Christmas lights in Miami 2026: Christmas Wonderland, Zoo Lights and the garden nights
Where to see Christmas lights in Miami this season: Christmas Wonderland, Zoo Lights and Pinecrest Gardens, with 2026 dates, hours and the ticket catch.
In breve
- Biggest show: Christmas Wonderland at Tropical Park, November 12, 2026 to January 4, 2027.
- With animals: Zoo Lights at Zoo Miami, select nights November 27 to December 30, 6:30 to 10 pm.
- Garden lights: Nights of Lights at Pinecrest Gardens, select nights December 4 to 27.
- Cheapest night: Christmas Wonderland's Monday online deal, $25 plus fees, bought before 5 pm.
- Gone: Santa's Enchanted Forest; no 2026 season announced.
For rides and size, go to Christmas Wonderland on a weeknight with an online deal; for a calmer walk under lights, book Pinecrest Gardens or Zoo Lights early, because the zoo expects to sell out.
Which Christmas lights to pick
| Kids who want rides and a carnival | Christmas Wonderland, Tropical Park; all carnival rides are in the ticket |
| A walk under lights with animals | Zoo Lights at Zoo Miami; online tickets only |
| A smaller, quieter garden night | Nights of Lights at Pinecrest Gardens, weekends in early December, then nightly December 17 to 23 |
| Holiday decor in daylight | Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, holiday program November 13 to December 24 |
| Free and by the ocean | Miami Beach's December events; the 2026 program is not out yet |
| Santa's Enchanted Forest | No longer runs; see below |
Miami's Christmas light shows, 2026 season
| Show | Where | 2026 dates | Hours | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Wonderland | Tropical Park, 7900 SW 40th St | November 12 to January 4; closed November 16, November 30 and December 7 | Mon to Thu 5 to 11 pm; Fri and Sat 5 pm to midnight; Sun 4 to 10 pm | Online; weekday deals from $25 plus fees; 3 and under free |
| Zoo Lights | Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152nd St | November 27 and 28; December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 to 23 and 26 to 30 | 6:30 to 10 pm | Online only, early-bird and regular prices at shop.zoomiami.org |
| Nights of Lights | Pinecrest Gardens, 11000 Red Rd | December 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 17 to 23, 26 and 27 | 6:30 to 10 pm | Sales listed as coming soon |
| Holidays at Fairchild | Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Old Cutler Rd | November 13 to December 24 | Garden hours 10 am to 5 pm; closed December 25 | Through Fairchild's ticket page |
Zoo Miami and Pinecrest Gardens had not published 2026 prices when we checked, so we leave them out. Fairchild's holiday program is decor, Santa visits and storytime, not a light show.
miamiwonderland.com, zoomiami.org, pinecrestgardens.org and fairchildgarden.org, checked October 2026
Christmas Wonderland: the big one, and how to pay less
Christmas Wonderland fills Tropical Park at 7900 SW 40th Street from Thursday, November 12, 2026, to January 4, 2027. It is closed on November 16, November 30 and December 7. It opens at 5 pm Monday to Saturday and at 4 pm on Sunday, and closes at 11 pm on weeknights, midnight on Friday and Saturday, and 10 pm on Sunday.
Every ticket covers the whole park and all the carnival rides. Games, food, merchandise and photos with Santa cost extra. Kids 3 and under get in free, ages 4 to 12 pay a lower price, and most rides need riders to be at least 36 inches tall. No outside food or drinks and no glass are allowed, except for religious or medical reasons.
The cheap way in is the weekday online deals, which close at 5 pm on the day: Enchanted Monday is one pass for $25, Tinsel Twosday two for $55, Wonder Wednesday four for $99 and Twinkle Thursday three for $88. The site writes each as $25++, so fees are added at checkout. Standard prices sit on the ticket page, not in the FAQ.
Parking at Tropical Park is free, and a trolley runs from the lots to the entrance until one hour after closing.
Christmas Wonderland tickets
Zoo Lights opens with a tree lighting on Friday, November 27, 2026, then runs on select nights through December 30, from 6:30 to 10 pm.
Tickets are sold only online, at early-bird or regular prices, and the zoo says it expects the event to sell out. On some event nights the zoo closes at 4 pm to set up, so do not plan a daytime visit and the lights on the same ticket.
Pinecrest Gardens
Nights of Lights runs on 15 nights from December 4 to December 27, 2026, from 6:30 to 10 pm, with every night from December 17 to 23 included.
When we checked, the garden listed ticket sales as coming soon and gave no price. Watch its Nights of Lights page or call 305-669-6990.
Dove sono
Free holiday lights on Miami Beach
The City of Miami Beach runs free December events every year, but it had not posted the 2026 schedule when we checked. Last season's release came out on December 11, 2025, so expect this year's in early December.
For reference, December 2025 had a Winter Wonderland with a tree lighting at North Shore Park, a Holiday Extravaganza at Lummus Park with drone shows at 7 and 8 pm, and the Miami Beach Holiday Festival of Lights at The Betsy hotel on Ocean Drive. Ocean Drive was closed to cars from December 24 to January 11, with a free tram along it. Treat those as last year's plan, not this year's.
What happened to Santa's Enchanted Forest
Older lists still send people to Santa's Enchanted Forest, the long-running holiday park that used to set up at Tropical Park. It moved around in its last years; in 2022, WSVN reported its move to a site in Northwest Miami-Dade. It did not return in 2024, according to Local 10, and a 2025 Miami Herald column, which we could read only through search results, reported that the park is gone for good. We found no 2026 season. Christmas Wonderland now occupies Tropical Park.
Domande frequenti
When does Christmas Wonderland Miami open in 2026?
It opens Thursday, November 12, 2026, at Tropical Park, 7900 SW 40th Street, and runs to January 4, 2027. It is closed November 16, November 30 and December 7.
How much is Christmas Wonderland?
Standard prices are on its ticket page. Weekday online deals start at $25 plus fees for one pass on Mondays and close at 5 pm that day. Kids 3 and under are free, and parking is free.
When are Zoo Lights at Zoo Miami?
Select nights from November 27 to December 30, 2026, from 6:30 to 10 pm: November 27 and 28, and December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 to 23 and 26 to 30. Tickets are online only.
Is Santa's Enchanted Forest open in 2026?
No. It did not run in 2024, a 2025 Miami Herald column reported it is closed for good, and we found no 2026 season.
Are there free Christmas lights in Miami?
Miami Beach holds free December events, including tree lightings and shows at Lummus Park in 2025. The 2026 schedule had not been published by late October.
Altre guide
Miami in December: the weather, what is on in 2026, and what to packWeather · Seasonal · 4 min di letturaMiami with kids: what to do by age, and what to do when it rainsCon i bambini · Family · 9 min di letturaZoo Miami tickets and discounts: every legit way to pay lessZoo · Family · 4 min di letturaChristmas Wonderland dates, hours, deals and rules from miamiwonderland.com; Zoo Lights from zoomiami.org; Nights of Lights from pinecrestgardens.org; Fairchild from fairchildgarden.org; Miami Beach's 2025 program from miamibeachfl.gov; Santa's Enchanted Forest from WSVN (2022) and Local 10 (2024); all checked October 2026.