A family car driving past holiday lights on a snowy night
Lights 2026 · Pittsburgh

Christmas lights in Pittsburgh for little kids, picked for early bedtimes.

Five Christmas light displays in and around Pittsburgh have 2026 dates: 2 drive-thrus, 2 walk-throughs and 1 show you can drive or walk. None are free. For an early bedtime, the earliest evening start is 5 p.m. at Zoo Lights Drive-Thru. Each card has stroller notes where the venue gives them, the 2026 price and a link to tickets.

5displays with dates
1drive-thru
0free
5 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.

Drive-thru

Zoo Lights Drive-Thru

Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium · Pittsburgh, PA

Drive-thru
When
Select nights Nov 27, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 (closed Nov 30; Dec 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 24, 25, 31; Jan 1)
Earliest start
5 p.m.
Price
$45 per vehicle ($40 members); $65 flex
  • 5–10 p.m.
  • Stay in vehicle
  • Entrance Plaza open for refreshments and restrooms

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.

Tickets / details ↗

Checked Oct 18 on the official page

Report a problem
Walk-through

Kennywood Holiday Lights

Kennywood · 4800 Kennywood Boulevard, West Mifflin, PA 15122

Walk-through
When
Nov 13, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 (select nights)
Earliest start
See park calendar
Price
From $19.99 online; $39.99 at gate; 3 and under free
  • 3 million+ lights, rides, meet Rudolph, Clarice, Bumble and Sam the Snowman
Tickets / details ↗Directions

Checked Oct 18 on the official page · Source

Report a problem
Walk-through

Phipps Holiday Magic

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens · Pittsburgh, PA

Walk-throughBook ahead
When
Opens Fri Nov 20, 2026
Earliest start
See Phipps
Price
Advance reserved tickets required (public release starts Oct 28)
  • Valet $15 non-members at peak times
Tickets / details ↗

Checked Oct 18 on the official page

Report a problem
Worth the drive

Worth the drive from Pittsburgh

Bigger out-of-town shows parents make a night of. The drive time is on each card.

Drive or walk

Overly's Country Christmas

Overly's Country Christmas · Greensburg, PA

Drive or walkAbout 50 minutes (Greensburg, PA)
When
Select days Nov 19 – Dec 30, 2026 (closed Nov 23–26; Dec 1–3, 7–10, 14–16, 24, 25, 31)
Earliest start
5:30 p.m.
Price
$25 per carload up to 8 (drive + village) or $5 per person park & walk; $40 for 9+ passenger vehicles
  • Thu/Sun 5:30–9; Fri/Sat 5:30–10; Dec 21–23, 28–30 5:30–9
  • Park & walk avoids the long carload line

Little-kid take: Opens at 5:30 p.m., so an early visit gets you home in time for bedtime.

Tickets / details ↗

Checked Oct 18 on the official page · Source

Report a problem
Drive-thru

Oglebay Festival of Lights

Oglebay Park Resort · Wheeling, WV

Drive-thruAbout an hour (Wheeling, WV)
When
Nov 5 – Jan 3 (2026–27)
Earliest start
Nightly; trolley tours 5:30–9:30 p.m.
Price
$20 Mon–Thu; $30 Fri–Sun and holidays (Nov 24–27, Dec 22–Jan 1)
  • 6-mile drive, 100+ displays

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.

Tickets / details ↗

Checked Oct 18 on the official page

Report a problem
Nov 1 – Jan 3

When each one is open

Nothing is lit yet. Kennywood Holiday Lights opens first, on Nov 13. Kennywood Holiday Lights and Zoo Lights Drive-Thru run into the new year.

Kennywood Holiday Lights Nov 13 – Jan 3
Phipps Holiday Magic Nov 20 on
Zoo Lights Drive-Thru Nov 27 – Jan 3
Nov 1Dec 1Jan 1
Early bedtime plan

Lights before bedtime

In early December the sun sets around 4:55 p.m. in Pittsburgh (the dashed line). Here’s when each display opens, on a scale from 4 to 9 p.m.

Zoo Lights Drive-Thru

5 p.m. start · plan about an hour

5 p.m.

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

Pick: Zoo Lights Drive-Thru

🚶 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: Kennywood Holiday Lights, Phipps Holiday Magic

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
Zoo Lights Drive-Thru$45 per vehicle ($40 members); $65 flexSee the venueDrive-thru
Kennywood Holiday LightsFrom $19.99 online; $39.99 at gate; 3 and under free3 and under freeWalk-through
Phipps Holiday MagicAdvance reserved tickets required (public release starts Oct 28)See the venueWalk-through
Overly's Country Christmas$25 per carload up to 8 (drive + village) or $5 per person park & walk; $40 for 9+ passenger vehiclesSee the venueDrive or walk · About 50 minutes (Greensburg, PA)
Oglebay Festival of Lights$20 Mon–Thu; $30 Fri–Sun and holidays (Nov 24–27, Dec 22–Jan 1)See the venueDrive-thru · About an hour (Wheeling, WV)
Also this season

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Good questions

Christmas lights in Pittsburgh: questions parents ask

Are there free Christmas lights in Pittsburgh?

None of the light shows with 2026 dates that we found are free. The lowest prices are listed in “2026 prices at a glance”.

What’s the cheapest Christmas light show in Pittsburgh?

Going by the lowest posted 2026 price: Overly's Country Christmas ($25 per carload up to 8 (drive + village) or $5 per person park & walk; $40 for 9+ passenger vehicles); Kennywood Holiday Lights (From $19.99 online; $39.99 at gate; 3 and under free); Oglebay Festival of Lights ($20 Mon–Thu; $30 Fri–Sun and holidays (Nov 24–27, Dec 22–Jan 1)). Check whether a price is per car or per person before you compare.

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

With a baby or a sleepy toddler, a drive-thru is easiest: they stay buckled in and warm. Three of the 5 displays can be driven, including Zoo Lights Drive-Thru, Overly's Country Christmas and Oglebay Festival of Lights. Walk-throughs (three here) are better for kids who want to run around.

What time do the Christmas lights start in Pittsburgh? We have an early bedtime.

The earliest evening starts: Zoo Lights Drive-Thru at 5 p.m., Overly's Country Christmas at 5:30 p.m. and Oglebay Festival of Lights at 9:30 p.m. The first hour after opening is the easiest with an early bedtime.

Which light shows are best for kids under 3?

Little ones get in free at Kennywood Holiday Lights (3 and under free). With a baby, a drive-thru keeps everyone warm in the car.

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 19, 2026, and we recheck them in early November and again in early December. How we choose and check.

Keep planning: This week in Pittsburgh · Pittsburgh city guide · Visiting Pittsburgh

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