Holiday lights and Christmas outings with kids around Dallas

December evenings in Dallas are 40–50°F and rarely wet, which makes it the best time of year to take kids out after dark. These displays all work for little ones: short walking distances, stroller paths, a quick return to the car, and half of them are free.

Start with the two free shows in the northern suburbs: at Frisco Square the lights on a whole block dance to music every 15 minutes, and Vitruvian Lights in Addison wraps hundreds of creekside trees in colored lights for a 20-minute stroller loop. For a bigger night out, the Dallas Arboretum's twelve Christmas gazebos and a million lights are the prettiest, and Dallas Zoo Lights turns the zoo into a glowing lantern park. Prairie Lights in Grand Prairie is seen entirely from the car, the easiest option for babies and rainy nights. The ultimate trip for train fans is the Grapevine Vintage Railroad's North Pole Express.

• 6 places
• 2 free
• 6 stroller-friendly
• closest is 15 min away