Boston Common and Frog Pond Holiday Lights
✓ Last confirmed for the 2025 season
Where: Boston Common, Boston, Massachusetts
When: late November through early January; tree lighting first Thursday in December
Hours: typically dusk – 10 PM
Cost: free
official city tree from Nova Scotiaice skating at Frog Pondtwinkle lights throughout the parkattraction
Boston Common hosts the city's official tree lighting on the first Thursday of December, featuring a tree gifted annually by Nova Scotia. Twinkle lights fill the park and the Frog Pond skating rink adds to the scene (skating costs a small fee).
Best time to arrive. Sunset in Boston is around 4:12 PM in mid-December, fully dark by about 4:44 PM. A typical December night here bottoms out near 24°F, so dress for standing around outside.
Other displays nearby
There are 11 other displays within 5 miles of this one, and 21 within 15 miles. Most people make a loop of it rather than driving out for a single house.
- Boston Public Garden Holiday Lights
- Holiday Lights on Boston Common
- Beacon Hill Holiday Decorations
- Adams Street Lights
- Commonwealth Avenue Mall Lights
- Lighting of the Ship in Martin's Park
- Trellis Lighting at Christopher Columbus Park
- Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall Holiday Lights
Make a night of it. This is stop 2 on our 10-stop Boston lights loop — about 3.6 miles and 49 minutes of driving in total.