Lights 2026 · New York City

Christmas lights in New York City for little kids, picked for early bedtimes.

Three Christmas light displays in and around New York City have 2026 dates: all walk-throughs. One is free. For an early bedtime, the earliest evening start is 10 p.m. at Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting. They’re in Bronx and New York.

3displays with dates
0drive-thrus
1free
10 pmearliest evening start

Last checked · How we choose

All 3 displays

Pick tonight’s lights

Tap a filter to narrow it down. Every card has hours, price and what it’s like with a little one.

Walk-through

Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights

Bronx Zoo · 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460

Walk-throughBook ahead
When
Nov 21, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027
Earliest start
Select evenings; timed tickets
Price
See the ticket page
  • A walk through the zoo lit up for the holidays
  • There’s a sensory-inclusive night
  • check the event page for the date
Tickets / details ↗Directions

Checked Oct 28 on the official page

Report a problem
Walk-through

Holiday Train Show at NYBG

New York Botanical Garden · 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY

Walk-throughBook ahead
When
Nov 14, 2026 – Jan 10, 2027
Earliest start
Garden hours; evening hours on select nights
Price
Timed tickets; see the event page
  • Model trains run past New York landmarks built from bark, leaves and other plant parts
  • Evening hours run 5–8pm on Nov 27–29 and select December dates
Tickets / details ↗Directions

Checked Oct 28 on the official page

Report a problem
Walk-through

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting

Rockefeller Center · Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY

Walk-throughFree
When
Dec 2, 2026; tree up through mid-January
Earliest start
Lighting 7–10pm
Price
Free to see from the plaza
  • This year’s 76-foot Norway spruce comes from West Edmeston, New York, and gets more than 50,000 lights
  • The lighting night is packed, so with small kids, visit on a weekday morning after Dec 2

Little-kid take: Free, so it’s an easy one to try for a short visit.

Tickets / details ↗

Checked Oct 28 on the official page

Report a problem
Nov 1 – Jan 15

When each one is open

Nothing is lit yet. Holiday Train Show at NYBG opens first, on Nov 14. Holiday Train Show at NYBG, Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights and Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting run into the new year.

Holiday Train Show at NYBG Nov 14 – Jan 10
Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights Nov 21 – Jan 3
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Dec 2 – Jan 15
Nov 1Dec 1Jan 1
Early bedtime plan

Lights before bedtime

In early December the sun sets around 4:30 p.m. in NYC (the dashed line). Here’s when each display opens, on a scale from 4 to 9 p.m.

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting

10 p.m. start · plan about an hour

Lighting 7–10pm

Drive-thru or walk-through?

Which is better for little kids?

🚗 Stay in the car

  • Babies and toddlers stay warm and buckled, PJs and all
  • No stroller, no mitten battles, no lost hats
  • A car-seat nap can turn straight into bedtime
  • Check the listing for timed slots and refund rules

No drive-thru with 2026 dates in town yet.

🚶 Get out and walk

  • Kids 3 and up love running ahead to the next display
  • Bring the stroller where the venue allows it (see each card)
  • Plan a snack stop and a bathroom break
  • Check sensory notes for bright lights and crowds

Picks: Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights, Holiday Train Show at NYBG, Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting

Bring along

The little-kid lights kit

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.
2026 prices

Prices at a glance

From each venue’s own page. Check whether a price is per car or per person before you book.

DisplayPriceLittle kidsGood to know
Bronx Zoo Holiday LightsSee the ticket pageSee the venueWalk-through
Holiday Train Show at NYBGTimed tickets; see the event pageSee the venueWalk-through
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree LightingFree to see from the plazaSee the venueWalk-through
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Good questions

Christmas lights in New York City: questions parents ask

Are there free Christmas lights in New York City?

Yes. Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting is free in 2026.

Drive-thru or walk-through: which is better with little kids?

We didn’t find a drive-thru with 2026 dates yet. Walk-throughs (three here) are better for kids who want to run around.

What time do the Christmas lights start in New York City? We have an early bedtime.

The earliest evening starts: Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting at 10 p.m. The first hour after opening is the easiest with an early bedtime.

How do you check these Christmas lights listings?

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 NYC · New York City city guide · Visiting NYC

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Every year

Light displays that come back every year

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 NYC

Bronx Zoo Holiday LightsNext: Nov 21, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027

By month

More dates for little kids in NYC

Things to do with kids in New York City in November · Things to do with kids in New York City in December