The holiday season has arrived, and you know that you’ll see the most spectacular light displays in a city that is known for never sleeping. New York City is recognized worldwide for going all out with dazzling lights that sparkle and twinkle late into the night. If you’re wondering where the best and brightest Christmas lights in NYC in 2021 are, then you won’t have to look far. These are all the best ways to take in a beautiful light show that can serve as the highlight of your holiday season in the city.
Dyker Heights
This Brooklyn neighborhood quickly gets to work on hanging up their lights and blowing up their inflatables the day after Thanksgiving. While some of the residents get a head start, frequent visitors will tell you that the best time to see all of the decorations on full display falls around mid-December and lasts through New Year’s Eve.
During your tour through the neighborhood, you can see inflatable Santas and snowmen that are bigger than life. Many of the homeowners also set up music that you can hear playing over loudspeakers, and you might even catch a few synchronized shows.
You can take this tour in a car, but traffic tends to get thick during the busiest parts of the season. Many people opt to take the subway and enjoy a slow stroll through the sparkling neighborhood. If you decide to visit this well-known light show, then keep in mind that this is a real life community.
Make sure to treat each home as you would one in your neighborhood by resisting the urge to walk across the lawn, and remember to yield to homeowners who may need to leave their driveway.
New York Botanical Garden
Get ready to pull out your camera for the perfect family holiday photo op! The New York Botanical Garden is setting up its Let It GLOW show for the second year, and it is quickly becoming known as being one of the top light displays in NYC. Here, you’ll find a 1.5 mile walking path that includes thousands of LED lights that are all beautifully arranged into dramatically whimsical installations.
As you walk, you can also learn more about the plants in the gardens while enjoying exciting dance performances and ice carving demonstrations.
When you pick up tickets for this event, remember to check out the safety guidelines to make sure you are fully prepared to enjoy a memorable visit.
Rockefeller Center
The Rockefeller Center puts on what just might be one of the most iconic light displays in the world. If you catch yourself feeling a sense of Deja vu here, then it is likely because you’ve seen this holiday scene displayed in countless movies and television shows.
The Rockefeller Center lights up its oversized Norway Spruce with an amazing array of LED lights on December 1, 2021. Then, you can enjoy seeing them daily from 6 a.m. to midnight up until Christmas Day when the lights are left on for a full 24-hours.
As a final wrap up to the season, the lights return to their original schedule and stay on until the evening of New Year’s Day.
Going to see the lights at the Rockefeller Center is a full event that involves much more than gazing at the twinkling colored bulbs. You’ll also want to make plans to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall and go ice-skating with the wintery scene serving as the perfect backdrop for your full NYC experience.
Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo is an exciting place to visit during any time of the year, but the staff here goes all out when it comes to creating a fantastic Christmas light display. Every year seems to get better than the year before as the team adds new lanterns to represent the diverse range of animals that live here. For 2021, they’ve added 79 new lanterns to represent the different animal species that they care for, which means that you’ll be treated to a display of nearly 300 glowing creatures.
The immersive light displays invite you and your family to take a journey through special areas such as the Forest Full of Color that leave you mesmerized and more appreciative of the beauty of nature. This is a must-do trip if you have kids, and you’ll all be treated to additional surprises such as stilt-walkers, light dancers and costumed characters. You can even enjoy a holiday ride on the train that runs through the zoo.
On the Hudson
Strolling around the zoo or Rockefeller Center is always nice, but you’ll also want to plan for some time away from the crowds where you can fully experience the sentiment of the holidays. Taking a private boat ride with New York Harbor Tours allows you to drift out onto the Hudson River where you can view NYC from a different lens. On the water, the light displays in NYC take on a magical appearance, and you can see some of the most notable ones from your boat.
Just seeing the Statue of Liberty lit up in all of its glory is a remarkable sight on a normal day, and a holiday trip along the Hudson offers many more surprises. Throughout the year, the Empire State Building offers Tower Light shows that include changing the colors to honor special events and holidays.
As you float along the Hudson, make sure to scan the skyline for some of the brightest lights in NYC that serve as a reminder of all that you hold dear this season. From the Brooklyn Bridge to the Yankee stadium, the sky in NYC is aglow with cheerfulness and hope for a merry Christmas and joyful New Year.
Plan to See the Brightest Christmas Lights NYC Has to Offer This Season
Spending time in NYC is already an amazing gift, and you can make your visit extra special by arranging to see some of the most beautiful light displays in the world. When you plan your visit, make sure to schedule a Harbor Tour. We have an amazing New York City Lights Cruise that will be a unique and amazing opportunity to see the beauty of the city lights by sea. Our crew welcomes the chance to point out our favorite holiday lights NYC offers on the shore while you enjoy a private holiday moment with your family on the waters.