Metro Atlanta goes all in for the holidays, from a mountain-sized light show at Stone Mountain Park to walk-through gardens and a lantern-lit zoo. The biggest shows open in early to mid November 2026 and run into January 2027. Most are ticketed, and weekend nights in December sell out, so book ahead.
- Biggest showStone Mountain Christmas, 2 million-plus lights
- Best walk-throughGarden Lights, Holiday Nights, Midtown
- Best drive-throughMagical Nights of Lights, Lanier Islands
- Best valueLights of Life, Marietta: $15 per car
- At a Glance
- Stone Mountain
- Garden Lights
- IllumiNights
- Lights of Life
- Six Flags
- Lanier Islands
- Common Questions
Atlanta Christmas Lights at a Glance
| Show | Where | 2026-27 dates | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stone Mountain Christmas | Stone Mountain | Weekends and holidays, Nov. 7 – Jan. 3 | Walk-around park event |
| Garden Lights, Holiday Nights | Midtown Atlanta | Nightly, Nov. 14 – Jan. 10 | Walk-through |
| IllumiNights | Zoo Atlanta, Grant Park | Select nights, Nov. 21 – Jan. 17 | Walk-through |
| Lights of Life | Life University, Marietta | Nightly, Nov. 26 – Dec. 31 | Drive or walk; $15 per car |
| Holiday in the Park | Six Flags Over Georgia, Austell | Select days, Nov. 21 – Jan. 3 | Theme park event |
| Magical Nights of Lights | Lanier Islands, Buford | Nightly, Nov. 20 – Jan. 3 | Drive-through |
Stone Mountain Christmas
2026 dates: Weekends and holidays, November 7, 2026 through January 3, 2027. The Christmas parade starts at 6 p.m. and the drone and light show at 8:20 p.m. (7:20 p.m. on Christmas Eve, 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve). Tickets are $39.99 for adults and $36.99 for children ages 3 and up, plus parking, taxes and fees.
Stone Mountain Park turns its village into a holiday event with more than two million lights, a nightly parade, an Enchanted Tree Lighting and, later in the evening, a drone and light show over the mountain. Kids can visit Santa in his office through December 24, and Flight to the North Pole is an add-on with its own ticket. The event is included with an Attractions Ticket or Annual Mountain Membership. The park’s Scenic Railroad, home of the old sing-along Christmas train, is listed as closed for maintenance; see our Christmas train rides guide for other holiday trains. Attraction hours vary by day, so check the Stone Mountain Christmas page before you go.
Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at Atlanta Botanical Garden
2026 dates: Nightly, November 14, 2026 through January 10, 2027, with timed tickets (members-only preview November 12). The show runs until midnight with last entry at 11 p.m., and late Night Light admission after 9:30 p.m. starts at $19.95 for adults. Holiday model trains run in the Garden over the same dates.
The Garden fills its Midtown grounds with glowing orbs, light tunnels and displays synced to music. Its Gainesville location runs a smaller sister event, Gainesville Glows, with luminaria-lined paths and a lighted fairy forest, on select nights from November 19, 2026, and nightly from December 17 through January 3, 2027. Book on the Atlanta Botanical Garden site.
IllumiNights at Zoo Atlanta
2026 dates: Select nights, November 21 through January 17, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. (last entry 8 p.m.). Tickets vary by night: $20.99 to $24.99 for ages 12 and up, $17.99 to $19.99 for ages 3 to 11, and free for 2 and under, with member discounts. IllumiNights is ticketed separately from daytime zoo admission.
Lantern-lit animal sculptures and holiday displays fill the zoo grounds in Grant Park. It is a little less crowded than the biggest shows and works well for younger kids who might not last through a longer light trail. See the IllumiNights page for the nights it runs.
Lights of Life at Life University, Marietta
2026 dates: Every night from Thanksgiving, November 26, through New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2026. The lights come on at sunset, around 5:30 p.m., and stay on until about 9 to 10 p.m.
Life University’s campus at 1269 Barclay Circle in Marietta glows with more than a million lights, illuminated tunnels and displays, plus carnival rides, train rides, a petting zoo and food vendors. Admission is a flat $15 per car or truck and $30 per bus, any night. There are no advance tickets; pay at the entrance with cash or a card. Details on the Lights of Life page.
Holiday in the Park at Six Flags Over Georgia
2026 dates: Select days, November 21, 2026 through January 3, 2027.
Six Flags is bringing back a reimagined Holiday in the Park for 2026, with themed holiday lands, nightly tree lightings, live shows and rides in Austell, just west of Atlanta. Gold and Prestige memberships include unlimited visits. Check the Holiday in the Park page for the operating calendar and ticket prices.
Magical Nights of Lights at Lanier Islands
2026 dates: Nightly from 5 p.m., November 20, 2026 through January 3, 2027.
About 45 minutes north of downtown in Buford, Lanier Islands turns miles of island roads into one of the biggest drive-through light shows in the Southeast. Tickets are priced per vehicle, and Snow Island next door adds snow tubing and an ice rink. Our Lake Lanier Christmas lights guide has prices, hours and tips.
More Atlanta-Area Holiday Lights
Fernbank Museum of Natural History has run WildWoods: AGLOW, an outdoor walk with large illuminated sculptures and projections in its forest, on select nights in past winters. Fernbank has not announced 2026 dates, so check its website. Farther afield, Callaway Gardens’ Fantasy in Lights in Pine Mountain is about 90 minutes southwest; see our Georgia Christmas lights guide.
Planning Your Visit
Book ahead for weekends: The biggest Atlanta shows sell out on December weekends, so buy timed tickets a few days out if you can. Weeknights are calmer.
Mix a walk with a drive: Pair a walk-through show like Garden Lights or IllumiNights with a drive-through like Lanier Islands or Lights of Life for two very different nights out.
More of the season: Christmas lights across Georgia, Christmas train rides, Christmas tree farms and the Georgia festivals and events calendar.
Common Questions
What is the biggest Christmas light display in Metro Atlanta?
Stone Mountain Christmas is the largest, with more than two million lights across the park plus a nightly parade and a drone and light show over the mountain.
What is the best drive-through Christmas light show near Atlanta?
Magical Nights of Lights at Lanier Islands in Buford is the biggest, a six-mile drive priced per vehicle, Nov. 20, 2026 to Jan. 3, 2027. Closer in, Lights of Life at Life University in Marietta is $15 per car and runs nightly from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve.
Are there cheap or free Christmas lights to see in Atlanta?
Lights of Life in Marietta is $15 per car, not per person, and you pay at the gate. The big ticketed shows cost more, but many Atlanta neighborhoods and suburbs put up home displays that cost nothing to drive past.
Is Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at the Atlanta Botanical Garden good for young kids?
Yes, it is a walk-through display at a relaxed pace, though strollers can be tight in some of the narrower light tunnels on busy nights.
When do Christmas lights start in Atlanta?
Stone Mountain Christmas opens first, on Nov. 7, 2026. Garden Lights starts Nov. 14, Magical Nights of Lights Nov. 20, IllumiNights and Six Flags Holiday in the Park Nov. 21, and Lights of Life on Thanksgiving, Nov. 26.
Sources we checked
Dates and prices in this guide were checked against each event’s official site:
- Stone Mountain Park: Stone Mountain Christmas
- Atlanta Botanical Garden: Garden Lights, Holiday Nights
- Zoo Atlanta: IllumiNights
- Life University: Lights of Life
- Six Flags Over Georgia: Holiday in the Park
- Lanier Islands: Magical Nights of Lights
Spot something out of date? Email Contact@n-georgia.com and we’ll check it against the official source. Read how we research our guides.
Most of these shows run past New Year’s. See New Year’s Eve in Atlanta and Georgia for more ways to ring in 2027.