10 Best Theme Parks for the Holidays
When it comes to the holidays, the top theme parks in the United States know how to celebrate in style. Whether they’re attending festive parades, visiting with Santa, or enjoying live entertainment, there’s no shortage of options for visitors searching for some holiday cheer.
The results are in, and these 10 theme parks have been voted by readers of USA Today as having the best holiday events. While many of these parks are beloved all year round, they come alive during the holiday season, enticing visitors to come and revel in the holiday spirit.
10. Storybook Land Christmas Fantasy with Lights | New Jersey
Beginning in mid-November, Storybook Land comes alive during the Christmas Fantasy with Lights in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. For more than 30 years, visitors of all ages have delighted in the festivities, which included the Man in Red, Santa Claus, appearing in his chimney and waving his wand to light the park.
The festivities include visits with Santa Claus, live music, character meet and greets, and a light display featuring more than a million lights that turn the park into a whimsical holiday wonderland.
All rides and attractions remain open during this event that kicks off in mid-November.
9. Holiday Lights at Kennywood | Pennsylvania
During the annual Holiday Lights at Kennywood in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, more than two million lights turn this beloved amusement park into a dazzling holiday display that includes the state’s largest Christmas tree.
Visitors to Kennywood can have a full-fledged holiday experience that includes more than a dozen attractions, festive holiday food and drink, live entertainment, visits with Santa, and model trains.
Visitors wishing for an extra dose of holiday magic can buy tickets to a special dinner with Santa and Mrs. Claus, including an all-you-can-eat Christmas buffet and a photo with St. Nick.
8. Christmas Town at Busch Gardens | Florida & Virginia
This festive event at Busch Gardens puts visitors of all ages in the holiday spirit with holiday rides, festive, delicious treats, an appearance by Santa, and plenty of lights.
There’s holiday cheer for all at this fun event from mid-November to early January. Visitors can share heartwarming moments with Santa and Rudolph, and enjoy holiday-themed shows like Christmas on Ice, thrilling rides, and much more.
Twinkling lights of every color and colorful fireworks add to the warm holiday atmosphere and make this family-friendly event even more special.
7. Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood | Tennessee
Dolly Parton’s Dollywood is about as close as a person can get to the North Pole during the Christmas season and it’s one of the best places to enjoy Christmas in the Smokies.
Dollywood, which has won a slew of awards for its holiday festivities, features plenty of sights and activities to get visitors in the holiday spirit from November through January.
Visitors can explore this magical wonderland with friends and family to have the perfect holiday adventure. Park-goers will delight in holiday shopping, festive, flavorful holiday treats, marvel at dozens of towering Christmas trees, and much more, all in the shadow of the majestic Smoky Mountains!
6. Christmastime at Santa’s Village | New Hampshire
Santa’s Village in Jefferson, New Hampshire pulls out all the stops when Christmastime comes ’round.
Christmas can be extra special for visitors with the sound of carols in the air, the crunch of snow underfoot, and more than a million lights illuminating the park in light and holiday spirit.
Make sure to save time for a visit with Santa during this December celebration. Visitors can also enjoy a variety of park rides to get more into the spirit of the holidays.
5. Holiday in the Park at Six Flags | Multiple Locations
Visitors love Six Flags for its variety of fun rollercoasters, but the park also celebrates the season each year during Holiday in the Park from late November through the end of December.
Visitors will enjoy seeing the park lit up in more than two million twinkling lights, visits with Santa, delicious holiday treats, and live entertainment.
Park-goers with a sweet tooth can enjoy festive treats at the new Holiday Village like white chocolate candy apples, holiday-inspired fudge, peppermint bark, and marshmallows, roasted over a fire.
The festive holiday offerings also include a chance to visit the North Pole, where visitors can take a ride aboard the North Pole Express, craft with Mrs. Claus, and visit with Santa to tell him their Christmas wishes.
4. Hersheypark Christmas Candylane | Pennsylvania
More than five million lights transform the famous Hersheypark in Pennsylvania into a magical winter wonderland known as Christmas Candylane.
Visitors filled with the holiday spirit can visit during select dates from November through New Year’s Day. It’s the perfect place to rekindle old family traditions or start new ones that last a lifetime.
Visitors of all ages can take a leisurely stroll through the park to watch a mesmerizing light show that’s synced to classic holiday songs. They can sip hot chocolate as they walk and pay a visit to Santa and nine live reindeer, even Rudolph!
TreeVille at the Boardwalk is another can’t-miss event that features more than a dozen trees that are decorated to share the stories of the “Sweetest Place on Earth.”
3. WinterFest at Kings Island | Ohio
During their annual WinterFest celebration, Kings Island seeks to capture the essence and the magic of an old-fashioned winter.
The event kicks off right after Thanksgiving and lasts all through December and features all the ingredients for a fun celebration: Millions, lights, rides, ice skating, holiday food, and a huge Christmas tree.
The event kicks off the day after Thanksgiving and includes more than 5 million lights, some 20 rides, ice skating, the WinterFest Wonderland parade, mouthwatering holiday menus, and a 314-foot-tall Christmas tree built around the park’s Eiffel Tower.
Visitors can download the park map to get the lowdown on nearly a dozen places for live entertainment and shopping. Holiday experiences like pictures with Santa, ice carving, and visiting Jack Frost’s Igloo Village add to the holiday magic.
Hungry visitors can visit stops like Prancer’s Pizza, Blitzen’s Brewhouse, and Tiny Tots Chocolate, and many more for delicious holiday treats.
2. SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration | Multiple Locations
From mid-November through early January, visitors can join in the fun at SeaWorld, where the park becomes a sparkling, lit-up holiday wonderland.
Visitors can stop to spend a few minutes with St. Nick, cross friends and family off their Christmas list with some fun holiday shopping, marvel at millions of lights, visit with Rudolph and his friends, and more.
Chilled visitors can warm up with delicious mugs of hot cocoa, freshly baked cookies, and other treats. Filled with good food and holiday cheer, visitors can then make their way to one of several live shows, including a cooking demonstration with Mrs. Claus and Elmo’s Christmas Wish Show.
1. An Old Time Christmas at Silver Dollar City | Missouri
Silver Dollar City in Branson goes all the way and then some when the Christmas season begins.
Silver Dollar City’s annual holiday celebration includes 6.5 million twinkling Christmas lights and every year the celebration seems to get bigger and bigger. It’s even been called the “Most Illuminated Park on Earth.”
The fun doesn’t stop there! Anchoring the festivities is an 8-story tall Christmas tree with special effects, Broadway-style live entertainment, and an illuminated parade featuring Rudolph and his friends.
Hungry customers can enjoy festive food featuring everything from seasonal treats to warm, hearty soups. The lineup of holiday eats includes funnel cakes, walking tacos, wassail, hot chocolate, and more.
Experience the Best Theme Park Holiday Events
Visitors of all ages enjoy theme parks like SeaWorld, Kings Island, and Dollywood all year round, but Christmastime takes their fun factor to a whole new level.
From tasty festive treats to brilliantly illuminated light shows to live entertainment, the best theme parks in the nation have something to offer anyone who visits during the holiday season. Those who have been there countless times or those who have never been there feel the same sense of wonder, excitement, and comfort as they revel in the holiday festivities.