As we get closer to the shortest day of the year we thought we'd drop a map of the best places to see holiday lights. We're avoiding all the private homes, but these are the public places where you can go to bask in the glow of electricity while counting down the hours to when the sun starts inching its way back towards us. If you know of any others in the vicinity please add them to the comments or send them in to our tipline (dc@curbed.com).
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Where To Be Bedazzled By All The Holiday Lights This Season
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Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center
Glittery spectacularness from every angle. Gaylord went over the top, as they are wont to do, and since the new Children's Museum just opened there are two reasons to check it out. There's also a Shrek-themed ice sculpture display that everyone is raving about. The lights are on until January 6, 2013.
Zoo Lights!
For a few years running the National Zoo has put on a nighttime show of light displays in the shape of the animals that live there. The event has fun activities and a few of the nocturnal animals might be awake too.
Mormon Temple Visitors’ Center
You still aren't allowed in the Mormon Temple, but the light show outside it is pretty fantastic. It runs each night from dusk to 10 p.m and there's a live nativity scene too.
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
The Winter Walk of Lights is new this year and shows lighted versions of the types of animals and plants that are visible during the warmer months.
National Christmas Tree
The big tree and the state trees have all been lit and are on display each evening with a working model railroad train that runs the entire circumference of the display.
The Chanukah House
If you feel like making the drive to Baltimore then check out the Chanukah House. Since Hanukkah ended yesterday they may have started to take it down, but we couldn't find anything on the site about when it would end. So this year you might have to settle for the photos on their website.
Old Town Alexandria
As neighborhoods go Old Town probably deserves the award for showing the biggest commitment to doing up the streets each winter. Stroll down any of the main drags to take in the wonderment.
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