It’s often the simplest activities that make the best traditions. From meandering through trails of gorgeously lit trees with hot chocolate in hand to driving through large-scale attractions, Christmas light displays are sure to bring a smile to your season.
With so many options for viewing Christmas lights in Chattanooga and the surrounding counties, you’re sure to find the perfect display for you.
As always, you can click any blue attraction link to verify the information provided or get additional details.
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**We make every effort to make sure all the displays on this list are still active, but please be aware that sometimes displays shut down without notification.
Downtown Chattanooga Christmas Lights
While downtown is gorgeous any time of year, it is especially magical at Christmastime. Various areas downtown will feature glittering light displays that ooze Christmas cheer.
Animated Christmas Displays at EPB
- Dates: all season long
- Location: 10 W. M.L. King Blvd, Chattanooga
- Cost: FREE
The Broad and Market Street sides of the downtown EPB headquarters building will feature numerous window displays depicting both iconic and completely unique Christmas characters. These windows are easily viewed night or day.
Chattanooga Choo Choo
- Dates: all season long
- Location: 1400 Market St, Chattanooga
- Cost: FREE
The lobby of this iconic Chattanooga hotel will feature a grand Christmas tree and a variety of holiday lights and decor. Stop in to enjoy the view! You’ll even be able to get a photo with Santa for a small fee.
Outside in the Glenn Miller Gardens, the seasonal open-air skating rink will also be twinkling with lights and holiday cheer.
Holiday Lights in Bluff View Arts District
- Dates: all season long
- Location: Bluff View Arts District, Chattanooga
- Cost: FREE
Meander down the quaint stone pathways to enjoy storefronts and sculpture gardens dripping with gorgeous Christmas lights. Complete your night out with a trip to one of the many delicious restaurants or quirky art galleries nearby.
Walnut Street Bridge
- Dates: throughout the winter
- Location: 1 Walnut St, Chattanooga
- Cost: FREE
All winter long this charming pedestrian bridge will be decked out in festive snowflakes. The nighttime view will be totally Insta-worthy.
Lighted Boat Parade
- Date: November 25, 2022
- Location: Ross’ Landing, Chattanooga
- Cost: FREE admission
In addition to enjoying a gorgeous lighted boat parade on the water, visitors can get an awesome Santa photo with live reindeer!
Neighborhood Christmas Lights in Chattanooga
Extravaganza in East Ridge
- Location: Jason Drive, East Ridge
The entire neighborhood gets in on the fun at this HUGE light display featuring numerous houses. Guests are typically able to get out of their cars to walk around, but that is temporarily on hold due to current events.
The neighborhood will be collecting charitable donations.
Holiday Whoville at The Canyons
- Location: Canyon Springs Drive, Deep Canyon Drive, & Clear Canyon Drive, Hixson
This neighborhood goes all out and it’s a fantastic place to see tons of decorated homes in one place. There is even a Whoville section that brings all your Grinch-y dreams to life!
Scenic City Lights
- Location: 4095 Brock Road, Chattanooga
This gorgeous animated Christmas display features over 19,000 LED lights set to music for your viewing enjoyment.
Neighborhood Christmas Lights Near Chattanooga TN
Rockin’ in Soddy Daisy
- Location: 11632 Jenkins Road, Soddy Daisy
This large-scale animated lights display is synchronized to music. Tune to 107.3 FM to enjoy the show!
Meadow Stream Lights
- Location: 7788 Trout Lily Drive, Ooltewah
This fun animated Christmas lights display features an adorable candy cane border and much more!
Bradley Lights
- Location: 3787 Blue Springs Road, Cleveland
Tune to 96.9 FM to enjoy a fantastic Christmas light show set to music.
Paid Attractions with Christmas Lights in Chattanooga TN
Asian Lantern Festival
- Dates: November 10, 2022 – January 15, 2023
- Location: 301 N Holtzclaw Ave, Chattanooga
- Cost: $17 – $22/per person
Chattanooga Zoo has upgraded its Christmas lights to a full-on Asian lantern festival. The festival will be filled with gigantic lighted animals for your viewing enjoyment.
Rock City Enchanted Garden of Lights
- Dates: November 18, 2022 – January 1, 2023 (select dates)
- Location: 1400 Patten Rd, Lookout Mountain, GA
- Cost: $32/adults, $22/children (discounts available for non-peak nights)
At Rock City’s enchanted Garden of Lights, you’ll enjoy live music, tasty holiday treats, and meandering garden paths lined with glittering light displays.
The paths will transport you to 4 magical realms, including Arctic Kingdom, Yule Town, Magic Forest, and North pole Village. A new and exciting adventure awaits within each realm. The attraction is closed on Christmas day.
Magic of Lights: Chattanooga
- Dates: November 18, 2022 – January 1, 2023
- Location: Summit of Softball Complex, Collegedale
- Cost: $20-$35/car, depending on the date chosen
This large drive-thru display is one of the most popular in the area.
Nooga Lights
- Dates: November 14 – December 31, 2022
- Location: Chester Frost Park, Hixson
- Cost: $30/car
This fun drive-thru light display is close to delightfully close to home!
Christmas Lights Drive-Thru
- Dates: November 26 – December 24, 2022 (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only)
- Location: Rhea County Fair Grounds, Evensville
- Cost: $10/car
In addition to the drive-thru lights display, there will also be wagon rides and photo ops with the Grinch and Santa.
Christmas Light Displays Worth the Drive
Christmas at Gaylord Opryland, Nashville
At Christmas, Gaylord Opryland is dripping with holiday lights and decor. Guests can also participate in a wide variety of festive activities, including ice skating, ice tubing, ice bumper cars, gingerbread house decorating, an indoor water park, and much, much more!
Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens
At this festive event, the entire garden is transformed into a wonderland of glittering holiday lights. There will also be fun additions like a model Christmas train garden.
Illuminights at the Atlanta Zoo, Atlanta
This HUGE Chinese lantern festival transforms the zoo into a whimsical light show all season long.
Winterfest
Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville will be decked out in millions of Christmas lights all season. There will be a variety of both still and animated displays, and it’s all FREE!
Shadracks Christmas Wonderland, Kodak
If you are planning a Christmas visit to the Smoky Mountains, don’t miss these large-scale drive-through Christmas lights.
The Dancing Lights of Christmas, Lebanon
This huge drive-through lights display is one of the most popular in the state.
More East TN Family Fun
Did we miss any spots for Christmas lights in Chattanooga? Please send us the details, so we can add them to the list.
Canyon springs dr
Hixson tn
The whole road is whoville themed.. tune radio to 97.3
Thanks so much!
11742 Griffith Hwy
Whitwell, TN 37397
Southland Pointe subdivision off Middle Valley Road has some beautifully decorated houses! Worth it!
228 Windermere Ln, Cleveland
Animated light show to music. Tune to 92.5 FM
You need to add:
Ooltewah Christmas Lights
5725 Sarah Drive
Ooltewah, TN 37363
1646 Colorado Street
Hixson, TN 37343
Magic of Lights is waaay overpriced for what it is. It’s maybe a 5-minute drive through if you’re lucky and you can only drive through once. They state $23 on the website, but then charge a $7 “convenience fee” on top of it. I think you’re better off just driving around neighborhoods to see lights because it’s going to be a lot more creative. The whole setup is made up of large light displays that are very similar with the exception of a blinking tunnel that could very well give someone a seizure. It was okay, just not even close to being worth the cost.
Thanks for sharing your review!