River Oaks Christmas Lights
✓ Last confirmed for the 2025 season
Where: Enter from Kirby at Shepherd or Westheimer; reference point 1600 River Oaks Blvd, Houston, TX 77019, Houston, Texas
When: December evenings
Hours: 5-10 p.m.
Cost: free
mansion displayswhite lightswrapped treesglowing deerRiver Oaks Santa Housedrive-thru or walk-thruneighborhood
Houston's most iconic residential lights tradition, where River Oaks mansion owners go all out with elegant white-light displays, wrapped trees, and glowing deer. The River Oaks Santa House at 3403 Del Monte Dr. welcomes visitors on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Best time to arrive. Sunset in Houston is around 5:24 PM in mid-December, fully dark by about 5:50 PM. A typical December night here bottoms out near 46°F, so dress for standing around outside.
Other displays nearby
There are 12 other displays within 5 miles of this one, and 14 within 15 miles. Most people make a loop of it rather than driving out for a single house.
- Briargrove
- Christmas Village at Bayou Bend
- Deck the Hall
- Lights in the Heights
- Prestonwood Forest
- Shepherd Park
- Uptown Holiday Lights (Post Oak Boulevard)
- Woodland Heights / The Heights
Make a night of it. This is stop 9 on our 15-stop Houston lights loop — about 29.6 miles and 131 minutes of driving in total.