As a child, you may remember driving around in your parents’ station wagon during the holidays, facing backwards as you made your way through neighborhood streets lined with Christmas lights and holiday decorations. Whether it was just by chance as you made your way to grandma’s house for Sunday dinner or as a special holiday outing with your entire family, you probably enjoyed looking at the spectacle in your town either way. So, now that you have kids of your own, why not continue this special tradition, or start it with your own children this year. Better yet, instead of just driving through neighborhood streets, why not take a little family road trip to one of these not-to-be-missed Christmas light displays.

Ten of the Best Christmas Light Displays Your Family Won’t Want to Miss

Discover some of the best Christmas light displays in the country at shawnann.com. Your family won’t want to miss at least one of these five grand displays of holiday lights from Florida to California.

  1. Hyatt Extreme Christmas in Fort Lauderdale, FL – While Florida may not offer you the white Christmas you’d like, the Hyatt Hotel in Fort Lauderdale can offer you an out-of-this-world holiday light display featuring some of Disney’s favorite characters, a Ferris wheel and a 30-foot tree. Your family surely won’t miss the snowsuits and mittens when you can get in the holiday spirit surrounded by 150,000 sparkling lights.
  2. The White House in Washington, D.C. – Your home’s Christmas tree has nothing on the National Christmas Tree on the front lawn of the White House. According to an article on AOL.com entitled, “10 Best Christmas Light Displays in the US,” this national tradition started in 1923, when President Coolidge decorated a 48-foot fir tree in red, white and blue bulbs. Ever since, the President’s front lawn is lit and draws crowds of thousands from all over the world.
  3. Rockefeller Center in New York City, NY– A tradition that started in 1931, every year a mammoth Norway Spruce tree is cut down and driven across the country to Times Square where thousands of tourists and locals alike flock to experience the lighting of the tree on Thanksgiving weekend. A Swarovski crystal star and 30,000 lights adorn this national treasure. However, if you can’t make your way to the Big Apple for the lighting ceremony, simply tune in to the televised event.
  4. Oglebay’s Winter Festival of Lights in Wheeling, WV – Come November in the Northeast and further south, anyone who watches television has no doubt seen a commercial for this famed six-mile, 300 acre stretch of outrageous Christmas lights on display for cars to drive through. From a tunnel of snowflake lights to thousands of other bright displays, children and parents alike will be enthralled by this stunning light show taking place every November through January. Begun in 1985, this yearly extravaganza has also recently “gone green” and now uses energy-efficient LED lights in all new displays.
  5. Huntington Harbour Cruise of Lights in Huntington Beach, CA – This 45-minute boat tour lets you see the lights that sparkle from the private properties of Huntington Beach. And according to their website, “The funds raised from the Cruise of Lights®, brought to you by the Huntington Harbour Philharmonic Committee, support […] highly-regarded educational youth programs of Orange County.” Setting sail every December, don’t miss your chance to do good as you do something fun with your whole family.
  6. Kansas City Country Club’s “City of Lights” in Kansas City, Missouri – Starting in 1925 with only 16 strands of lights, this holiday display has grown every year since. The Country Club now hangs more than 80 miles of lights that decorate every structure in the Plaza. Tourists travel from miles around to view the display, which continues to be lit after the holidays, and well into January.
  7. Koziars Christmas Village in Jefferson Township, Pennsylvania – Located near Scranton, PA, this unassuming little town is known for constructing one of the best holiday light displays in the country. The town uses more than half a million lights to illuminate the Koziar’s barn and other surrounding buildings.
  8. Simmons Family’s Dancing Christmas Lights Show in Cathedral City, California – Named the best light show in America by the Early Show in 2010, the dancing light show is unlike most holiday displays. Using more than 100,000 LED lights, the Simmons family produces dancing images along with a soundtrack that the whole family will enjoy.
  9. Charlotte Motor Speedway Holiday Lights in Charlotte, North Carolina – If you’re in the Charlotte area during the holidays, it’s worth the trip to stop by the Motor Speedway. The track is open to the public, and visitors can drive beneath 800 displays consisting of more than three million lights.
  10. Festival of Lights in Galveston, Texas – As one of the area’s most popular holiday displays, the Festival of Lights features 100 sound-enhanced displays that are lit by more than one million individual lights.

Whether you’re heading around the corner or across the country in search of the best holiday light display, don’t forget to make sure you have the right car insurance policy to keep you and your family safe during the holidays and throughout next year. So, read some car insurance reviews  to help you find the right company for the job before you embark on your next holiday adventure.