Best Christmas Lights Displays in Champaign, Urbana, Mahomet, Monticello, Tuscola, Rantoul and MORE!
Looking for houses with the best Christmas light displays in the Champaign-Urbana metro area? Check out this list of Amazing Christmas Lights Around Champaign-Urbana and Beyond to help you plan a night with your family that’s fun, festive and (mostly) free!
So pack some snacks, fill up a thermos with hot cocoa (or a sippy cup with chocolate milk for the toddler crowd) and head out on a mission to find the best decorated houses in the Champaign-Urbana metro area.
HOW TO USE THE CHAMBANAMOMS.COM GUIDE TO AMAZING CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AROUND CHAMPAIGN-URBANA AND BEYOND
- This list is organized by geographic areas of the community. We start with our core Champaign-Urbana area, then out to Mahomet, Monticello, Tolono, Rantoul, Tuscola, Paxton, Danville, and many points in between.
- We highlight our favorite individual displays, as well as pockets of areas that are festive. We also note when old favorites are NOT lighting up this year.
- We do not provide driving directions to every home or location, but do our best to mark addressed, landmarks and/or other information to make sure you can find each lights display. Have your Waze or Google maps ready.
- Pay attention to the dates and times each display is actively lit up. Some were lit up as soon as Black Friday; others wait until later in December. We do our BEST to note this information; however, it’s possible that these times and dates can change without notice. With the crazy snowy weather this year, many private home displays have been delayed.
- Be respectful — most of these displays below are put together by individual families; dozens of hours are put into giving us all joy this holiday season!
- Some light shows or certain features may take a night off due to weather conditions – sorry, we don’t control that :-).
Want more lights? Check out our Central Illinois Christmas Lights Trail (those displays are farther away, including Peoria, Springfield, Sullivan and Mattoon)
Chambanamoms.com thanks CU Dentists, LTD. for presenting this list. Find them in Champaign and Rantoul. Need a great community-minded dentist? Check them out here.
RELATED: Download our FREE Christmas Lights in Champaign-Urbana Scavenger Hunt. Another way for your family to enjoy the lights!
HOW WE MAKE THIS LIST
This list of where to see lights is crowd-sourced from Chambanamoms.com team members (especially a certain person who might be obsessed with lights), reader comments and tips, and directly from the homeowners themselves.
We start this article right after Thanksgiving, publishing it when we have information for most of our favorites. Be sure to come back here in the next few weeks as even more displays pop up.
This article does list unconfirmed locations. This means those locations have previously had displays but have not been confirmed by us yet in 2025. If you see one of these sites this season, please let us know so we can keep this post updated. Thank you!
We will be updating the list all month long. Happy light hunting!
If you want to submit a display for consideration — your own, or someone else’s — please fill out this form. Note: this does NOT guarantee inclusion.
CHAMPAIGN
CENTRAL CHAMPAIGN
Winter Nights at Prairie Farm, Champaign
FREE! This one requires a little physical activity — be prepared to stretch your legs and get out of the car. Enjoy holiday lights every Thursday through Sunday, starting Nov. 28 through Dec. 28 at Prairie Farm in Champaign. This is an accessible experience featuring festive light displays throughout the farm. Every year this display changes a bit, so it’s never the same. There are LIVE animals — miniature horses, a donkey, goats and more — to see (and hear!). Lots of great photo opportunities.
Hot chocolate is available for purchase on Fridays and Saturdays. Prairie Farm is located off of Kirby Avenue, just west of Crescent Avenue in Champaign. Free parking available. Get a sense of this year’s display by looking at our reel from our special event there last month or the collage below.
OTHER STOPS IN CENTRAL CHAMPAIGN
The White Street House, 1308 W. White Street, Champaign
New to our list in 2022, the White Street House has lights set to music (tune your radio to 103.3). What is different about this house – the music is super CHILL. The lights are gently and beautifully synchronized to the Vince Guaraldi Trio studio album of A Charlie Brown Christmas. It’s near the corner of White and Russell streets, just north of Springfield Avenue. We don’t have any info about days or hours for this show, as the owners keep a low profile – no Facebook page! We can confirm that the lights were on as of our visit the second week of December. (Photos don’t really do this one justice, you’ll just have to trust us, and we will have a reel up on Instagram.)
- The Greencroft neighborhood has its synchronized trees, brightening its streets. Greencroft has entrances on both Prospect and Kirby Avenues.
- Don’t miss the beautifully lit trees at Champaign Country Club on Prospect Avenue, just south of Armory. A favorite every year!
- There are a few houses around Clark Park that are pretty too, including the large tree in the park itself.
- The fraternity at the corner of First Street and Gregory — Alpha Gamma Rho — typically lights up with beautiful white lights. But get there quick — typically the display comes down when finals are over (which will happen this year around Dec. 17).
- Closer to Christmas, State Farm Center and Memorial Stadium often light up in green and red.
SOUTHWEST CHAMPAIGN
2815 Cherry Hills Drive Synchronized Light Show (above)
The light show on Cherry Hills Drive in Southwest Champaign is back for 2025. This year it is definitely more sophisticated with more lights across the lawn, and it’s even more fun! Lights drape down most of the house as well as the two-car garage. This year’s songs include KING + COUNTRY’s Little Drummer Boy; Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer; Raining Tacos on Christmas Eve; and everyone’s favorite … All I Want for Christmas is YOU. The show is several songs long, and every one of them is a bit different. Be prepared that the family might want to stay for a while. Tune in to 103.3 to listen.
Other houses nearby …
The Charlie Brown Christmas House: Find this house in Cherry Hills in the 2800 block of Woodhaven Drive, a short street that is a dead end right behind Windsor Road. The cutouts make the Charlie Brown Christmas special feel like they have come to life. This is great to drive by during the day, when you can see the characters in day light, as well as at night. You can find our reel of it on Instagram. This one was delayed by the bad weather, so we await its debut!
The corner of Scottsdale Road and Waterbury Place (near Windsor Road). This house is festively lit up, and on the Scottsdale side has one of our favorite traditional Christmas symbols — the LEG LAMP. Fra-GEE-LAY! You can also see Santa paying a visit to this home, as well as a fun Christmas character who is GREEN. NEW in 2025: the Abominable Snowman has joined this motley crew of beloved characters (see below – we were scared to get too close so the photo quality isn’t excellent, ha.)
Scottsdale Court Candy Cane House. Head North on Scottsdale Road to Scottsdale Court, where there is the beautifully lit “candy cane” themed house which is already lit up.
West/Southwest Champaign Stops
The Arches of Copper Ridge Road
The neighbors of Copper Ridge subdivision have lined much of their main street with beautiful lit arches, a tradition that started in 2020. We recommend parking and walking down the sidewalk to get the most of this experience. It is set up on Copper Ridge Road, from just off Staley Road all the way to Mullikin. Most of the arches are white, but some are multicolor. This is really difficult to do it justice via a photograph — so take our word for it and head out there.
Then head over to …
The Vale House, southwest Champaign
Characters — from the Peanuts gang to R2D2 and Yoda to animals and more — cover the lawn, and it’s worth the trip to Ironwood/Trails of Brittany to see it. In the 1800 block of Vale Street, in far west Champaign. There’s also some other pretty decorated houses if you continue to Savanna to Westborough, all in the same southwest corner of the neighborhood.
URBANA
Candlestick Lane, Urbana
The holiday tradition for more than 60 years has retired this year, much to the chagrin of many locals. Here’s the good news: there are still a few houses lit up on the street formerly known as Candlestick Lane (aka Grant Place, located between Cottage Grove and Philo Roads, north of Florida Avenue). Most notably, the Illini House brings us a cross between school spirit and holiday spirit loud and proud, so be sure to sing Hail to Alma Mater when you stop by.
The Myers House, 1002 Country Squire Dr., Urbana, is part of this area. Check out Santa’s sleigh and reindeer, one of the best features. The display starts Dec. 1 until Jan. 1; lights come on around sundown till 10 p.m.
Then head down Florida Avenue to …
The University of Illinois President’s House, 711 W. Florida, Urbana. This is one of the most stately homes in town, and always has a classy lights display. We love the uplighting on the trees and the skaters are officially back!
2016 (and 2010) S. Vine St., Urbana. This house — located not far from the President’s home — is a lot of fun. Two words: Animatronic! Inflatables! Says the owner: “The sidewalk is lined with lights on both sides with an arch, which is fun for the walkers. We have decorations going high up in the trees. And we will keep adding throughout the month.” They keep the lights on at all hours.
MAHOMET
Night Lights in The Garden, Lake of the Woods (Click to read our story)
The Botanical Garden at Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve will be illuminated once again for “Night Lights in the Garden.” Starting on Friday, Nov. 28, the garden light up on Friday and Saturday evenings from 4-8 p.m. through Dec. 20. It will also light up on Christmas Eve. Enter Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve from Rt. 47 and park in the Museum of the Grand Prairie parking lot, follow the lighted path and candy cane poles to the lights display. The estimated walkthrough is 15-20 minutes.
Lakeview Subdivision The Superhero House, Mahomet (Lights will be on through Jan. 1)
Love superheroes? The Dodge house on 206 N. Spruce Dr. (in the Lakeview subdivision off Tin Cup Road) is one of the most unusual homes on this list, and every year it NEVER ceases to amaze us.
- The home boasts 30+ wooden, life-size superheroes that Joe Dodge drew, cut and painted himself.
- You’ll see the Hulk, Iron Man, Spiderman, the Flash and many more superheroes “helping” to decorate the yard and house with strands of Christmas lights.
- There is nothing like this house – anywhere. Its originality and HUMOR make it a must see.
- Tip: we like to go on weeknights when it is not crowded and get out of the car to look at the detail of the characters.
Hodges Christmas Light Show on Red Bud Court, Mahomet
There’s a bunch of lovely houses not far from the Superhero house, including the Hodges Christmas Light Show at 106 N. Red Bud Court (located in the same Lakeview subdivision).
- It can be viewed from the Superhero house and is just around the corner.
- No doubt it will catch your eye — you’ll want to sit there for 10-15 minutes to watch all the songs go through. (Tune your radio to 103.3.)
- The Hodges light show gives back to the community. “We will have a tub out on both sides of the street for coats, hats, gloves and any canned or boxed food. All these items will be donated to Mom’s Pantry.”
- Hours are 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Opened the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Clark Griswold House, Mahomet
The popular Clark Griswold holiday display, located at 701 N. Timberview, boasts lights everywhere — all over the house, in the front yard, the back yard and wrapped around two-story Evergreen trees. It includes a Santa village, a toy shop, Alvin and the Chipmunks singing, and much more. The Schoonover family usually lights it up on the first Sunday in December: in 2025 that means the magic will happen starting on Sunday, Dec. 7.
Much of Timberview Street gets into the holiday spirit, making the Griswold house visit even more enjoyable.
That Dood Light Show, 1304 Briarwood Lane, Mahomet
Back for a second season! Located in the Thornewood subdivision on the north end of Mahomet, this show made its debut on Dec. 1. The show features 17 songs sequenced with 2,750 individual pixels, “creating a mesmerizing display of lights dancing to the music.” Songs include Frosty the Snowman; Yellow Snow; and Michael Buble’s All I Want for Christmas is You. Tune to FM 103.3 for the full experience of the synchronized Christmas Display! 🎄🎅🏻
New this year: “We’ve added a Letters to Santa drop-off box! Drop off your child’s letter. Include a return address I’ll even write a personal response from Santa.” Hours: Daily, 5:00-10:00 pm
OTHER STOPS IN MAHOMET AND SEYMOUR
Downtown Mahomet. Enjoy walking through the lit arches.
159 Lake Road, Seymour. From the highway we noticed “Merry Christmas” on a roof. We followed the lights to the end of a quiet rural cul-de-sac where we discovered this corner house, with dozens of lighted scenes set up in the front, side, and back yards. Family favorites: ice-skating penguins and Santa’s flying sleigh! Says a neighbor: “Dave and Kris Parsons live on a corner between two cul-de-sacs. You can drive by the front and drive by the side to see the back. Pretty much every square foot of their property is covered with displays. It is far more impressive than in the pictures, and is a good sized property. It’s … pretty awesome!”
1505 Riverwood Point, Mahomet. With multiple scenes set up in front and to the sides of this large property, it’s worth driving past several times to appreciate every vignette. (below)
MONTICELLO
Between the Polar Express and other events, Monticello is the Christmas capital of Central Illinois.
It’s become an annual favorite — the Allerton Park Glow lights display keeps getting better and better, and 2025 will be no different. Enjoy an enchanting stroll of lights from the Mansion parking lot through the Avenue of the Formal Gardens and Brick Wall Garden to the Visitor Center. The path goes for about a mile, although there’s no rule how long you have to walk! The Walk-Through Holiday Lights will be open Dec. 5 (the first two nights are ticketed) through Dec. 31. Other than the first two nights, there is no need to make reservations this year. After the first two nights, this display costs $10 per car. Cash only; exact change appreciated. Visit nightly from Dec. 5-23 and Dec. 26-31, 5-9 pm.
The Miller Holiday Light Show, 803 Madison St.
The show went live on Thanksgiving and will be lit up into January. Hours are daily 5 p.m.-10 p.m.
- Tune to 88.1 to watch the lights dance.
- The Millers are very generous and offer treat bags at the house. “All we ask is people respectfully only take one treat bag per person! If we by chance run out of bags we have candy canes as a back up!”
Downtown Monticello lights. A new display went live in downtown Monticello – fairly modest yet lovely. The main lights are at Rotary Centennial Park downtown at State and Main. It will be lit from 5 to 10 p.m. every day through the end of December.
Not far from Monticello or Savoy ….
SADORUS
SAVOY
Prairie Fields (the neighborhood located around Carrie Busey Elementary School) has several fun lights displays and houses with popular characters including a large Olaf and the Peanuts gang. It is typically one of our favorite neighborhoods as it is always very festive. Take Old Church Rd to Prairie Rose, and drive up and down the streets there.
One of our favorite stops in Prairie Fields is the house at 412 E. Tomaras St., which has added a big lit up American flag and more this year (see the photo below). It has arches around the driveway and many classic molds. See a reel we did there in 2024.
Also fun to see: the house at the corner of Tickseed and Sunflower, this year complete with a giant snowman inflatable.
ST. JOSEPH AND OGDEN
The Shadden Christmas Lights, St. Joseph
Now live! In the past, visitors could get out and take a photo as Santa and an elf. Located off 150, just west of downtown and on the way toward the sports complex, at 402 N Cedar Dr, S. Joseph.
The Liggett house, Sherwood Drive, St. Joseph
New to our list, this house has a skeleton. Enough said. (There are also lights dancing to music playing in the front yard). Open nightly from 5 – 10 p.m. (unconfirmed in 2025).
Unfortunately, Willowdale Winter Wonderland will not take place in 2025. However the Willowdale Subdivision in St. Joseph still has plenty of festive homes. To get there: Willowdale subdivision is located north of I-74. If coming from Urbana, get off at the St. Joseph exit and go north; can’t miss it.
TUSCOLA
Lights on Prairieview
What to know:
- Tune to 94.7 FM to hear the songs.
- Opened Black Friday. Hours: Monday and Thursday: 6-9 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday: 6:30-9 p.m.; Friday through Sunday: 5-9:30 p.m., rain or shine.
- Find general info on the Lights on Prairieview Facebook page.
- LOCATION: This is located off Prarieview Avenue, which is off Prairie Street and located north of the North Ward elementary school; a five-minute drive from the other Tuscola lights house we have featured.
The Gillen Family Light Display
This one gets bigger and brighter every year. It is updated to 30,000 lights this year with between 250 – 300 yard decorations/blowmolds. Times of operation will be Sunday- Saturday 5pm – 11pm. Christmas Eve and New Year Eve will be Dusk to Dawn. Located at 1250N US Highway 45, Tuscola. “If families want a closer look they are welcome to park just west of the display on a country road and be able to walk the outer perimeter of the display.”
RANTOUL
Glow on Grove
After its debut in 2023, Glow on Grove returns with more lights and more fun! Glow On Grove holiday light show operates Dec. 1-31 from 6-9 p.m. at 520 W. Grove Ave., Rantoul. Enjoy the almost 30 minutes of continuous music (broadcast on FM 88.1) synched to classic and modern Christmas selections. (Read our story about the family behind Glow on Grove.)
- New this year – YOU PICK THE SONG! That’s right, you can pick the song at the Glow on Grove show. . Just go to the Glow on Grove’s website. There’s more than 20 songs to choose from!
- The family asks that you not block any driveways, and turn your headlights off if you park to watch the show.
Candy Cane Hills
Who said the only reindeer in Rantoul were at Hardy’s? For another neighborhood that really gets into showing its Christmas spirit, check out “Candy Cane Hills” in Rantoul. You’ll see a wide variety of traditional lit displays as well as inflatables (Santa on a boat? Why not?); some reindeer, including a special display of Santa with Rudolph and friends; and lots and lots of candy canes. Easy to get to and not far from I-57, if you’re coming from Champaign-Urbana. From I-57 take Route 136 (Champaign Avenue) west to East Drive, just past the McDonald’s. Follow East around the bend and you’ve arrived at Candy Cane Hills, which includes Indian Hills Drive, Neipswah Ave, and surrounding streets. For more Christmas beauty in Rantoul, many houses on Champaign Avenue — the main drag into town — are festive as well.
PAXTON
Lighting Up Paxton: The Johnson Home
Lighting Up Paxton is taking another year off the lights circuit. See a video of it from past years above. We look forward to its return in 2026!
GIBSON CITY AREA
Harvest Moon Drive-In
Celebrate the holiday season with Harvest Moon’s Lighted Lane Christmas light display. Harvest Moon has thousands of sparking lights on the trees, poles, screen, marquee and driveway to enjoy when you drive by the theater on Route 47. Some of the light displays will dance to music as well.
Lights on Hunt Street, Melvin
This musical show includes lights synchronized to songs such as Believer by Imagine Dragons, Christmas Everyday, Mary Did You Know by Pentatonix, and more. Melvin is located northeast of Gibson City; this home (116 S. Hunt Street) is about 13 minutes away from Harvest Moon Drive-In. The show is live daily from 5 to 9 p.m.
Vintage Christmas, Main and Center Street, Melvin. After you see Lights on Hunt Street, head over to Main and Center for a Fickwiler & Rueck vintage homemade Christmas display. Some of the decorations are over 70 years old! They can be enjoyed at night or during the day, seven days a week.
DANVILLE AREA
Kennekuk County Park, Danville
Located five miles west of Danville, the historic buildings at Kennekuk County Park’s Bunker Hill Historic Area will be decorated for the holidays and thousands of lights illuminated. The holiday lights at the Bunker Hill Historic Area also includes most of the displays from the Brooks Family Christmas, formerly located just south of Kennekuk on Henning Road. The large display with thousands of lights will start the night of the Bunker Hill Holiday Open House on Dec. 7 and continue nightly from 5-8 p.m. until Dec. 31. Directions HERE.
Tilton Winter Wonderland, Tilton
This FREE drive-through community display, located in the Tilton Ballpark (which can seen from I-74), will be back in 2025 with new music and more dates. Part traditional, part humorous. Gingerbread cookies playing volleyball, a helicopter flying, and grandma getting run over by a reindeer. Turn your radio to 101.1 FM to enjoy some Christmas music. From Dec. 1 – 31. Map here.
Christman Park, Rossville
NEW to our list this season, the Christman Park lights will be on starting Saturday, Dec. 6. They will be on from 5-10 pm through January 2. This is a drive-through event. Map HERE (this is not far from Kennekuk County Park.)
They Love the Lights in Hoopeston
Lights fans, it’s worth your while to make the trek to Hoopeston — yes, Hoopeston. This is about an hour from Champaign, closer to Urbana.
Thomas Light Show, Hoopeston: Not far from McFerren Park is the Thomas Light Show, at 928 W. Penn St on the corner of 9th Avenue and Penn. Over 120,000 lights and controlled by Light-O-Rama on 88.1FM.
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