An additional bonus of checking out the best Christmas lights on houses near Philly is that the displays are all free. While some places might request donations to help with costs or to support charitable causes, families don't have to pay out of pocket to see their neighbors light up the night. A few neighborhoods and homeowners even make sure that Santa occasionally visits with onlookers, or will have a mailbox for kids to drop off their wish lists.

The Miracle on South 13th Street is always a Philly holiday favorite. Photo by K. Kelly for Visit Philadelphia

Christmas Lights on Houses in Philadelphia

The Miracle on South 13th Street—South Philadelphia

The neighborhood that decorates together, stays together. The Miracle on South 13th Street started in 1998 and continues to delight Philadelphia families year after year. Walk or drive this stretch of South Philly to catch major Christmas vibes. Located at 1600 S. 13th St. between Tasker and Morris Streets, this stretch claims to be THE Christmas Block in South Philadelphia. You can see the lights every night in December from 5pm–10pm throughout January 1, 2025. Visit their Facebook page to find out which charities they'll be supporting this year.

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Get into the holiday spirit with a jolly drive down Smedley Street in Philly. Photo courtesy of the venue

Smedley Street Christmas Light Spectacular—South Philadelphia

Smedley Street is bringing Christmas back with a holiday light display that transforms the neighborhood into a winter wonderland. Visit the 2700 block between 16th and 17th Streets and Moyamensing and Oregon Avenues each day starting at 5pm and running through January 1, 2025. 

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Santa does his thing on Colorado Street. Photo courtesy of Unexpected Philadelphia

South Colorado Street—South Philadelphia

If you've already made your way to the Smedley Street Christmas lights, head on over to the 2700 block of South Colorado Street between 17th and 18th Streets. Residents at Colorado Terrace have been putting up elaborate light displays during the holiday season for decades; these lights are a true delight to behold. We could not confirm that the lights on Colorado Street were being displayed again this year, but they are generally open through January 1.

Elfreth's Alley—Old City 

The nation's oldest street, Elfreth’s Alley, is a great place to enjoy the holiday lights and festivities. More subdued than some of the dramatic light displays, Elfreth's Alley swaps the glitz for charm. On Saturday, December 7th the historic street hosts Deck the Alley, a ticketed event where visitors can tour the museum and private residential homes for Christmas in historic Philadelphia.

Mayfair Annual Residential Decoration Competition—Northeast Philadelphia

On the 3500 block of Oakmont Street and in the entire neighborhood of Mayfair, more than 100 residents compete in some friendly Christmas fun with a decorating contest that lights up in December. Depending on how many homes participate, there may also be a Christmas Decoration Contest Trolley Tour. Keep an eye on their Facebook group for details on dates and times, then come out to see the street lined with lights and front yards adorned with giant inflatables. There will also be a Christmas tree lighting celebration from 2pm to 6pm on Sunday, December 5 with vendors, food, music, and of course, an appearance by Santa.

Greeby Street Christmas—Northeast Philadelphia

For over 20 years, the 4200 block of Greeby Street has been lighting up Northeast Philadelphia for the holidays. Rowhomes on this Tacony block get into the spirit with elaborate Christmas light displays, inflatable lawn decorations, and lights strung from one side of the street to the other. Christmas music plays throughout the season, and Santa usually makes some appearances. Watch their Facebook group for more information.

Christmas Lights on Houses in the Philly Suburbs

The Corrado Family Lights Display—East Bradford

Tucked away on Nobb Hill Drive in East Bradford is a house that really shines. Each year, the Corrados spend months decorating for Christmas. On weekends through January 8, visitors can see the magnificent display along with Santa passing out candy canes. The household also hosts a collection—thousands of toys and thousands of dollars have been collected to support the Chester County Hospital, West Whiteland Police Department, Family Services of Chester County, Chester County Domestic Violence Center, and CHOP Urgent Care in Exton. Bring a donation and check out the Corrados' hard work at 1102 Nobb Hill Drive in West Chester.

The West Chester Griswolds boasts over 133,000 lights. Photo courtesy of The West Chester Griswolds

The West Chester Griswolds—West Chester

The West Chester "Griswolds'" annual display is an amazing spectacle that can be seen from space. Don't worry about finding this place in the dark—with 133,000 lights, most of which are LED and computer-controlled, this display will blow your mind and make the kids 'oooh' and 'ahhh'. When you visit, be sure to tune your radio to 87.9 and bring a letter for Santa (before December 23) to leave in the mailbox at the end of the driveway. Located at 304 Dutton Mill Road in West Chester, the lights switch flips on at 4:45pm each day, starting on Thanksgiving night. The display turns off at 9:45pm Monday–Thursday and 10:15pm Friday–Sunday; it will shine through January 1, 2025. 

Colonial Drive Lights—Langhorne

At 155 Colonial Drive in Langhorne, tune your car radio to 91.1 FM and watch as the music and lights dance in unison. The lights display will run from dusk until 10pm starting on Black Friday (November 29) until January 1, 2025. This display uses full-house projection mapping, including some of your favorite Christmas characters like The Grinch, The Griswalds, and Jack Skellington.

Make an evening trip to see the dazzling lights of The Smith Family Christmas Display. Photo courtesy of the venue

Christmas Lights on Houses in Delaware

The Smith Family Christmas Display—Wilmington, DE

Brothers Tom and Jim Smith are behind the dazzling display of 700,000 bulbs, 70 extra circuits, and hundreds of hours of planning and hanging lights all over their property in Wilmington. Brother-in-law Ralph Thompson is the engineer and installer of this over-the-top holiday display, which starts its process on Labor Day and is finished by Thanksgiving. Santa typically makes an appearance at the house every evening from 6-9pm up until December 23rd. The Smith Family display is located at 1900 Prior Road in Wilmington, DE.

The Faucher Family Christmas Light Display—New Castle, DE

Affectionately dubbed Santa Claus Lane, this house goes crazy enough each year to have its own listing on Tripadvisor. The Faucher family's home boasts a grand total of 1,000,000 lights! For nearly 30 years, the family has kept this tradition alive, which draws people from near and far to be dazzled by the holiday lights at 1054 Red Lion Road in New Castle, DE. 

Writer Alyce Wilson contributed to an update in 2024.