may come if they stay in the car. After the drive, the free skating rink and warming house of Winter SKOLstice are on the same Viking Lakes site.
The Holiday Lights Drive-Thru at Martin Luther Campus, 1401 East 100th Street in Bloomington, is free and open to everyone, daily 5–10 p.m. from Friday, November 27, 2026 to Sunday, January 3, 2027. Santa comes on Friday, December 11, 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Sever's Holiday Lights in Shakopee, a drive-thru with timed tickets in past years, had not announced a 2026 season on October 30: its website showed only its fall festival.
Two shows across the St. Croix River have drive-thru nights too:
- Miracle at Big Rock, St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin: drive-thru on Mondays and Tuesdays, plus Wednesday, December 2, Thursday, December 3 and Thursday, December 24, 5–9 p.m.; Tuesday, December 22 is a walk-through night. Big Rock charges per person: $17, seniors and veterans $15, children 2 and under free.
- Sam's Christmas Village, Somerset, Wisconsin: drive-thru only on Monday, December 14 and Tuesday, December 15, at $15 per person, according to Sam's website; children 3 and under free.
Walk-through Christmas lights near Minneapolis 2026
Six walk-through Christmas light displays near Minneapolis have published their 2026 dates: GLOW at CHS Field in St. Paul (from November 19), Northern Lights at the Arboretum in Chaska (from November 20), Spirit of Winter at Sovereign Estate in Waconia (from November 21), Light the Night in Delano (from November 27) and, across the St. Croix River, Sam's Christmas Village in Somerset and Miracle at Big Rock in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin (both from November 27).
GLOW Holiday Festival at CHS Field, 360 North Broadway Street in St. Paul, is a walk-through festival of over a million lights on 32 nights from Thursday, November 19, 2026 to Sunday, January 3, 2027, with timed entry every hour from 5 p.m., last entry at 8 p.m. and closing at 9 p.m.
GLOW's tickets cost $22.75 for ages 13 and up and $12.75 for children 3 to 12, before taxes and fees; children 2 and under are free. Tickets are sold online only, are not refundable, and the event is cashless.
GLOW is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve, and on Mondays to Wednesdays until December 16 except Wednesday, November 25, according to its ticket calendar; the festival details say pets are not allowed.
Northern Lights at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Drive in Chaska, is a new walk-through display of 18 light and sound installations on a one-way path of about three quarters of a mile, open 4:30–9:30 p.m. nightly from Friday, November 20, 2026 to Sunday, January 3, 2027.
Northern Lights is closed on Thursday, November 26 and on December 24 and 25. Northern Lights tickets cost $35, $25 for Arboretum members, and are free for children through age 15, who still need a ticket and must come with an adult; at the gate, if any are left, they cost $10 more.
Parking at Northern Lights is free. The Northern Lights FAQ says there is no drive-through, and only service dogs are allowed.
Spirit of Winter at Sovereign Estate, a winery at 9950 North Shore Road in Waconia, is a walk through 20 acres of lights set to music, open Thursdays to Sundays, 4–9 p.m., from Saturday, November 21 to Thursday, December 31, 2026, and also open on December 21–23, a Monday to Wednesday (hours not published).
Spirit of Winter is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Spirit of Winter tickets cost $10 for everyone 3 and older; children under 3 are free, and parking is included.
Light the Night in Delano's Central Park is free and lit nightly from 5 to 11 p.m. from Friday, November 27, the day after Thanksgiving, through January; you can walk through the park or drive past.
Free Christmas lights in Minnesota 2026
The free display in this guide closest to Minneapolis in 2026 is the Holiday Lights Drive-Thru at Martin Luther Campus in Bloomington; five displays in this guide are free to enter, from nearest to farthest:
- Holiday Lights Drive-Thru at Martin Luther Campus, Bloomington: free, daily 5–10 p.m.
- Light the Night, Delano: free, nightly 5–11 p.m.
- Kiwanis Holiday Lights, Mankato: free to walk or drive through; cash and food donations are collected at the entrances.
- E.L.F., Chester Woods Park near Rochester: free, donations welcome; the 2026 weekends are not announced yet.
- Bentleyville Tour of Lights, Duluth: free walk-through with free cocoa, coffee and cookies; you pay for parking.
Santa's Pioneer Village in Albany publishes no ticket price and asks for donations.
Bentleyville 2026: dates, hours and parking
Bentleyville Tour of Lights, a free walk-through display of more than 5 million lights at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth, opens on Saturday, November 21, 2026 and runs nightly until Saturday, December 26, 2026, 5–9 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays and 5–10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bentleyville's opening night begins with Santa arriving by helicopter just before the 5 p.m. lighting, and the season ends with fireworks at 5:30 p.m. on December 26, according to Bentleyville's website. Santa and Mrs. Claus are there nightly, 5–9 p.m., until Wednesday, December 23. Tuesdays December 1, 8, 15 and 22 are Animal Nights, 5–8 p.m.
Parking at Bentleyville costs $12 per car, or $10 in cash; the lots open at 4 p.m. The North Shore Scenic Railroad's shuttle train does not run in 2026, according to Bentleyville's train page.
Kiwanis Holiday Lights in Mankato 2026
Kiwanis Holiday Lights in Sibley Park, Mankato, is free and runs from Friday, November 27 to Thursday, December 31, 2026, 5–9 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays and 5–10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; you can walk, drive or come in a group bus booked ahead.
Kiwanis opens with a parade at 6 p.m. on Friday, November 27. Santa is there on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until December 20, 5–9 p.m., and live reindeer every night. Cars enter on Sibley Parkway; Kiwanis Holiday Lights' FAQ says dogs are not allowed in the park but may stay in the car.
Miracle at Big Rock and Sam's Christmas Village
Miracle at Big Rock in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, runs from Friday, November 27, 2026 to Saturday, January 2, 2027, with walk-through nights from Wednesday to Sunday and drive-thru nights on Mondays and Tuesdays, except that December 2, 3 and 24 are drive-thru nights and Tuesday, December 22 is walk-through.
Miracle at Big Rock is closed on November 30 and December 1.
Miracle at Big Rock's prices are per person: $22 online or $24 at the gate on walk-through nights, $17 for children 3 to 11, seniors and veterans; Friday fireworks nights cost $27 online, $20 for children, seniors and veterans. Parking is free.
Sam's Christmas Village & Light Tour, 710 Spring Street in Somerset, Wisconsin, runs from Friday, November 27, 2026 to Sunday, January 3, 2027, 5–9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 5–8 p.m. on other nights, with the lights left on an hour after the gate closes.
Sam's is closed on November 30, December 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9, and on Christmas Eve; it is open on Christmas Day. Walk-through tickets cost $25 for adults, $20 for children 4 to 10, and $12 for military with ID; parking is $10 in cash, and leashed pets are welcome, according to Sam's FAQ.
Santa's Pioneer Village in Albany
Santa's Pioneer Village, a drive-thru of nearly half a mile of lights at the Stearns County Pioneer Grounds in Albany, is open from Saturday, December 5, 2026 to Sunday, January 3, 2027, 5–10 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, plus December 24, 25 and 31 and January 1.
The Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, which runs it, asks for donations and publishes no ticket price. Santa Day at the Pioneer Grounds is on Friday, December 4, 4:30–7 p.m.
Christmas lights tours in Minneapolis 2026
Yes, there are Christmas lights tours in Minneapolis: the Holiday Lights Trolley, Minneapolis Trolley Tours' Holiday Light Ride and The Wandering Tea Cup's Holiday Light Tour run in the Twin Cities in 2026, so you can see neighborhood displays without driving:
- Holiday Lights Trolley: 21 and over, bring your own drinks, $79 per person plus fees, from Thursday, December 3 to Saturday, December 26; check-in at Tom's Watch Bar, 609 Hennepin Avenue, an hour before a three-hour ride.
- Minneapolis Trolley Tours, Holiday Light Ride: a "Nice" ride for families, of about an hour, and a "Naughty" ride for 21 and over, of two hours, from the Pillsbury Club, 100 East 22nd Street, on evenings from December 1 to 28, except Christmas Day.
- The Wandering Tea Cup, Holiday Light Tour: a two-hour bus tour with tea and treats from the Mall of America's north lot to the lights of Inver Grove Heights, $85 including taxes and fees; it runs only when at least 20 people book, and its page gives no 2026 dates.
Homes that put up big displays are not organized events, and their dates and hours change every year, so this guide does not list them.
Quick answers
When do the Christmas lights open in Minnesota in 2026? GLOW in St. Paul opens first, on Thursday, November 19, 2026; Northern Lights and Magic of Lights open on Friday, November 20, Bentleyville and Spirit of Winter in Waconia on Saturday, November 21, and Kiwanis Holiday Lights, Martin Luther Campus, Miracle at Big Rock and Sam's Christmas Village and Light the Night in Delano on Friday, November 27, and Santa's Pioneer Village in Albany on Saturday, December 5.
Where can I drive through Christmas lights near Minneapolis? Two drive-thru light shows in the Twin Cities have published 2026 dates: Magic of Lights at Viking Lakes in Eagan, every night from November 20, 2026 to January 2, 2027, priced per car, and the free drive-thru at Martin Luther Campus in Bloomington, daily from November 27 to January 3.
Are there free Christmas lights in Minnesota? Yes: Bentleyville in Duluth (you pay for parking), Kiwanis Holiday Lights in Mankato, the drive-thru at Martin Luther Campus in Bloomington, Light the Night in Delano and E.L.F. near Rochester are free in 2026.
Where is GLOW in Minnesota, and how much is it? GLOW Holiday Festival is at CHS Field, 360 North Broadway Street in downtown St. Paul, on 32 nights from Thursday, November 19, 2026 to Sunday, January 3, 2027; tickets cost $22.75 for ages 13 and up and $12.75 for children 3 to 12, before taxes and fees, online only; children 2 and under are free.
How much is Northern Lights at the Arboretum? Northern Lights at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum costs $35, or $25 for members; children through age 15 are free but need a ticket, and parking is free.
Is Bentleyville free? Yes, Bentleyville in Duluth is free to enter in 2026; parking costs $12 per car, or $10 in cash.
Can I bring my dog to see Christmas lights? At Magic of Lights and Kiwanis Holiday Lights a dog can stay in the car, and Sam's Christmas Village allows leashed pets; GLOW and Northern Lights allow service animals only.
For the rest of the season, from the Christmas markets to the Nutcracker, see Christmas events in Minneapolis–St. Paul 2026.
Cover photo: Bentleyville's light train at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth, November 2017, Sharon Mollerus, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; archive photo.