Five Christmas light displays in and around Omaha have 2026 dates: 1 drive-thru, 3 walk-throughs and 1 show you can drive or walk. One is free. For an early bedtime, the earliest evening start is 4 p.m. at Bright Nights. One more ran last season but hasn’t posted 2026 dates yet. 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.
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium · 3701 S 10th St, Omaha, NE
Checked Oct 18 on the official page
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Lauritzen Gardens · 100 Bancroft St, Omaha, NE
Little-kid take: Opens at 4 p.m., so an early visit gets you home in time for bedtime.
Checked Oct 18 on the official page · Source
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ChristmasLand · Valley, NE
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
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Downtown Omaha · Downtown Omaha, NE
Little-kid take: Free, so it’s an easy one to try for a short visit.
Checked Oct 18 on the official page
Report a problemThe Durham Museum · 801 S 10th St, Omaha, NE
Little-kid take: Has daytime hours, so it works before nap. Stay until dusk to see the lights come on.
Checked Oct 18 on the official page
Report a problemIt ran last season. We’ll add it when 2026 dates go up.
Nothing is lit yet. ChristmasLand Drive-Thru opens first, on Nov 7. ChristmasLand Drive-Thru, Zoolightful and Bright Nights run into the new year.
In early December the sun sets around 4:55 p.m. in Omaha (the dashed line). Here’s when each display opens, on a scale from 4 to 9 p.m.
4 p.m. start · plan about an hour
4 p.m. on select evenings
4 p.m. start · plan about an hour
4 p.m.
5 p.m. start · plan about an hour
5 p.m.
6 p.m. start · plan about an hour
6 p.m. (Family VIP gets early access)
Picks: ChristmasLand Drive-Thru, Holiday Lights Festival (downtown lights)
Picks: Zoolightful, Bright Nights, Holiday Lights Festival (downtown lights), Christmas at Union Station tree lighting
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoolightful | Adults (12+) $27, kids 3–11 $17; members 20% off; Family VIP and private igloos extra | See the venue | Walk-through |
| Bright Nights | Adults $18–$22, kids $8–$12 depending on date; advance timed tickets required | See the venue | Walk-through |
| ChristmasLand Drive-Thru | Per-car admission (price on ticket page) | See the venue | Drive-thru |
| Holiday Lights Festival (downtown lights) | Free | See the venue | Drive or walk |
| Christmas at Union Station tree lighting | See museum | See the venue | Walk-through |
See all 9 Santa outings in and around Omaha: breakfasts, photo spots and evening visits, with 2026 prices.
Santa in Omaha →
Yes. Holiday Lights Festival (downtown lights) is free in 2026.
Going by the lowest posted 2026 price: Bright Nights (Adults $18–$22, kids $8–$12 depending on date; advance timed tickets required); Zoolightful (Adults (12+) $27, kids 3–11 $17; members 20% off; Family VIP and private igloos extra). 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 5 displays can be driven, including ChristmasLand Drive-Thru and Holiday Lights Festival (downtown lights). Walk-throughs (four here) are better for kids who want to run around.
The earliest evening starts: Bright Nights at 4 p.m., Christmas at Union Station tree lighting at 4 p.m. and ChristmasLand Drive-Thru at 5 p.m. The first hour after opening is the easiest with an early bedtime. For no-late-night options, Christmas at Union Station tree lighting works in the daytime.
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 Omaha · Omaha city guide · Visiting Omaha
One short email every Friday morning with what works for ages 0–6 in Omaha that weekend, including the Santa and light-show dates worth knowing.