10 Merry & Bright Walk Through Christmas Lights Experiences in Michigan for 2023

Glenlore Trails is an immersive night walk located in Commerce Michigan.

Every Thursday to Sunday evening the forest comes to life in a dazzling display of light, sound, and wonder.
Visit Michigan’s original illuminated forest this holiday season!

It's a one-mile outdoor path with interactive, story moments, and other entertainment.
(You may encounter live performances along the trails! From flow dancers to musicians, to theatrical moments.)

Expect the experience to take an hour.

On-site concessions include light snacks, beverages, and Glenlore merchandise.

The trail through the woods is maintained, but it is not paved. It's stroller-friendly.

There are restrooms along the trail.

35 MAGICAL NIGHTS OF LIGHTS: Wild Lights is the Detroit Zoo’s annual holiday light display. Guests will enjoy masterfully designed light displays and festive vignettes featuring millions of twinkling LED lights illuminating buildings, trees, sculptures, and a walk-through light tunnel!

FIELD OF LIGHT: Engage your senses as you watch lights move and change colors to the sounds of holiday music.

UNDERWATER TRAIL: Dive into an underwater scene that takes you to the depths of the sea. At the trail end, you’ll encounter an interactive wall where you can trigger the ocean to move, sway and glow as you move your body.

ENCHANTED TRAIL: Stroll through a pathway illuminated by trees and animals as you follow a fairy flitting through the forest overhead. Join the fairy on her journey as the lights sparkle and shine around you.

TOYLAND AND WISHING TREE: Immerse yourself in this childhood wonderland featuring life-sized toy sculptures of light. Highlights include a 40-foot-long train, which serves as the perfect photo op for family and friends. Don’t forget to make your holiday wish at the wishing tree!

THE POLAR EXPRESS 4D THEATER EXPERIENCE: You’re invited on an extraordinary adventure to the North Pole this holiday season on THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the SimEx-Iwerks 4D Version of the Holiday Classic! *Additional Fee

WILD LIGHTS LODGE: Warm up inside this festive oasis filled with holiday décor, live entertainment, bar service, s’mores and more!

Snowshoe or walk!

This unique winter experience is a magical 1.5-mile walk along a beautifully lit winter trail through the woods, where you’ll experience the soft warm glow of lights and interactive displays. Midway, take a break at the rustic yurt where you can cozy up around a bonfire with s’mores and warm drinks (cash bar, too!)

The Enchanted Trail is free for ages 5 and under.

The approximate timing is 25-30 minutes walk each way, plus time spent at the yurt; plan on an hour and a half for this experience.

Gull Meadow Farms’ Walk Through the Lights event takes your family through a colorful experience where you walk through multiple greenhouses all decked out with different Christmas themes.

Beautiful lights, a warm and cozy feel, Christmas music, and family farm festivities are the perfect recipe for a heart-filled tradition we know you will love.

In addition to the greenhouses filled with Christmas lights, there are several staged spots for the perfect picture as well as some petting farm goat friends to greet you along the way.

PLUS a brand new outdoor space this year with even more lights and a choreographed light show for you to enjoy.

PRO TIPS
• Grab a signature hot beverage (Santa’s Cocoa, Polar Express, or Silent Night Cider) for your walk-through experience and some cool light specs or Christmas glow products!

• Dress for the weather: The greenhouses are heated but getting from one greenhouse to another requires some time outside.

• Lights are best viewed when the sun begins setting, but the experience is open during the daytime if that works better for your schedule.

• Be sure to stop in the market after your experience for donuts, cider and gifts!

This friendly family welcomes visitors to enjoy their large walk-through Christmas lights display every December.

Meander through their wooded while enjoying all sorts of winter and holiday scenes. There are some great photo opps here.

Please thank the owners and be courteous to their property.

The Croton Township Campground will be open for you and your family to drive through or hike through "The Colors of Christmas" light displays.

A portion of all donations will be donated to Newaygo Country Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. All remaining donations go to help maintain and grow the lights and displays.

The Colors of Christmas is non-profit and runs off donations and sponsorships from local businesses.

Thousands of lights create an extraordinary holiday display at the 31st annual Wonderland of Lights!

Take a stroll around the zoo, enjoy holiday music, and marvel at the twinkling light displays during this series of magical Michigan winter evenings.

* Please note that Santa will be available for photos on zoo grounds during the Wonderland of Lights event on Fridays and Saturdays only. Santa will not be present on Thursdays and Sundays.

Walk-thru outdoor Holiday experience at Canterbury Village in Lake Orion.

𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗟𝗟 will be the most memorable experience of the holiday season.

Canterbury Village transforms to a winter wonderland to provide a true Holiday setting that brings the spirit of Christmas to life!

This family-friendly event is hosted outdoors where you stroll through the quaint Village that is glowing with almost a million festive lights, enjoy a 7-minute amazing light show choreographed to classic holiday songs, and enjoy the sounds of professional carolers, and live Christmas performances.

Experience recreations of favorite holiday scenes throughout, live holiday characters roaming to greet guests, and classic characters like Frosty, Buddy The Elf, The Grinch, Olaf, Jack Frost, Anna and Elsa and more!

The Children’s Caroling Corner will showcase some classics songs on a large screen for everyone to sing along to, while enjoying smores and hot chocolate. Also, on the C-Pub outdoor patio enjoy a variety of beers, hard ciders, wine, and cocktails surrounded by firepits and the sounds of Christmas carols.

The holidays would not be complete without a visit with Santa Claus, so bring your cameras to capture the moment. (Free photos from professionals available.) In addition, Santa’s personal mailbox will be in place and children can bring their letters, with special delivery directly to the North Pole.

Winter Wonderland: A Holiday Lights Spectacular is back for its 3rd year with a drive-through and walk-through nighttime holiday lights experience across the spacious 90-acre Gilmore Car Museum campus.

Enjoy a driving tour through the lighted grounds, surrounded by festive music and decorations, then visit the inside of the museum to meet Santa Claus and explore the Gilmore’s Festival of Trees as you walk through galleries filled with hundreds of classic cars.

Plus:
-Classic cars from the museum’s collection dramatically displayed inside Gilmore Snow Globes
-Dashing Through the Snow family rides in Ford Model Ts, a Checker Taxi Cab, a ’63 Cadillac convertible, and several other vintage cars from the collection
-A giant, one of a kind inflatable maze
-A stop inside Santa’s Garage, the big man’s hot rod workshop, located inside our 1930s Shell Station
-Gourmet hot chocolate, adult drinks, holiday-themed food & sweets, and holiday gift shopping

LIGHTS at Fernwood will return to the garden for the 2023 winter season.

November 24, 2023 - January 6, 2024 LIGHTS will magically illuminate evenings at Fernwood once again with a professionally designed show featuring two extraordinary light tunnels, three warm fire pits, a fun winter craft station, nature-inspired light sculptures, festive music, and sounds, and more!

Visitors will make bright memories during the most magical garden lights Southwest Michigan offers this holiday season while enjoying hot chocolate, other seasonal drinks, snacks, and festive light-up merchandise for all ages!

Advance ticket purchase is strongly encouraged, as each available time slot is limited. Several nights were fully sold out in 2021 and 2022. Parking is included in the ticket price.