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Our Top Picks: Holiday Lights in Washington, DC

ZooLights

If you’re in DC this time of year, don’t miss out on our holiday lights and decorations! Here are our top 3 picks for holiday displays:

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1. National Christmas Tree:

This is a given! DC’s most famous and iconic holiday decoration is our National Christmas Tree, a large evergreen in the Ellipse (the backyard of the White House) at 15th and E Streets, NW. Stop by any night between new and January 1st to see it lit up in red, green, and white LED lights and adorned with 3-D printed ornaments submitted from tech nuts around the world. Make sure to check out the smaller trees around it- there is one from each state in the U.S.!

The-U.S.-Capitol-Christmas-Tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Capitol Christmas Tree:
Yes, number two is also a Christmas tree, but it is worth seeing! At 88-feet, this White Spruce tree makes the 29-foot National Christmas tree look positively shrimpy. It will also be lit each night through January 1st, but unlike the National Christmas tree, it has the charming touch of thousands of handcrafted ornaments by children and others from the Minnesota community it came from. This tree is hard to miss, just head to the Capitol Grounds right across from the National Mall.

Zoo Lights

3. ZooLights
We adore ZooLights. It’s free and it’s basically impossible not to have a good time. The zoo opens its doors at night and is filled with animal-themed lights (over 500,000!) and offers live performances, a kids’ train, shopping, delicious treats, and other events and activities. Some of the exhibit buildings are also open, so it’s still a full zoo experience! Make your way to 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW from 5-9pm any night through New Year’s Day except Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve.