The first thing I do when the holiday season hits is find allll the Christmas light displays!! We get very festive here in KC and there are so many fun places to drive or walk around to enjoy the lights. Here are some hidden gems and some of my favorite Christmas lights to visit!!
“Candy Cane Lane”:
The greatest hidden gem in KC!! I don’t think anyone else calls it this, but my family stumbled upon “candy cane lane” a few years ago and it’s become one of our favorite traditions since!! This neighborhood COVERS their street with Christmas lights and competes for the title of “best house on the street”, it looks like something out of a movie! Some houses even take over radio stations and time their Christmas light to music (yes I’m serious)!!
You can find this neighborhood right off Ward Parkway on 69th and Romany Street.
Christmas in the Park:
I talked about this in my ‘favorite places to visit’ post. I love it SO much, here it is again!! A drive-thru park of Christmas lights…just as magical as it sounds!! Put on your favorite Christmas PJs, pack the hot chocolate and cookies and enjoy this KC holiday tradition with your favorite people until Dec 31!
3901 SW Longview Park Drive
Lee’s Summit, MO 64134
Marriott Downtown Kansas City:
All throughout the year the iconic 22-story hotel in downtown displays 30,000 bulbs of light displays on the side of their building. Chiefs and Royals logos and so much more, but during Christmas…oh my gosh!! A must see! 16.7 million colors all synchronized together to display different Christmas favorites from Santa, to candy canes, and so much more!
200 W 12th St.
Kansas City, MO 64105
Another KC tradition, the plaza lights! Walk around and enjoy the thousands of lights while visiting your favorite retailers and restaurants. If you’re ever in the area on Thanksgiving night, the city puts on a HUGE ceremony to turn on the lights and officially start the holiday season!
4706 Broadway Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64112
Crown Center Lights and Christmas Tree:
Not as big as Rockefeller Center, but the Crown Center Christmas lights and Mayor’s Christmas Tree at the Ice Terrace is seriously magical and worth the drive from wherever you’re traveling!! 100-ft Christmas tree surrounded by THOUSANDS of lights!!
2405 Grand Blvd. Ste 200
Kansas City, MO 64108
Driving around neighborhoods:
Just driving around downtown and checking out the nearby neighborhoods is so much fun! I HIGHLY recommend driving down Ward Parkway (right off the plaza) to see the beautiful mansions all lit up and then drive over to Mission Hills neighborhood to see some really jaw dropping houses!
Other shopping centers & seasonal displays to enjoy:
Zona Rosa- 7210 NW 86th Pl, Kansas City, MO.
The Legends– 1843 Village West Pkwy, Kansas City, KS.
Park Place- 11549 Ash St, Leawood, KS.