Best Christmas light displays in Austin
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A lit-up skeleton is part of a Christmas display on 37th Street. Photo: Asher Price/Axios
Get in, folks. We're going twinkle-watching.
Why it matters: On these long, cold nights when you have to figure out something to do with your visiting in-laws — or how to keep the kids entertained — Christmas lights make for cheap and jolly entertainment.
We love driving and gawking at the stupendous setups.
- So fill up a travel flask of "eggnog," turn the dial to your favorite holiday tunes and cruise through these delightfully decorated neighborhoods for some free holiday cheer.
- Yes, we suppose you're allowed to pull over here and there and stretch your legs.
Old West Austin
Lots of classy displays. If you're looking for live oak trees bedecked in incandescents, this is your spot. Make your way down Harris Boulevard.
Circle C
Bring your sunglasses to this Southwest Austin suburb — head to the corner of Escarpment Boulevard and La Crosse Avenue.
- Don't sleep on the Harry Potter-themed display on Hopeland Drive, just north of Slaughter Lane.
Oak Hill
For sheer single-property luminosity, head to the Maywalds' in Oak Hill, at 10505 Twilight Vista, where they've turned a sprawling spread into a wattage wonderland.
- Of note: The display is free, but the family asks for a donation for the Make-A-Wish Foundation — in conjunction with last year's display, the family donated more than $80,000.
37th Street
Just off Guadalupe, neighboring bungalows aim to outdo one another with whimsical Christmas setups that gesture to Austin's oddness — like a stuffy petting zoo.
- Pro tip: If you do park, avoid the Domino's — you could very well get towed.
Chinati Court
Head to this cul-de-sac in Cedar Park for some suburban splendor.
One last special stop
Powered by a very proud Pedernales Electric Cooperative, the old courthouse in Johnson City goes all out, with lights falling in a downpour from the old building, and hayrides and horse-drawn carriages in the offing.
- Save room for funnel cake at the end of your Hill Country road trip.
🤔 Know a well-illuminated neighborhood or display we missed? Write us at [email protected] and tell us where so we can add to this list.