Opening night Opens Nov 27·Save $5 per vehicle when you buy online online
Opening night Opens Nov 27·Save $5 per vehicle when you buy online online
2026 Guide · Updated Nov 11, 2026
Where to see Christmas lights from your car this year near Cleveland, Ohio: dates, prices per vehicle and what each drive-through is like, plus the one worth the drive south.
Where to see Christmas lights from your car this year near Cleveland, Ohio: dates, prices per vehicle and what each drive-through is like, plus the one worth the drive south.
Looking for drive-through Christmas lights near Cleveland? You have more choices than you might think, but most of them run select nights only, use timed tickets or close by 9 PM. We pulled together every drive-through worth knowing about for 2026, with the dates and prices each one has posted.
Full disclosure: this is the Merry Lights blog. We are a little over an hour south of Cleveland in Stark County, and we will make the case for the drive. Every other show gets a fair, factual write-up so you can plan your season.
| Show | Where | Price | 2026 nights | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merry Lights | Louisville (Stark County) | $20 to $24 per vehicle online, up to 8 people | Every night, Nov 27 to Dec 31 | 6 to 11 PM |
| Wild Winter Lights Drive-Through | Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | $59 per vehicle ($49 zoo members), in advance | Select nights, season starts Nov 18 | See zoo site |
| Country Lights Drive-Thru | Farmpark, Kirtland | $27.50 per carload, online only | Dec 4 to 6, 11 to 13, 26 to 27 | Timed entry, 6 to 8:30 PM |
| Medina County Fair Holiday Lights | Medina County Fairgrounds | Per vehicle | Select weekends from Nov 27 | Evenings |
| Holiday Lights at Carlisle | LaGrange (Lorain County) | See park site | Select nights in December | Evenings |
| Memorial LightFest | Memorial Park, Wadsworth | Free | Early Dec to Jan 1 | Park hours |
| Elegant Illusions | Randolph Fairgrounds, Atwater | Per vehicle | Nov 19 to Dec 27, Thu to Sun | 6 to 9 PM (10 PM Fri and Sat) |
Details checked Nov 11, 2026 from each show's official site, park district or local listings. Dates and prices can change, so confirm before you go.
Merry Lights is a drive-through Christmas light show at Cutty’s Sunset Camping Resort, 8050 Edison St NE in Louisville, Ohio, a little over an hour south of Cleveland. Every display is handmade by a local family, so it doesn’t look like the catalog shows you have already seen.
Tune to 96.9 FM and the lights move with the music as you drive through tunnels of light. The drive takes about 20 to 30 minutes, then you can step into Santa Land for photos with Santa, handmade crafts from local artists and free hot chocolate. It is all included with your ticket.
Why Cleveland families make the trip:
The zoo’s Wild Winter Lights is mainly a walk-through, but it offers a drive-through on select nights. The 2026 season starts Nov 18. Drive-through tickets must be bought in advance and are $59 per vehicle, or $49 for zoo members. Walk-through tickets are $27 per person ($24 for members).
Know before you go: drive-through nights are limited, so check the zoo’s calendar before you plan around it.
Lake Metroparks turns Farmpark, 8800 Euclid Chardon Rd, into a drive-through light display on select nights. For 2026 it runs Dec 4 to 6, Dec 11 to 13 and Dec 26 to 27, with timed entry from 6 to 8:30 PM. Tickets are $27.50 per carload, sold online only, with a limit of three per household.
Know before you go: the park warns it may sell out quickly, and there are no restrooms on the route.
A long-running drive-through at the Medina County Fairgrounds, run by fair board volunteers, with more than 85 lighted displays. In 2026 it opens the weekend of Nov 27 and runs select weekends into December.
Know before you go: in past years it has been cash or check at the gate, so bring both.
Lorain County Metro Parks runs a mile-long drive-through at the Carlisle Equestrian Center, 13630 Diagonal Rd, with a walking trail at the Carlisle Visitor Center down the road. It runs select nights in December. Check the park district’s site for 2026 nights and admission.
A free community drive-through at Wadsworth’s Memorial Park, put on by the Wadsworth Chamber of Commerce and local partners. It opens in early December and stays up through New Year’s Day.
Make it a full night: do the free loop in Wadsworth, then head south to Merry Lights. We are open until 11 PM.
A 1.5-mile drive-through at the Portage County Randolph Fairgrounds with more than 50 holiday scenes. For 2026 it runs Nov 19 to Dec 27, open Thursdays and Sundays 6 to 9 PM and Fridays and Saturdays 6 to 10 PM, plus every night of Christmas week.
Know before you go: it is closed Monday through Wednesday outside Christmas week. It is also about 5 miles north of Merry Lights on Route 44. See our full Northeast Ohio light show guide for more.
For years Magic of Lights was a drive-through at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds. In 2025 it moved to Victory Park in North Ridgeville and became a walk-through called Magic of Lights: Wonderland Walk. If you want to stay in your car, pick one of the drive-throughs above.
Plan on a little over an hour. Put 8050 Edison St NE, Louisville, OH 44641 in your GPS. We are on Route 619 (Edison Street), 0.3 miles east of Route 44, between Hartville and Louisville in Stark County. Because we are open until 11 PM, you can leave Cleveland after dinner and still drive the whole show.
See Plan Your Visit for hours, tips and the map.
Yes. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo offers a Wild Winter Lights drive-through on select nights, $59 per vehicle ($49 for members) in advance. Nearby drive-throughs include Country Lights in Kirtland, Holiday Lights at Carlisle Reservation in LaGrange, Medina County Fair Holiday Lights and the free Memorial LightFest in Wadsworth.
No. In 2025 Magic of Lights moved to Victory Park in North Ridgeville and became a walk-through called Wonderland Walk.
Most shows near Cleveland run select nights or weekends. Merry Lights in Louisville, Ohio, a little over an hour south, is open every night from Nov 27 to Dec 31, 6 to 11 PM.
A little over an hour. Merry Lights is at 8050 Edison St NE, Louisville, OH 44641, between Hartville and Louisville in Stark County.
$20 per vehicle Monday to Thursday and $24 Friday to Sunday when you buy online. One price covers up to 8 people, and Santa Land is included.
Opening night Nov 27
Every night Nov 27 to Dec 31, 6 to 11 PM, a little over an hour south of Cleveland. One price covers up to 8 people. Save $5 per vehicle online.
