Last Updated 11/9/25
With all of the fun things to do with kids in Pittsburgh, it’s no surprise that our city has a ton of Christmas events as well. From Pittsburgh Christmas lights to festive boat rides, Christmas markets and unique Santa visits, there are so many fun Christmas things to do in Pittsburgh. Keep reading for some of our Christmas lights, events and places to see Santa in Pittsburgh.
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Pittsburgh Christmas Lights
There are several opportunities to view Christmas lights in Pittsburgh, either from your car or on foot. Below are a handful of Pittsburgh Christmas light displays to check out during the holiday season. A few require tickets in advance, so be sure to keep an eye out for ticket sales so you don’t miss out!
Wild Illuminations at the Pittsburgh Zoo
In 2025, Pittsburgh Zoo Christmas lights will be a unique experience called Wild Illuminations: A Holiday Lantern Experience. It will have a similar feel to the prior Asian Lantern festival but with a new look for the holidays. The silk and steel lanterns will depict things like Christmas trees, snowflakes, candy canes and more. The event will include over a million lights, holiday treats and activities, plus a visit with Santa.
- Dates: November 22, 2025- January 11, 2026 from 5:30-10pm. (Closed November 26, 27; December 24, 25, 31; and January 1)
- Cost: Adult Plan-ahead tickets are $23-29 and Child plan-ahead tickets for ages 2+ are $19-24 depending on the date. You can also purchase flexible or group rate tickets.
Holiday Magic! Winter Flower Show at Phipps
Visit Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Garden for the 2025 Phipps Holiday Flower Show and Lights Garden. The beautiful lights at Phipps are one of our favorite things to do in Pittsburgh at Christmas, and we love the indoor and outdoor aspect of the display. New with the 2025 Wild Winter theme is special displays including polar bears, a light canopy, octopus chandelier, penguins doing winter activities and beautiful lights and flowers throughout every room. The Winter Garden outside at Phipps also has colorful lights and displays throughout.
Another highlight of the holiday flower show at Phipps is the amazing Garden Train at Phipps, which is themed Age of Dinosaurs for 2025. When you head outside to tour the light garden, be sure to grab a hot chocolate or a glass of wine to tour the groups.
- Dates: November 14, 2025- January 4, 2026
- Cost: Ticket prices are tiered for the holiday light show at Phipps. You can find details here.
Overlys Christmas Village
See the drive-through Overlys Christmas Village light display in Westmoreland County. It’s great if you’re looking for holiday things to do in Pittsburgh without going into the city, and you can walk around the Christmas village for a chance to see Santa up close. There are also more things to do at Overlys like a Kids’ Express Christmas train, model train display at Hartman Station, a manger with live animals and Henny Hemlock the talking Christmas tree.
- Location: 116 Blue Ribbon Lane, Greensburg
- Dates: Select dates from November 20- December 30, 2025
- Cost: $5 per person or $25 per carload of 8 or less people
Kennywood Holiday Lights
The Christmas lights at Kennywood include more than 3 million lights throughout the park, and they’re one of the most popular Christmas activities in Pittsburgh. In addition to the Holiday Reflects Light Show, more than 25 rides and attractions are open (including several kiddie rides.) There’s themed shows and entertainment, along with a model train display and meeting Santa. You can also visit with Rudolph and friends at the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Experience and visit Gingerbread Junction for the life-sized Gingerbread Express.
For an additional fee, you can book dinner with Santa at Kennywood, which includes a buffet with Santa, Mrs. Claus and more.
- Location: 4800 Kennywood Blvd, West Mifflin, PA 15122
- Dates: Select dates Nov 14- Jan 4
- Cost: Tickets start at $19.99 for advanced purchase online
North Park Christmas Light Show
Enjoy the holiday laser light show at North Park from the comfort of your car. This drive-in experience is located in the North Park Pool Parking lot and lasts about 40 minutes. The 2025 Holiday Light Show at North Park will play several family favorite Christmas songs (as well as a Hanukah song or two) with lights synchronized to music from your car.
- Location: North Park Pool Parking Lot
- Dates: December 17-23, 2025
- Cost: $30 per car. Find tickets here on Dec 1.
More places to see Christmas lights in Pittsburgh include:
- Clinton Christmas lights near Pittsburgh in Findley, PA
- Dazzling Nights: Holiday lights at Pittsburgh Botanic Gardens
Downtown Pittsburgh Holiday Events
There are typically so many great holiday events in Pittsburgh, with Light Up Night being the unofficial start of Christmas in Pittsburgh. The 2025 Light Up Night in Pittsburgh date is November 22, 2025. Pittsburgh’s Light Up Night includes several festivities like fireworks and live music in addition to the tree lighting ceremony at 5pm.
Additional Pittsburgh Christmas events downtown include:
- The Downtown Pittsburgh Christmas Market has a European Christmas market feel with several vendors selling hand crafted goods from November 21- December 24. (Closed Thanksgiving.) Find more info on the Pittsburgh holiday market here.
- Stop by PPG place for *the* Pittsburgh Christmas tree as well as seasonal ice skating at PPG rink from Nov 14- March 1.
- Visit Santa in Downtown Pittsburgh at the Heinz Hall Courtyard. (Dates & Times are TBD.)
Light Up Nights near Pittsburgh are also taking place in most towns, including Norwin, Robinson Township and Cranberry.
Pittsburgh Santa Visits & Christmas Activities
We’re lucky to have so many fun things to do in Pittsburgh with kids. Many of our favorite Pittsburgh attractions also offer Santa visits and other activities throughout the holiday season. If you’re wondering where to see Santa in Pittsburgh in 2025 or looking for fun things to this holiday season, check out the list below.
- Cruise on the Gateway Clipper with Santa on a special Santa visit and dance party.
- Celebrate the holidays at the Kamin Science Center. In the past they had special screenings of Polar Express and a holiday laser show. 2025 holiday events are TBD.
- Visit the National Aviary for Season’s Greetings Saturdays, which includes holiday crafts and activities each Saturday from November 29- December 20. New for 2025 is also the “Jingle Bell Flock” bird show and the Grinch with his owl buddy. Santa will be at the Aviary on December 6 only. They are also offering a holiday brunch this holiday season.
- See Santa at Heinz History Center on Nov 28, 29, 30 and Dec 5, 6, 13, 20 & 21 from 10:30am- 1:30pm
- Santa sightings and mini golf at the holiday lights course at Fun Fore All in Cranberry
- See Santa near Pittsburgh at the Santa Trolley at the Trolley Museum in Washington, PA.
- If you’re looking to get out of the city, you can experience Christmas on the Farm at Freedom Farms. It’s one of the biggest Christmas events in Pittsburgh, with local food and alcohol vendors, handmade goods, Christmas trees and Santa.
Breakfast with Santa: Pittsburgh Area Options
If you’re looking to have brunch or breakfast with Santa in Pittsburgh, these events tend to fill up fast! Below are some fun options for breakfast, brunch or lunch with Santa in Pittsburgh in 2025.
- Brunch with Santa at Crowne Plaza on Fort Couch Rd November 30
- Breakfast or Lunch with Santa at the Pittsburgh Zoo Saturdays & Sundays in December here
- Brunch with Santa in Gibsonia at The North Park Lounge Saturdays and Sundays in December
- Brunch with Santa at Dave & Buster’s North Hills December 6
- Santa Breakfast in Fox Chapel at Baja Bar & Grill on December 6
- Cookies with Santa at Fairmont Hotel December 7
- Breakfast with Santa at Cadence Clubhouse December 7
- Breakfast with Santa at Eliza in the Southside December 14
- Brunch with Santa at Hotel Indigo December 14
- Breakfast with Santa at the Greenhouse Winery in Irwin (TBD)
Pittsburgh Malls with Santa
Of course, we can’t forget about the malls in Pittsburgh with Santa visits in 2025. With several malls in the Pittsburgh area there’s no shortage of photo ops with Santa. Below are a few options for seeing Santa in Pittsburgh at the mall. Note: Reservations in advanced are strongly encouraged.
- Ross Park Mall Santa will be available on select dates starting November 7, 2025. Find more details here on getting pictures with Santa at Ross Park Mall.
- South Hills Village Santa is expected to start visits on November 14, 2025. Check here for details.
- The Mall at Robinson Santa starts visits on November 21, 2025. Find details here on Santa at Robinson as well as other Christmas activities at the Mall at Robinson.
- Westmoreland Mall Santa arrives on November 7, 2025. For more details on visiting Santa at Westmoreland mall, check here.
Visiting Pittsburgh During the Holidays?
If you’ll be in Pittsburgh at Christmas, be sure to check out our list of the best things to do Pittsburgh with toddlers. (This is a great list of things to do for kids of almost all ages!)
For family friendly hotels in Pittsburgh, we recommend the hotels below. They’re all Pittsburgh hotels with pools and they offer larger rooms and suites for families.
- The Westin Pittsburgh right next to the Pittsburgh Convention Center
- The Embassy Suites Hotel in Downtown Pittsburgh
- The Hampton Inn & Suites Pittsburgh- Downtown by the Heinz History Center
Do you have any favorites things to do during Christmas in Pittsburgh? We’d love to hear in the comments!
Happy Holidays from our family to yours!
Related Posts:
- The Best Kid-Friendly Restaurants in Pittsburgh
- 25+ Weekend Trips from Pittsburgh
- 13 Fun Things to do in Pittsburgh with Kids
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One of the much awaited person to meet during Christmas, would you agree? Kids and kids at heart would love to meet and greet Santa. Thanks for sharing this post.
Completely agree! Thanks for reading : )