We track 1 display in Ellicott City. Every one of them is free to visit.
When to go
Displays here switch on around sunset. In Ellicott City that means about 4:45 PM in early December and 4:45 PM by mid-month — the earliest sunsets of the year fall right in the middle of lights season. It is properly dark by about 5:15 PM, which is when the displays look their best. December nights in Ellicott City typically drop to around 30°F.
Date
Sunset
Fully dark
Dec 1
4:45 PM
5:14 PM
Dec 15
4:45 PM
5:15 PM
Dec 25
4:50 PM
5:20 PM
Practicalities
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 Ellicott City cluster, OpenStreetMap maps 1 public car park and 2 public toilets. There is no shortage of cafés and takeaways for a hot drink on the way round.
Holiday season, roughly mid-November through early January · typically dusk – 10 PM
Freeresidentialsynchronized animated displaylight-up Ravens and Orioles signsdirectional signage
An animated, synchronized home display with a distinctly Baltimore flavor, including illuminated Ravens and Orioles team signs. Directional signage helps visitors find and navigate the show.