Holiday Lights at the McCormick – Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale is not to be missed – the magic of Christmas shines bright and will bring smiles to all ages!
We were super curious to check out this annual Scottsdale event filled with beautiful Christmas lights. If you’ve been in the past, you know that the train ride offers beautiful light displays – and also long lines. (We actually haven’t been in a couple years due to the insane lines.) This year is different! Tickets are sold in 1hr time slots, with reduced capacity, and you can enjoy unlimited train and carousel rides, and photo ops. We waited no more than 8 min in line! And got to ride the train twice. (Train ride itself takes about 10 min.) We could have ridden the carousel twice but opted to walk around and get photos before leaving.
As for what you’ll see on the train ride, think lite up tunnels, themed displays like polar bears and penguins, super cool firework like light poles and two light snowfalls! The train ride is superbly done. The carousel does not have any extra added lights, it’s just cool to ride in the evening. There are various photos ops like a Christmas cactus, a huge sleigh, and more. Hot chocolate and snacks are available for purchase from the snack shop.
Our vote? GO! We might even go again, it was that enjoyable. Holiday Lights runs now through January 3, 2021. Price is $15/person, ages 3 and up, with 1hr time slots as 6pm, 7:15pm, and 8:30pm. Masks are required for ages 6 and up when you cannot social distance. They also have discounted tickets on select days for the 8:30 time! And here’s a tip: when you first enter, the majority of people go for the train. Do the carousel first! Or photo ops. Then join the train when there are less people. More information and ticket purchasing can be found on their website.
Interested in visiting the railroad park during the day? We highly recommend this! You can learn more about the various features in this blog post.
More holiday events can be found on this ultimate list!
