Two Christmas light displays in and around Greenville have 2026 dates: 1 drive-thru and 1 show you can drive or walk. None are free. For an early bedtime, the earliest evening start is 5:30 p.m. at Magic of Lights at Hollywild. Each card has stroller notes where the venue gives them, the 2026 price and a link to tickets.
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.
Hollywild Animal Preserve · Wellford, SC
Little-kid take: Opens at 5:30 p.m., so an early visit gets you home in time for bedtime.
Checked Oct 18 on the official page
Report a problemDistrict Park · 148 Crumpton Lane, Easley, SC 29640
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 18 on the official page
Report a problemNothing is lit yet. Magic of Lights at Hollywild opens first, on Nov 20. Magic of Lights at Hollywild runs into the new year.
In early December the sun sets around 5:20 p.m. in Greenville (the dashed line). Here’s when each display opens, on a scale from 4 to 9 p.m.
5:30 p.m. start · plan about an hour
5:30 p.m.
6 p.m. start · about 25 min
6 p.m.
Picks: Magic of Lights at Hollywild, Upstate Holiday Light Show
Pick: Magic of Lights at Hollywild
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magic of Lights at Hollywild | Per-person any-day ticket listed at $10 at the gate (online price shown $12.42 with fees); kids 2 and under free | kids 2 and under free | Drive or walk |
| Upstate Holiday Light Show | $35 per car/minivan/truck/SUV; passenger vans $75; buses $100; carnival ride tickets extra ($1.25 each, 3–5 per ride) | See the venue | Drive-thru |
See all 9 Santa outings in and around Greenville: breakfasts, photo spots and evening visits, with 2026 prices.
Santa in Greenville →
None of the light shows with 2026 dates that we found are free. The lowest prices are listed in “2026 prices at a glance”.
Going by the lowest posted 2026 price: Upstate Holiday Light Show ($35 per car/minivan/truck/SUV; passenger vans $75; buses $100; carnival ride tickets extra ($1.25 each, 3–5 per ride)); Magic of Lights at Hollywild (Per-person any-day ticket listed at $10 at the gate (online price shown $12.42 with fees); kids 2 and under free). 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. Two of the 2 displays can be driven, including Magic of Lights at Hollywild and Upstate Holiday Light Show. Walk-throughs (one here) are better for kids who want to run around.
The earliest evening starts: Magic of Lights at Hollywild at 5:30 p.m. and Upstate Holiday Light Show at 6 p.m. The first hour after opening is the easiest with an early bedtime.
Little ones get in free at Magic of Lights at Hollywild (kids 2 and under 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 19, 2026, and we recheck them in early November and again in early December. How we choose and check.
Keep planning: This week in Greenville · Greenville city guide · Visiting Greenville
One short email every Friday morning with what works for ages 0–6 in Greenville that weekend, including the Santa and light-show dates worth knowing.