Holiday Lights in Grand Rapids: Downtown & Around Town

Grand Rapids was named America’s Jolliest City for the way we celebrate the holidays. Generous and friendly residents coupled with fun holiday events, safe streets and Christmas tree farms make this one of the best places in the world to get into the spirit of the season. No wonder the Travel Channel picked Grand Rapids for having the state's most dazzling holiday light display. 

Holiday light displays are an essential part of our end-of-year festivities. From twinkling trees to beautifully decorated storefronts to one-of-a-kind seasonal attractions, Grand Rapids truly becomes a magical winter wonderland – whether or not we have snow!

Here are some of our best “lightseeing” suggestions.

Downtown Walking Tour

The city center is especially beautiful at night, when you get the full impact of all of the lights. There are many ways to explore all of the downtown holiday decor, and any of these stops are great on their own if the walk isn’t an option. 

If you want to see as many holiday lights as possible, here’s one suggested route to help you hit the highlights.

Ellis Parking Lot: Start Here

Park in or near the Ellis Parking lot at the Monroe Avenue/Lyon Street intersection. The waving Santa on the Ellis Parking Ramp building and lit trees in the parking lot will start your evening off with a smile. (The Pearl Street side of the building is also decorated with lights.)

Monroe Center 

Now head south on Monroe Avenue to Pearl Street and cross to get to the diagonal Monroe Center Street NW, where 50+ trees glimmer with hundreds of miniature lights over several blocks. Monroe Center is a perfect vantage point for viewing the city holiday tree – at 40 feet tall, it’s hard to miss – and it’s lined with shops and restaurants if you want to pop in for a gift or a bite.

Van Andel Arena

Continue along Monroe Avenue towards Fulton Street. As you approach, you’ll see the lights of Van Andel Arena, and the huge holiday bow that spans the entire front of the building.

Along the way, you’ll see twinkling lights on the trees in front of Plaza Tower Apartments and the Courtyard by Marriott.

Louis Campau Promenade

Continue north on Monroe Avenue to the Louis Street intersection. Just past Louis, look to the left to see lit trees in Louis Campau Promenade, home of the iconic pop art LOVE sculpture. On your right, you’ll pass more lighted trees decorating the lawn in front of Rosa Parks Circle.

Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, South Entrance

Walk west (left) at the Pearl Street intersection to see the Amway Grand Plaza’s entrance draped with hundreds of lights in a display that will make your heart leap. Head inside the hotel to take in the exquisite decorations and towering lobby Christmas tree.

JW Marriott Grand Rapids

Back outside the south entrance of the Amway Grand Plaza, cross Pearl Street at Campau Avenue and head toward the main entrance of the JW Marriott Grand Rapids hotel. Trees lining the entrance are dressed up in dazzling blues.

Grand River Bridges

Head back to Monroe Avenue and turn left (west) to cross the Grand River. As you walk across the Pearl Street Bridge, you’ll see the famous Blue Bridge to your left, which is lit up in festive hues every night of the year. Look right and you’ll see the warm white glow of lights adorning the Gillett Bridge.

River West

Trees at the west end of the Pearl St. Bridge are wrapped in multicolored lights, helping illuminate the façade of the Grand Rapids Public Museum and the entrance to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. Venture onto the Ford Museum grounds and you’ll see a massive wreath over the front door. Walk past the Museum and you’ll encounter the Gerald R. Ford and Betty B. Ford Burial Site, where a sugar maple tree – a gift from the Ford children to their parents – is decorated with lights and garland.

City Skyline

Turn back to the east to see the lights of the city skyline. Red and green lighting at the top of the Amway Grand Plaza celebrates the season while the signature blue light “stripe” that spans the vertical length of the JW Marriott Grand Rapids seems even more festive at this time of year.

You can head back to the city center the way you came (via Pearl Street) to Monroe Avenue and your original starting point, Ellis Parking.

Heritage Hill Walking Tour

The historic home district adjacent to downtown GR takes on a storybook quality at the holidays, as stately 1800s-era mansions are trimmed with lights and decorations, often evoking their storied pasts. You can stroll neighborhood sidewalks and see the sights at your leisure or take the Heritage Hill Christmas Traditions Walking Tour on Dec. 16 – it makes stops outside 18 homes, where a guide will detail the different Victorian traditions on display.

How About a Ride?

Hop on board the BYOB Holiday Lights Trolley for a guided tour of downtown lights and finery – including the 40-foot white fir tree out front of Rosa Parks Circle – plus visits to the Christmas Lite Show at LMCU Ballpark and various residential lighting displays around town. You’re invited to bring your own beverages – and since it’s assumed that most will be alcohol, this is a 21+ event. The trolley runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday through December 30.

If a trolley isn’t your style, how about a warm and comfy bus? The Festivus Light Tour stops at a couple of breweries where you can grab some cans or bottles to go before whisking you off to drive by some of the most spectacular light shows in the city. Dec. 17 & 23.

If you’re looking for a more intimate experience, consider a horse-drawn carriage ride through the streets of downtown. Classic Carriage LLC  is found on the southwest corner of Pearl & Monroe, in front of PNC Bank and across from the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel on Friday and Saturday evenings, beginning at 7:00 pm (other days and times are by appointment only). The holidays are a popular time of year for carriage rides, so reservations (call 616-498-6090) are recommended, but walk-ups will be accommodated with availability. Rates start at $60 for a half hour.

More Ideas

Lake Michigan Credit Union Ballpark

Speaking of rides – the annual Christmas Lite Show at LMCU Ballpark invites you to view more than a million lights and 50 animated displays from the comfort of your car, as you drive through the nearly two-mile route. It’s the 25^th year for this West Michigan holiday tradition!

The Christmas Lite Show is open nightly through December 31 and tickets start at $30 for a family vehicle. Or you can ride the Memory Lane Train for a 360˚ view of the lights – it’s $35 per bench seat, which comfortably seats two adults (small children may sit on laps for free).

Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium

You’ll have to head indoors for this light show at the planetarium located in downtown’s Grand Rapids Public Museum. Let it Snow! features thematic animation, immersive special effects and full-dome scenery set to festive holiday music from the likes of Frank Sinatra, Chuck Berry, Burl Ives, Brenda Lee and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It runs daily at 4 pm through January 2.

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

The world’s best sculpture park pulls out all the stops for the holiday every year. Its University of Michigan Health-West Christmas and Holiday Traditions show features more than 350,000 colorful lights plus 46 international trees and displays decorated with handcrafted symbols of beloved holiday traditions.

There are guest appearances by carolers, live reindeer, and Santa and Mrs. Claus. A companion Railway Garden exhibition is a unique horticultural display that incorporates garden design, miniature buildings handmade from natural materials, and model trolleys and trains. 

This year’s exhibition features a new immersive light experience at the Gardens’ outdoor amphitheater. Bundle up, grab a hot cocoa or adult cocktail at the concession stand, and prepare to be wowed. Shows begin at 6 pm, Dec. 19–23 and 26–30.

Admission is $18 for guests 14-64 years old, $13.50 for guests 65+, and $8.50 for guests 3-13 years old. Children two and younger get in free.

Aquinas College Christmas Lights Display

The beautiful wooded campus of Aquinas College, a 10-minute drive from downtown GR, features a number of Christmas Light Displays at various landmarks. Drive or walk through the campus through Jan. 4.

Everett’s Gardens Christmas Light Display

Everett’s Gardens, a retail plant nursery in Byron Center, stages a drive-through light display every Friday and Saturday through December 17. It’s just $5 per vehicle – and free if you purchase a Christmas tree.

Tanger Outlet Mall

Enjoy the holiday display while shopping 70+ stores at Tanger Outlet Mall. Stroll the heated sidewalks and warm up at the cozy fire pits underneath the beautifully decorated, larger-than-life Christmas tree as you check off your gift list. Join the Elf on the Shelf Scavenger Hunt to win a prize.

Ada Covered Bridge

This picturesque historic wooden bridge – pedestrian-only – is festooned with twinkling lights set to music. It’s on the Ada Village Winter Lights Walking Trail, which loops for nearly one mile through the charming downtown area decorated with more than 25,000 lights.

East Grand Rapids

The tree-lined residential streets of this GR suburb are a favorite for holiday lightseeing, either on foot or by car, as many homeowners consider decorations part of their civic duty. The city’s Gaslight Village business district is also decked out for the holidays. 

Comstock Park

The Dana Street neighborhood in Comstock Park, features seven houses with lights synced to music. The neighborhood is close to Lake Michigan Credit Union Ballpark and is an excellent stop before or after the Christmas Lite Show.

Sparta Candy Cane Lane

For a true small-town holiday experience, head 20 minutes north of GR to downtown Sparta, in the heart of Michigan’s apple country. Drive through streets lined with lights and decorated storefronts, and take a stroll down Candy Cane Lane, a lighted walkway just beyond Santa’s workshop (you can take a peek inside his workstation).

Rockford

You’ll feel like you stepped into a Hallmark holiday movie when you visit the quaint shopping village of Rockford – especially after dark, when buildings and trees are lit up with lavish strings of multicolored lights. The lighted Rockford Dam Overlook offers a great vantage point for photos.