It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, complete with jingle bells, photos with Santa Claus, festive parties and presents. And of course, elaborate holiday light displays twinkling across the Salt Lake Valley.
Here is a list of free light displays that may help you get into the holiday spirit, along with a few pay-to-view installations as well.
Free Christmas light locations:
Christmas Street, Sugar House (Glen Arbor Street, begins at 1735 S. 1500 East) • Multiple homes are decorated for the holiday in a tradition that dates back to 1948.
Christmas Street, Taylorsville (3310 W. Royalwood Drive/5350 South) • In addition to all the lights on homes, each house also has a sign with a verse from “Twas the Night Before Christmas” (aka “A Visit From St. Nicholas”).
Frosty’s Winter Wonderland (805 E. 18th Ave.) • An elaborate display at a private Salt Lake City home.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) A young reveler runs through the visual displays at the Gallivan Center on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
The Gallivan Center (239 S. Main) • The center will feature a 50-foot Christmas tree this year and illuminated sculptures for Gallivan’s annual Glow display that you can visit for free. For a fee, ice skating is also available from about mid-November through February, with rentals included in your admission cost.
The Gateway (400 W. 200 South) • In addition to the lights, there are multiple photo ops with woodland creatures, and local artists designed the Art Shop Project window displays, inspired by the theme “All That Sparkles.”
Liberty Tree SLC (near 1700 South and 500 East) • The property that’s home to “the tallest living lit tree in Utah” was sold in May, but a Facebook page for the attraction states that there are still 28,000 lights on the roughly 70-foot tree and its new owner supports what has become a neighborhood highlight.
Miracle Cove (7325 W. 3100 South, Magna) • The homes all typically feature massive light displays.
Shepherd Family Christmas Lights (3512 W. 6400 South, Spanish Fork) • These “extreme Christmas lights” feature moving light shows set to music.
Temple Square (50 N. Temple) • Although the area remains in the midst of a massive renovation, some areas — including the Salt Lake Tabernacle and Conference Center — will be adorned with thousands of lights.
Pay-to-view Christmas light displays:
Christmas in Color (Bastian Agricultural Center, 11161 S. 2200 West, South Jordan) • Drive through more than a million lights synchronized to holiday music, which you can tune in to using your car radio. There are giant candy canes, snowmen, arched pathways and more. Tickets are $35 per car.
Candy Rush (Utah State Fairpark, 1000 W. North Temple) • There are more than a million lights, and tickets start at $39.99 for the whole car.
(Utah's Hogle Zoo) The annual ZooLights display can be seen at Utah's Hogle Zoo .
Lightwalk (Tracy Aviary, in the southwest corner of Liberty Park, near 500 East and 1300 South) • Light displays include a maze and walk-thru tunnel, and visits with Santa in a life-sized gingerbread house. Tickets are $17.95 for adults, $13.95 for children 3 to 12, and free for infants under 2.
Luminaria (Thanksgiving Point, 3003 Thanksgiving Way, Lehi) • There are millions of twinkling lights in 28 themed areas and a light and music show on 6,500 programmable luminaries. Open Mondays-Saturdays from 4:30-9 p.m.; closed Sundays and Christmas Day. Tickets are $24 for adults and $17 for children through Dec. 7, then $27/$20 through Dec. 26.
Zoolights (Utah’s Hogle Zoo , 2600 Sunnyside Ave. — 840 South) • Open Dec. 6-10; 13-23; and 26-30. Prices are $14.95 for adults, $11.95 for children 3-12.
Editor’s note • Know of other spots that should be on this list? Let us know by emailing Scott D. Pierce at spierce@sltrib.com.