Minnesota

explore like never before

Get Custom Travel guides packed with local tips
Experiences|Events

Winter Lights In Minnesota Is A Magical Wintertime Fairyland Experience

Winter Lights at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum offers a magical holiday light display that transforms the garden into a whimsical wonderland.

Published Nov 11, 2019

Written by 

Betsy Rathburn

Minnesota winters are beautiful, especially when they're filled with light! There are many places to see twinkling holiday lights throughout the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Take a walk through your neighborhood, and you're likely to see a few. Or plan a trip to one of the state's beautiful holiday light displays. Duluth's Bentleyville is the most famous, but there are many other displays throughout the state. One of the most beautiful is at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. The Winter Lights event is a magical wintertime fairyland experience that you will adore. Here's what you need to know:

Winter Lights is an event at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Every year, the Arboretum lights up with colorful, twinkling lights.

alt
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum/Facebook

The Winter Lights event turns the Arboretum into an enchanting, whimsical wonderland of color. Lights are strung up around the garden, giving everything an air of magic.

advertisement
alt
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum/Google

As you walk through the garden, you'll be delighted by the gorgeous lights. Open fields dotted with tiny lights offer a beautiful, fairytale view.

alt
Josh Hogan/Google

Some structures, like these dazzling flowers, look like something from another world. The unique orbs, combined with the colorful lights, are truly mesmerizing.

alt
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum/Facebook

Larger towers of blue, purple, and pail green lights are beautiful as well. Pose near one for a lovely, winter-hued photo.

alt
MinneapolisCMB/TripAdvisor

Larger structures are even more bold. You can even go inside of some of them, like this bright red hut.

alt
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum/Facebook

If you get too cold, head into the Great Hall to feast your eyes on a huge, beautifully lit tree. Grab a cup of hot cocoa or a marshmallow kit to roast over a fire. Yum!

advertisement
alt
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum/Facebook

This year, Winter Lights happens every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from November 22 to January 5. It's also open December 23, 26, and 30, and January 1 and 2. It costs $15 to enter for visitors age 15 and up.

alt
Andrew Nyhus/Google

Winter Lights is one of the most enchanting light displays in Minnesota. For more information, take a look at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum website and Facebook page. Do you plan on attending this year?

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get the latest updates and news

Experiences|Events

Take a Dreamy Ride Through the Largest Drive-Thru Light Show in Minnesota, Kiwanis Holiday Lights

Kiwanis Holiday Lights in Sibley Park, Mankato, Minnesota, offers the largest drive-thru Christmas light display in the state, featuring creative and charming displays.

Updated Oct 29, 2024

Written by 

Betsy Rathburn

The holiday season is quickly approaching, which means that soon, cities and towns across Minnesota will be turning into a beautiful winter wonderland all decked out for the season with an endless array of twinkling lights and holiday displays. Here in Minnesota, we have plenty of ways to enjoy the holiday lights. Aside from neighborhood light displays, we have huge events such as Bentleyville to help us get into the holiday spirit. But you aren't out of luck if you're not able to brave the cold for a peek at the lights. Stay warm and take a ride through the largest drive-thru lights in Minnesota, Kiwanis Holiday Lights in Sibley Park. Grab the kids and gas up the car, because this is one holiday display you're not going to want to miss this year.

advertisement

Kiwanis Holiday Lights is an annual event held in Sibley Park in Mankato, Minnesota. Back for another year and bigger than ever, the event will run from Nov. 29 through Dec. 31, 2024.

A brightly lit Christmas tree adorned with colorful lights, surrounded by festive decorations in a snowy park at night.
christmas tree at night

The display is a huge, colorful array of twinkling Christmas lights. People drive from miles around to see the sight offering some of the best Christmas lights in Minnesota. Charming and creative displays mean there's always something fun to look at. You'll be delighted by the creativity of the displays.

While the event is free to enter, donations are accepted and encouraged. You are invited to bring canned food and cash or check donations. In 2016, 11.5 tons of food were donated!

If you don't mind braving the cold, there are other events at Kiwanis Holiday Lights as well. Santa visits and the holiday parade are popular. The ice sculpture competition is also a fun way to see festivity - and creativity - in action.

A vibrant display of colorful, blurred lights creating a festive atmosphere.
A path covered by lights created during the Christmas celebrations in Stillwater, by the shore of the St. Croix river.

If you're in Mankato this holiday season, be sure to head out to Sibley Park for Kiwanis Holiday Lights MN, the most spectacular drive-thru Christmas lights in Minnesota. It's open Sunday-Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays, it stays open until 10 p.m. Whether you choose to walk it or drive through, this is one event that would put even the Grinch in the holiday spirit and is known as the largest drive-thru Christmas lights in Minnesota.

For more information, check out their Kiwanis Holiday Lights website or Kiwanis Holiday Lights Facebook page.

Have you ever visited the Kiwanis Holiday Lights Display, the largest drive-thru lights in Minnesota? Share your experience with us in the comments below! And if you're looking for unique gifts this holiday season, check out our holiday gift guide for ideas!

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get the latest updates and news

Experiences|Events

Ride a Christmas Train, Then Enjoy a Christmas-Themed View for a Holly Jolly Minnesota Adventure

Board a Christmas train in Minnesota and then stay the night inside a waterfront hotel with a front-row view of 5 million Christmas lights.

Updated Oct 17, 2024

Written by 

Trent Jonas

What's your favorite part about spending the holidays in Minnesota? Do you enjoy embracing all that the season has to offer in the way of festive activities, holiday lights, and family-friendly outings? Well, you're in luck, because we've got the perfect holiday itinerary lined up. Head to Duluth this holiday season, and there you'll find all the ingredients for the perfect Minnesota holiday adventure, including a holiday-themed train courtesy of the North Star Scenic Railroad, a waterfront hotel, and the North Star State's premier holiday lights attraction.

advertisement
Snow-covered railway tracks stretch into the distance, flanked by gravel and a snowy landscape.
Train Tracks and Railroad Ties in winter Landscape

The North Star Scenic Railroad is one of the - if not the - most popular tourist train operators in Minnesota. Every year, the railroad hosts a holiday celebration called Christmas City Express. The celebration includes an unforgettable reading of a Christmas City Express story and live music by carolers. After the performance, take some time to explore the train museum, which the railroad decks out for the holidays.

Of course, the real excitement starts when the conductor calls, "All aboard!" You'll ride behind the light-bedazzled locomotive, enjoying cookies, cocoa, and Christmas carols, as it takes you on a short trip along Lake Superior. It's a 30-minute ride, which is perfect for little ones in your crew.

After your winter train ride excursion, we recommend staying at the Pier B Resort Hotel, which is located right on the harbor. Not only is it waterfront, but Pier B also happens to be right next door to Bentleyville and its display of 5 million holiday lights.

A brightly lit holiday display with a large bridge in the background, reflecting on the water at night.
Christmas/Holiday lights in Canal Park in Duluth

Book in advance to ensure a Bentleyville view, and be sure to ask about available packages. You’ll even have a festive view of the holiday splendor when dining at Silos, Pier B’s in-house restaurant. Pier B embraces its location and treats its guests to plenty of holiday festivities, mindful of the backdrop Bentleyville provides. Bonfires and s’mores are always popular.

Bentleyville really is just across the dock from the resort. It's within easy walking distance, or, if you prefer, Pier B offers wagon rides that will take you right up to the entrance. In fact, you could even take a North Shore Scenic Railroad train to Bentleyville USA.

When you head to Duluth and Bentleyville USA, don't forget that they tend to be busy during the holiday season, so be sure to plan your adventure in advance. Do you have a favorite winter destination in the Land of 10,000 Lakes? Be sure to share your favorite holiday memories with us!

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get the latest updates and news

All Stories

Nature
Beaches, Lakes & Rivers

The Stunning Top-Secret Mountain Lake in Colorado Nobody’s Ever Heard of

by Melanie Johnson
on Nov 13
Secret Mountain Lake in Colorado
Nature

Skip the Crowds: Explore New Mexico’s 5 Quietest Trails and Parks This Month

by Melissa Mahoney
on Nov 13
alt
Attractions
Arts & Entertainment

I Fell in Love With This Completely Free Botanical Gardens Hiding in a Nevada Hotel

by Melanie Johnson
on Nov 13
Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. : Free attraction in Las Vegas Nevada
Stays
Vacation Rentals

This Secluded Airbnb Cabin in Kansas is the Perfect Place for a Digital Detox

by Tori Jane
on Nov 13
alt
Nature
Hiking

Skip the Crowds: Explore Kansas’s 5 Quietest Trails and Parks This Month

by Tori Jane
on Nov 13
alt