Where to see Christmas lights in Boston

For more than 50 years, Boston has received a Christmas tree as a gift from Nova Scotia, Canada. This year's 45-foot white spruce is adorned with 5,000 lights, which will be flipped on Thursday, Dec. 5. The display is part of more than 50,000 bulbs alight this season throughout America's oldest public park. The official tree lighting is 6–8pm on Thursday, Dec. 5, with Santa and Rudolph on hand for a festive and magical event. When the mayor lights up the tree, the holiday season feels official. 

Formed when I-93 was sunk underground as part of the infamous Big Dig, this verdant, mile-long ribbon of grassy parks is where to find public art year-round. In the winter, it's illuminated for the second year in a row. The Greenway presents illumnated "Hatchlings," nine miniature homages to Boston architectural icon, the Hatch Shell, created by Studio HHH. These solar- and grid-powered light sculptures are lit all day and nightly until 11pm through February 24.

Downtown Crossing has become a Holiday Kingdom this year, with 12 giant nutcrackers aglow around Washington Street. The larger-than-life creatures feature animal heads, festive accessories and illuminated bodies. You can't miss them when you're checking out this year's Downtown Boston Holiday Market. On display through January 2, Downtown Crossing is also aglow with its traditional star lights spanning thoroughfares, hundreds of lighted trees, and winter-themed plants and landscaping along the streets.

The cool neighborhoods of Somerville display their creativity each holiday season by decking out their buildings with glowing lights. From residences to businesses, it's just a cultural thing in the city north of Boston—something to notice as you're walking around! To take a self-guided tour, the city Arts Council supports a user-generated Illuminations Tour Map so you can find all of the brightly decorated sites. The map will also feature user-submitted “don’t miss” locations, as well as businesses offering Illuminations specials. Official dates are December 12 into early January this year.

Three beautiful historic locations maintained by The Trustees of Reservations have their gardens decked out in beautiful displays each year for Winterlights. Beginning the day after Thanksgiving and running through January 4 this year, enjoy Winterlights on the grounds of Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate in Canton, Stevens-Coolidge House and Gardens in North Andover and Naumkeag in Stockbridge. Displays are illuminated Wednesday–Sunday with some date exceptions (Winterlights is closed on Christmas). Timed-entry tickets are required and are $12 for kids, $20 for members and $25–$30 for adults.

If you're shopping on Newbury Street during the holiday season, remember to scurry over to Comm. Ave. A stroll along the beautifully lit, tree-lined pedestrian strip always provides a cheery holiday pick-me-up.

For something a little different, take a stroll through the lobby of the former Charles Street Jail—and the current-day Liberty Hotel—where seven inverted Christmas trees hang from the ceiling. Decorated by Boston florist and event designer Cityscapes, these holiday trees are suspended from the hotel lobby’s stunning 90-foot rotunda.

The trellis at this harborside city park becomes an illuminated tunnel perfect for posing underneath each December. The 260-foot trellis at Christopher Columbus Park in the North End typically turns on just before Thanksgiving.

For the fifth holiday season, the Boston Seaport transforms into Snowport, a magical winter wonderland. After the annual tree lighting—coming up on December 6 this year—you can't miss the brightly-lit Christmas tree. Rising more than 50 feet and bedecked in more than 10,000 lights, it twinkles nightly throughout December. Other holiday highlights at Snowport include iceless curling, a huge vendor market, festive bars and Betty the Yeti sightings.

Ptown always does things its own way, including traditions like holiday lights. The Lobster Pot Tree, a Provincetown tradition, rings in the holiday season and was started in 2004 by artist Julian Popko who wanted to design a holiday celebration that recognized the hard-working local lobstermen. Shaped somewhat like a tree, the traps festooned in lights and red ribbons is a sight to see if you're down the Cape. 

A pocket-size park in the Nonantum neighborhood of Newton, Coletti-Magni Park is home to the city's holiday lighting festivities. The park in the village center has fully acessible walkways, benches and game tables, and a city memorial with a flagpole. The holiday lights typically flip on the first weekend in December and stay lit into January.