Wanderlights
✓ Verified 2025-2026
Where: Columbus Commons, Town Street, and the Scioto Mile, Columbus, Ohio
When: November 21, 2025 – February 15, 2026
Hours: 5pm-10pm nightly
Cost: free
500,000+ LED lights40-foot lit treeglowing archway tunnel30 penguin light sculptures40+ sculptural lights and 75 wrapped trees at the Scioto Mile FountainWander Nights with free hot chocolate, carousel rides, movies, and Santaattraction
Downtown's free walk-through display strings more than half a million LED lights across three connected sites: Columbus Commons, Town Street, and the Scioto Mile, where 30 penguin sculptures glow between High Street and Civic Center Drive. On select December Wander Nights (Dec 5-6, 12-13, 19-20) visitors get complimentary hot chocolate, carousel rides, movie screenings at the Scioto Mile Fountain, and Santa visits in the Lazarus Building galleria.
Best time to arrive. Sunset in Columbus is around 5:08 PM in mid-December, fully dark by about 5:38 PM. A typical December night here bottoms out near 23°F, so dress for standing around outside.
Other displays nearby
There are 4 other displays within 5 miles of this one, and 17 within 15 miles. Most people make a loop of it rather than driving out for a single house.
- Sawmill Meadows Lights
- Segaway Holiday Lights Tour
- Nativity at Cathedral Square
- Conservatory Aglow
- The Gibbswold House
- Upper Arlington Light Show (Reed Road)
- Carnoustie Circle Display
- Backworth Drive Display
Make a night of it. This is stop 4 on our 6-stop Columbus lights loop — about 11.9 miles and 53 minutes of driving in total.