We track 2 displays in Atlanta — the 4th-densest city for lights in Georgia. Every one of them is free to visit.
Displays here switch on around sunset. In Atlanta that means about 5:29 PM in early December and 5:30 PM by mid-month — the earliest sunsets of the year fall right in the middle of lights season. It is properly dark by about 5:58 PM, which is when the displays look their best. December nights in Atlanta typically drop to around 36°F.
| Date | Sunset | Fully dark |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 1 | 5:29 PM | 5:56 PM |
| Dec 15 | 5:30 PM | 5:58 PM |
| Dec 25 | 5:35 PM | 6:03 PM |
Residential displays have no facilities of their own — no parking, no toilets, nowhere to warm up — so it is worth knowing what is around. Within about three miles of the Atlanta cluster, OpenStreetMap maps 19 public car parks and 20 public toilets. There is no shortage of cafés and takeaways for a hot drink on the way round.
Freeattractiongarden-wide holiday light display
The Atlanta Botanical Garden on Piedmont Avenue stages a garden-wide holiday lights display each season and is among the city's marquee venue shows.
✓ Last confirmed for the 2025 season
Freeattractionmixed-use district holiday decor
Midtown Atlanta's Atlantic Station district decks out for the holidays and is listed among the area's big venue light destinations.
✓ Last confirmed for the 2025 season
Know a display we're missing in Atlanta?Add it to the guide.