If you don’t have the cash to deck your halls like the Griswolds this Christmas, don’t fret. Fortunately, there are tons of places to view electrifying displays of holiday lights without having to travel far or zap your budget.
The following cities are home to some of the nation’s most merry megawatt-lined miles and sparkling seasonal streets that won’t cost you a dime to view:
New York City: It won’t take long for you to get into the holiday spirit when strolling along the streets of the Big Apple. The city’s massive window displays, blinged out trees and public parks, glitter, glimmer and shine for miles. Must-see illuminations include: Rockefeller Center’s iconic Christmas tree twinkling with more than 30,000 lights, plus the wondrous light displays at Lincoln Center, Washington Square Park, Bryant Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Time Warner Center.
Chicago: The Windy City warms under dozens of festive light displays which decorate downtown streets. The “Magnificent Mile Lights Festival” is one of Chicago’s most popular holiday attractions. It features more than a million lights on 200 trees which line the famous shopping strip. In addition to the dazzling lights, the Magnificent Mile includes hundreds of animated holiday window displays. Not far away is the towering Christmas tree in Daley Plaza, plus an interactive Santa’s workshop for the kids and a German-style Christmas market filled with holiday cheer.
Baltimore: Christmas comes alive along a charming block of row houses on 34th Street in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood which earns the nickname “Miracle on 34th Street” during the holiday season. Residents spend their own time and money to bedeck their properties with larger-than-life snow globes, flashing angels, musical trains, and millions of blinking lights that form a winter wonderland you won’t be able to keep your eyes off of.
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