Ohio starts to glow. Towns string lights across main streets. Families pile into cars for zoo visits after dark. Someone always hands you a cup of hot cocoa. That’s just how we do the holidays here.
The Ohio Holiday Lights Trail links more than 50 spots from Cleveland down to Cincinnati. Grab the map and go—here’s what people actually talk about when they come home from these trips.
The Light Displays We Wait For All Year
Nothing beats walking through a zoo at night with millions of lights overhead.
Zoo Lights Worth the Drive
Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo opens tomorrow—November 21, 2025—and runs through January 4, 2026. The reflection on the lake stops everyone in their tracks.
Wildlights returning to Columbus Zoo & Aquarium
Down in Cincinnati, the PNC Festival of Lights has this rainbow tunnel kids run through over and over.
PNC Festival of Lights | Visit Cincy
Toledo’s Lights Before Christmas adds an ice slide that makes adults act like kids again.
Historic Houses That Go All Out
Stan Hywet Hall in Akron turns into a storybook. The manor gets wrapped in lights, trees fill every room, and the gardens feel like you stepped back in time.
Deck the Hall | Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus does Conservatory Aglow—think tropical plants mixed with twinkling lights and model trains chugging through it all.
Small Towns That Steal the Show
Walk downtown Cambridge and you’re suddenly in a Dickens novel. Life-size Victorian figures line the streets, and the courthouse puts on a full light-and-music show every night.
Guernsey County Courthouse Light Show – Cambridge Ohio Guernsey County
Steubenville sets out more than 200 giant nutcrackers—some taller than the streetlights. It’s free, open all hours, and feels like pure holiday magic.
Visiting Ohio’s Steubenville Nutcracker Village | Ohio, The Heart …
Parades That Stop Traffic (in the Best Way)
Lebanon’s Horse-Drawn Carriage Parade is the one everyone marks on their calendar. Over a hundred hitches roll through town twice a day the first full weekend of December. Bring a thermos—roasted nuts and cocoa taste better when it’s cold.
Lebanon’s Annual Holiday Parade Is a Magical Experience …
Hilliard, Chillicothe, and Gallipolis each do their own tree-lighting nights with carolers and Santa arrivals. Coshocton lights hundreds of candles along the canal in Roscoe Village—quiet and beautiful.
Shows and Music That Feel Like Home
Every ballet company in the state puts on The Nutcracker—Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, Columbus, Toledo. Tickets go fast. A Christmas Carol runs at the Ohio Theatre in Columbus and the Palace in Cleveland. Community theaters do great versions too.
Local symphonies play holiday pops concerts. The Columbus Symphony’s show is December 15, 2025—expect sing-alongs and maybe a visit from Santa.
Only-in-Ohio Spots You Have to See
Castle Noel in Medina stays open year-round, but December is when it really shines. You walk through actual movie sets from Elf and A Christmas Story, then slide down Santa’s slide.
Castle Noel in Medina, Ohio – Castle Noel
Cleveland’s A Christmas Story House lets you stand in Ralphie’s living room and see the leg lamp glowing in the window. Landoll’s Mohican Castle near Loudonville decks out every suite and hosts murder-mystery dinners.
Food, Drinks, and Last-Minute Gifts
Great Lakes Christmas Ale shows up mid-November and disappears fast. Breweries like Jackie O’s and Maumee Bay roll out seasonal beers. Winans chocolates, Local Cantina tacos, and coffee shops like Brewella’s keep the lines long for good reason.
Cut-your-own tree farms still exist—Hrinko and Timbuck Farms are favorites. Findlay Market in Cincinnati and West Side Market in Cleveland make gift shopping easy and delicious.
Tips From Someone Who’s Done This Every Year
Buy zoo tickets online the second they go on sale. Dress like you mean it—layers, good boots, hand warmers. Pick one region or make a long weekend of it. Columbus pairs perfectly: Wildlights + Conservatory Aglow in Columbus, or Festival of Lights + Krohn Conservatory in Cincinnati.
Ohio celebrates the holidays the old-fashioned way—with lights you can feel in your chest, parades that make kids wave until their arms hurt, and neighbors sharing cocoa on the sidewalk. Come see for yourself.
