Each year millions upon millions of Christmas lights go up around the Palmetto State. If you’ve been curious about Christmas lights near me, we’ve rounded up some of the biggest, best, and brightest Christmas lights in SC so you can put them on your bucket list. You’re pretty amazing if you can find time to visit them all this year! Get ready, South Carolina: a big, ole dose of holiday cheer awaits at some of the best Christmas displays in SC!

1. Christmas in Hopelands - Aiken
Hopelands Gardens, 135 Dupree Pl, Aiken, SC 29801, USA
Visit Aiken South Carolina
Each year, Aiken's Hopelands Gardens lights up for the holidays with more than 100,000 twinkling lights, visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, a children's activity area, and live entertainment. Bonus: admission to this festive Christmas lights show in SC is free!
2. Anderson Lights of Hope - Anderson
150 Rose Valley Blvd, Anderson, SC 29625, USA
Anderson Christmas Lights
At Anderson Lights of Hope, 3.5 million Christmas lights are on display at a 2.5 mile loop across from the Civic Center. Live performers add an extra amount of holiday cheer to the event. And there is even an epic Santa's village that kids are sure to love!
3. Holiday Festival of Lights - James Island County Park, Charleston
James Island County Park, 871 Riverland Dr, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
Holiday Festival of Lights/Facebook
The Holiday Festival of Lights in Charleston is an experience. Featuring over 700 displays and two million lights, the Holiday Festival of Lights is a cherished holiday tradition for many families throughout Charleston and beyond. Each winter, James Island County Park comes alive with illumination, and is a great place to capture the magic of the holiday season. This is what Christmas is all about!
4. Lights Before Christmas - Riverbanks Zoo & Gardens, Columbia
Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, 500 Wildlife Pkwy, Columbia, SC 29210, USA
Riverbanks Zoo & Gardens
Columbia's longest-running holiday light event is a total fan favorite, offering families an enchanting and wondrous experience. It's one of the Zoo's most popular events, and once you visit with your family, you'll immediately see why. Lights and displays, some of which are animated, surround you as you wander through the Riverbanks Zoo, which, of course, is a magical place in and of itself!
5. Holiday Lights on the River - Saluda Shoals Park, Columbia
Saluda Shoals Park, 5605 Bush River Rd, Columbia, SC 29212, USA
IRMO Chapin Recreation Commission
A perennial Palmetto State favorite, Holiday Lights on the River features more than 400 themed animated light displays and millions of twinkling lights on a three-mile drive-through loop of the park. The fun doesn't stop there: kids can slide down the winter wonder tube slide, ride a hayride through the whimsical displays, enjoy a laser light show on the Wetland Trail, and even catch a holiday flick in the Environmental Center!

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6. Roper Mountain Holiday Laser Shows - Greenville
Roper Mountain, Greenville, SC 29615, USA
Roper Mountain
One of the coolest places to take your family in South Carolina, Roper Mountain's Holiday Laser Shows are beyond spectacular. These shows are only offered a handful of times during the holiday season, so be sure to scoop up your tickets early!
7. Holiday Lights Driving Tour - Moncks Corner
1 Riverwood Drive Moncks Corner SC, Moncks Corner, SC 29461, USA
Celebrate the Season
Hop in the car with your family and friends and follow a picturesque path through thousands of brilliant, twinkling lights. Admission is $5 per vehicle and proceeds benefit local charities. Enter the Holiday Lights Driving Tour at One Riverwood Drive, Moncks Corner. There's really no better way to usher in the holiday season in South Carolina while enjoying some of the best Christmas lights in the South!
8. Nights of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens, Murrell's Inlet
Brookgreen Gardens, 1931 Brookgreen Dr, Pawleys Island, SC 29585, USA
John Hensler/Flickr
Every winter, Brookgreen Gardens lights 2,800 candles as well as thousands of other sparkling lights. Carolers and live music only add to the charm of this event, which, year after year, draws major crowds. In fact, this light display has been named "Best Christmas Lights in South Carolina" by Travel+Leisure Magazine! This popular event does tend to sell out, so get your tickets ASAP!
9. Children's Garden Christmas and Kid's Walk - Edisto Memorial Gardens, Orangeburg
Edisto Memorial Gardens, 200 Riverside Dr SW, Orangeburg, SC 29115, USA
City of Orangeburg/Facebook
This winter, wander through a beautiful, animated light display at the Edisto Memorial Gardens. Enjoy a stroll through the Kid's Walk that features interactive light displays. The Children’s Garden Christmas, a drive through display located in the beautiful Edisto Memorial Gardens, hosts thousands of lights including still and animated displays such as Old Man Winter, a river boat, Santa and his elves, a Nativity Scene, and more than 60 lighted cherry trees. Enjoy a stroll through the Kid’s Walk which features interactive displays including a hopping bunny, a squirrel running up a tree, and colorful Christmas trees. Be sure to visit the Twelve Days of Christmas display during your time on the walk!
10. Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland - Simpsonville
Shadrack's Christmas Wonderland, 3540 Line Dr, Kodak, TN 37764, USA
Shadracks Christmas Wonderland/Facebook
A grand LED light display that moves and flickers to music, Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland is a festive fan favorite! Also featuring a park and participate area with Santa's Village. It's billed as "the most immersive drive-through experience on Earth," and we don't disagree!
11. Fantasy of Lights - Swan Lake Iris Gardens, Sumter
Swan Lake Iris Gardens, 822 W Liberty St, Sumter, SC 29150, USA
City of Sumter South Carolina
One of the largest Christmas light displays in South Carolina, Fantasy of Lights is an immersive, wondrous experience. For the entire month of December, the gardens come alive with a display of twinkling holiday imagery created by more than one million lights. The Pilot Club's floating Christmas tree is an annual favorite, along with Santa's Village, angels and characters of song and story.

Still curious about Christmas lights near me in South Carolina? Check out this guide!

We tried to include the best Christmas lights in South Carolina on this list, but if we missed any then please feel free to add them in the comments. That way, they’ll be on the record and everyone will know of them too.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Christmas lights in South Carolina

Sarah | November 15, 2021

What's Christmas like in South Carolina?

Like most Southern states, South Carolina doesn't often (if ever) experience a White Christmas, but that doesn't mean we're lacking in the holiday spirit! Quite the contrary. Come November and December, you'll see our big cities and small towns decked to the nines in twinkly lights and holiday displays. We have craft fairs and artisan markets all throughout the season. We have Christmas trains and holiday festivals. Christmas in South Carolina is, quite simply, the most wonderful time of the year!

Are there any Christmas towns in South Carolina?

We do! One incredible South Carolina town that dresses up for the holidays is Rock Hill, otherwise known as ChristmasVille. Each year come December, this magical holiday town changes its name in order to become one of the best winter villages around! Picture four days of wintertime enchantment, with live music and performances, food, drinks, ice skating, Christmas carols, and so much more. Here's why we adore this South Carolina Christmas town...

What are some fun holiday traditions in South Carolina?

We're big fans of hopping aboard a Christmas train for a magical excursion through the beautiful South Carolina landscape. And happily, South Carolina has one of the best Christmas trains in the country! The Santa Express on the Rockton, Rion, & Western line offers a unique holiday adventure the whole family will love. Ride the historic rails in decorated train cars as you listen to Christmas stories and even receive a visit from Santa himself. Just make sure to reserve tickets early, this seasonal attraction sells out almost every year! There is nothing else quite like this holiday train ride in South Carolina -- have you ever experienced it?

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