Four Christmas light displays in and around Baltimore have 2026 dates: 1 drive-thru and 3 walk-throughs. Two are free. For an early bedtime, the earliest evening start is 8 p.m. at Christmas Village in Baltimore. They’re in Baltimore and Columbia.
Last checked · How we choose
Tap a filter to narrow it down. Every card has hours, price and what it’s like with a little one.
34th Street in Hampden · 700 block of W. 34th St., Baltimore, MD 21211
Little-kid take: Free, so it’s an easy one to try for a short visit.
Checked Oct 28 on the official page
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Mount Vernon Place · 699 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201
Checked Oct 28 on the official page
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West Shore Park, Inner Harbor · 501 Light St., Baltimore, MD 21202
Little-kid take: Free, so it’s an easy one to try for a short visit.
Checked Oct 28 on the official page
Report a problemBigger out-of-town shows parents make a night of. The drive time is on each card.
Merriweather Post Pavilion area · Hickory Ridge Road and Broken Land Parkway, Columbia, MD 21044
Little-kid take: Stays in the car: the easiest pick with a baby or a toddler who may fall asleep. PJs on, car seat buckled, no stroller needed.
Checked Oct 28 on the official page
Report a problemNothing is lit yet. Christmas Village in Baltimore opens first, on Nov 21. Miracle on 34th Street runs into the new year.
In early December the sun sets around 4:45 p.m. in Baltimore (the dashed line). Here’s when each display opens, on a scale from 4 to 9 p.m.
8 p.m. start · plan about an hour
Sun–Thu noon–8pm, Fri–Sat noon–9pm; closed most Mon–Tue
10 p.m. start · plan about an hour
Dark until about 10pm; until midnight Fri–Sat
No drive-thru with 2026 dates in town yet.
Picks: Miracle on 34th Street, Washington Monument Lighting at Mount Vernon Place, Christmas Village in Baltimore
Mittens on a stringLittle hands get cold fast after dark.
Warm drink in a thermosA treat to look forward to at the halfway point.
Hat and a blanketFor the stroller, or the car once the heat is off.
PJs before you goSo a car-seat nap can turn straight into bedtime.From each venue’s own page. Check whether a price is per car or per person before you book.
| Display | Price | Little kids | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miracle on 34th Street | Free | See the venue | Walk-through |
| Washington Monument Lighting at Mount Vernon Place | See the event page | See the venue | Walk-through |
| Christmas Village in Baltimore | Free; some weekend days $5 for adults to enter the heated tent; under 18 free | under 18 free | Walk-through |
| Symphony of Lights | $25 per vehicle; walk-through nights priced separately | See the venue | Drive-thru · About 30 min drive from downtown Baltimore. |
See all 6 Santa outings in and around Baltimore: breakfasts, photo spots and evening visits, with 2026 prices.
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Yes. Miracle on 34th Street and Christmas Village in Baltimore are free in 2026.
Going by the lowest posted 2026 price: Symphony of Lights ($25 per vehicle; walk-through nights priced separately). Check whether a price is per car or per person before you compare.
With a baby or a sleepy toddler, a drive-thru is easiest: they stay buckled in and warm. One of the 4 displays can be driven: Symphony of Lights. Walk-throughs (three here) are better for kids who want to run around.
The earliest evening starts: Christmas Village in Baltimore at 8 p.m. and Miracle on 34th Street at 10 p.m. The first hour after opening is the easiest with an early bedtime.
Little ones get in free at Christmas Village in Baltimore (under 18 free). With a baby, a drive-thru keeps everyone warm in the car.
Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page, and links to it. We list dates, times and prices only when that page shows them for 2026; anything without posted dates goes in “Dates not posted yet” instead. These were last checked Oct 30, 2026, and we recheck them in early November and again in early December. How we choose and check.
Keep planning: This week in Baltimore · Baltimore city guide · Visiting Baltimore
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Each of these comes back every year. Its page keeps the last confirmed dates, and the new ones go up there once they’re posted. Every year in Baltimore
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Things to do with kids in Baltimore in November · Things to do with kids in Baltimore in December
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Christmas Village in Baltimore