29 Magical Christmas Towns in America That Are Overflowing With Joy This Holiday Season

• Nearest City: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Where To Stay: The Sayre Mansion Inn is a delightful historic property within walking distance of Bethlehem’s top attractions.

This little Pennsylvanian town, which was given the name Bethlehem on Christmas Eve in 1741, is quaint and festive, and it was officially designated as Christmas City, USA in 1937. The beauty of the holiday season is unparalleled in Bethlehem, whether you are planning your first-ever day trip or visit as part of your yearly Christmas tradition.

While in the city, visit one of the two holiday markets—Christkindlmarkt, one of the best in the country, or Christmas Huts on Main, which is modeled after the German Weihnachtsmarkt. In addition, you may enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride, a tour with the Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites, and the town’s Live Advent Calendar.

• Nearest City: Boston, Massachusetts
• Where To Stay: The Shire is a riverfront property surrounded by natural beauty.

Perhaps the first place that comes to mind when you think of your favorite Hallmark movie location is Woodstock, Vermont. The annual Wassail Weekend is full of old-fashioned holiday charm, with practically every restaurant in town serving decadent holiday meals, horse-drawn wagon rides, caroling performances, and a medieval-style production called the “Christmastime Wassail Feast.

• Nearest City: Roanoke, Virginia
• Where To Stay: The Thomas Rose Inn is one of the most charming places to rest your head in Lewisburg.

Lewisburg becomes a tranquil holiday destination complete with horse-drawn carriage rides and Christmas lights. Take part in weekly holiday events in Lewisburg, which include visits from Santa Claus, ice carving demonstrations, live music, and a seasonal window competition. Experience the Magic of Christmas in Lewisburg. The adjacent Greenbrier Resort, an 18th-century resort with extravagant décor and lots of entertaining family activities, is another place to experience splendor.

• Nearest City: Albany, New York
• Where To Stay: The Stockbridge Country Inn is the closest B&B to the Norman Rockwell Museum.

The town of Stockbridge is a classic New England Christmas town, made famous by Norman Rockwell’s painting of the village at Christmas. Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas is the area’s premier event, with seasonal markets, tours of historic properties, live performances, light displays, and much more.

• Nearest City: Baltimore, Maryland
• Where To Stay: Step back in time when you stay at the Historic Inns Of Annapolis, a group of stunning properties in the heart of Annapolis.

Possibly the most picturesque capital city in the country, Annapolis is located close to Baltimore, D.C., on the Chesapeake Bay. It’s also among the greatest locations for Christmas celebrations. This village is reminiscent of one from Charles Dickens, with exquisitely adorned businesses and Christmas wreaths hanging from every lamppost. The Annapolis Holiday Market, Midnight Madness (a few days when stores stay open until midnight), the Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade, and the Grand Illumination of the Annapolis Christmas Tree are some of the highlights of the event.

• Nearest City: Providence, Rhode Island
• Where To Stay: The Hotel Viking is one of the most unique properties we’ve ever seen.

One of the most quaint vacation spots in New England is Newport, Rhode Island, which was built with an old-fashioned candlelit ambience in mind. Christmas In Newport, a two-week celebration of the holiday season that includes a boat procession, holiday market, performances of The Nutcracker, historic tours, and more, is the town’s biggest event.

• Nearest City: Chicago, Illinois
• Where To Stay: The Irish Cottage Inn & Suites is a phenomenal spot for a getaway.

Galena celebrates Christmas from the moment Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive with their Jeep Jingle Parade. Explore the historic Main Street of Galena, take in the festive stores, go shopping locally, and go on outdoor activities. A few days will do, but you could easily spend weeks exploring Galena over the holiday season.

• Nearest City: Springfield, Missouri
• Where To Stay: Enjoy an upscale, lakeside retreat at Chateau On The Lake Resort Spa

One of the most popular tourist destinations in the Midwest is Branson, Missouri, especially in the winter. The Dolly Parton Stampede offers amazing holiday dinner presentations, the Branson Scenic Railway is decked out for holiday train rides (including a Polar Express trip), and the Miracle of Christmas at Sight & Sound is quite charming. An Old Time Christmas at Silver Dollar City, one of the greatest theme park holiday events in the nation, is a genuinely amazing holiday spectacular that is sure to provide you with even more pleasure.
9. Frankenmuth, Michigan

• Nearest City: Detroit, Michigan
• Where To Stay: This historic home in Frankenmuth is as charming as they come.

Frankenmuth, sometimes referred to as Michigan’s Little Bavaria, is a German-American community with charming Bavarian architecture that transports visitors to Germany. The “World’s Largest Christmas Store,” Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, which spans 27 acres and is more than 7 acres in size, is also located there.
There’s a 40-foot Christmas tree in the Frankenmuth Visitor’s Center, and you can enjoy ice skating at the outdoor Frankenmuth Ice Rink in Zehnder Park. You can even take the Little Driving Light Tour in Little Bavaria. How joyous!

• Nearest City: Louisville, Kentucky
• Where To Stay: Santas Lodge & Resort is full of holiday cheer.

Dedicated to the man himself, Santa Claus, Indiana is a jolly themed wonderland that is difficult to avoid throughout the holiday season. There are themed roller coasters at Holiday World, as well as an abundance of other themed holiday activities. You can shop till you drop at the Santa Claus Christmas Store, take in the amazing light displays that light up the neighborhood, cheer on the Santa Claus Christmas Parade, and much more. Honestly, this is among America’s greatest Christmas villages.

Why not keep having fun for an extra day? A family favorite is the North Pole Express at the French Lick Scenic Railway, located in French Lick, Indiana, about an hour away.

• Nearest City: Columbus, Ohio
• Where To Stay: The Mills Park Hotel has its own on-site restaurant.

Ohio has absolutely amazing Christmases; it’s a Midwestern treasure. And among the greatest places in Ohio to enjoy the holidays? One of the best light displays in the nation may be found at the Historic Clifton Mill Legendary Christmas Light Display, which features over four million lights that illuminate the mill, the canyon, the riverbanks, and even a 100-foot “waterfall” of sparkling lights. A synchronized lights and music performance, a Santa Claus Museum, and a Toy Collection can all be found within this wonderful winter wonderland.

• Nearest City: Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
• Where To Stay: The St. James Hotel is a historic wonder.

Though there is plenty of Christmas spirit in the frigid state of Minnesota, Red Wing is one of our favorite places to celebrate. Visitors can take part in the Annual Holiday Stroll, carriage rides, caroling, and much more while the area is blanketed in snow and thousands of sparkling lights. This traditional Christmas festival takes place the day following Thanksgiving and features fireworks, shopping, a light procession, and meet-and-greets with Santa and Mrs. Claus in addition to baby reindeer.

• Nearest City: Seattle, Washington
• Where To Stay: The Bavarian Lodge will transport you to another world.

With good cause, Leavenworth is arguably one of the most well-liked Christmas villages on this list. Crammed full of holiday spirit, Leavenworth, a little town with a Bavarian flavor located in the Cascade Mountains, welcomes almost 200,000 guests just for the holidays!

Christkindlemarkt, including over 500,000 Christmas lights, carol singers, and roasted chestnuts, kicks off the festivities the day following Thanksgiving. Some decorations are left up until Valentine’s Day. Visits to the Leavenworth Reindeer Farm, where you may interact with the joyful reindeer under their care, are highly recommended for families.

• Nearest City: Fairbanks, Alaska
• Where To Stay: North Pole is home to countless cozy cabin rentals like this one.

Is there a town in Alaska that embodies Christmas more than North Pole? The Santa Claus House is open all year round, but it really comes alive in the winter months in tiny Alaksa town that is only fifteen minutes away by sleigh ride from Fairbanks. Capture a photo with the World’s Largest Santa, an almost 50-foot-tall three-dimensional Santa statue that is larger than life. Take Santa Claus your Christmas wishes, go ornament and gift shopping, and take in the beauty of the snowy outdoors.

• Nearest City: Billings, Montana
• Where To Stay: The Kimpton Armory Hotel Bozeman is a luxe escape.

Bozeman, encased in a layer of snow, is the site of numerous Christmas decorations and festivities. A must-see event is the Annual Christmas Stroll, where Santa leads a march along Main Street to ignite holiday lights and sing carols. In addition, you can go skiing or snowboarding, go holiday shopping, or even choose the ideal Christmas tree for your very own in-home tree-lighting ceremony.

• Nearest City: San Francisco, California
• Where To Stay: Stay by the beach at the Hotel Carmel.

One of my favorite spots on earth is Carmel, and I can’t wait to go there during the holidays one day. This little beach town close to Monterey is a jolly place to be during the holidays, with lots of dazzling lights and festive decorations, live music and entertainment, boutique shopping, and enjoyable pastimes like baking gingerbread houses and reading books by the sea. Check out the local galleries for one-of-a-kind presents if you have a creative person on your shopping list.

• Nearest City: Idaho Falls, Idaho
• Where To Stay: The Mountain Modern Motel is a picturesque escape.

With a cup of hot chocolate in hand, we enjoy exploring snowy small towns on Christmas Eve, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, certainly meets the description. Enjoy a range of outdoor sports and a sleigh ride or snowmobile trip over the mountains during the day. At night, explore the town square, which is transformed into a sort of Christmas village with distinctive stores, eateries, and lots of beautiful lights.

• Nearest City: Denver, Colorado
• Where To Stay: The Sebastian is a truly stunning place to stay.

Oh my, skiing, snowboarding, and sledding! Vail is a wintertime outdoor enthusiast’s paradise, but it’s particularly lovely when there’s a sea of sparkling lights and a layer of snow covering everything. Vail is picture-perfect, with activities, celebrations, food, and more. The Vail Ice Skating Spectacular, the Mountain Legacy Parade, the lighting of the holiday trees in Vail Village, and the fireworks display to welcome in the new year are among the noteworthy activities.
19. Pawhuska, Oklahoma

• Nearest City: Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Where To Stay: The Frontier Hotel is close to shopping and lots of holiday festivities.

You may not have considered Pawhuska, the home of the Pioneer Woman, to be a Christmas town. We believe that Norman Rockwell would fall in love with Pawhuska because of its sparkling lights, cheerful businesses, and yearly Christmas parade of lights, where you may meet Santa Claus personally. We hope you will too.

• Nearest City: Salt Lake City, Utah
• Where To Stay: The Park City Peaks Hotel has a free shuttle to the slopes.

Park City is the only place to go if you’re dreaming of a White Christmas. Take a ride on the North Pole Express at Heber Valley Railroad, go shopping along Main Street during the evening when it’s illuminated with holiday lights, or plan to attend one of Park City’s events, such as the Electric Parade on Main Street, the Tree Lighting Ceremony at Canyons Village, or play in the snowy mountains.

• Nearest City: Los Angeles, California
• Where To Stay: Get away from it all at the Vinland Hotel and Lounge.

Early in the 20th century, Danish Americans founded Solvang, which still celebrates its Scandinavian heritage today. The town’s Danish-style holiday festival, Julefest, begins on Black Friday and runs until January 6, 2024, and highlights the town’s charm. If you live in Southern California, Solvang is a must-visit day trip destination with its charming architecture, festive shopping, gourmet treats, dazzling lights, and pleasant seasonal music.

• Nearest City: Dallas, Texas
• Where To Stay: The entire family will love your stay at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine.

Grapevine, Texas’s Christmas Capital, is close to Dallas-Fort Worth. You’ll be thrilled by millions of lights, Texas-sized decorations, animated characters, and so much more during 40 days of original and classic Christmas festivities. For lifelong family experiences, take a ride on the North Pole Express, watch holiday parades, ice skate at Peace Plaza Ice Rink, or indulge at Dr. Sue’s Chocolate Hot Chocolate Bar.

• Nearest City: Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Where To Stay: The La Posada de Santa Fe is within walking distance of all of our Santa Fe favorites.

Want to spend Christmas in the desert? Discover Santa Fe in a whole new way during the holidays; with its storied customs and yearly festivities, it’s one of the most distinctive places on our list. Visit the Santa Fe Winter Indian Market, where over 150 juried artisans offer jewelry, ceramics, paintings, weavings, and more, to go skiing, see a range of live performances, and do some local shopping. The Canyon Road Farolito Walk, one of Santa Fe’s most beloved traditions, takes place on Christmas Eve and tours historic Eastside districts decorated with millions of lights.

• Nearest City: Charlotte, North Carolina
• Where To Stay: Stay be the Greenville Haywood Mall at this Marriott property.

There are many reasons to appreciate Greenville, including its vibrant arts scene, delicious dining options, excellent shopping, and proximity to the outdoors. However, we especially adore it during the holiday season. Take in the sights of the Poinsettia Postcards exhibits, go ice skating, watch the Poinsettia Christmas Parade, or visit the Saturday Market: Holiday Edition.

• Nearest City: Norfolk, Virginia
• Where To Stay: The Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel is a storybook escape.

If you’ve ever wanted A Christmas Carol to come to life in your neighborhood, Williamsburg may be the greatest option. During the holidays, this historical wonderland is especially remarkable, especially when you visit during Grand Illumination, the town’s biggest celebration with live music acts and fireworks.

• Nearest City: Nashville, Tennessee
• Where To Stay: This cozy cottage is all decked out for Christmas.

Franklin, Tennessee, named for Benjamin Franklin, was established in 1799 and is tucked away close to Nashville. The annual Dickens of a Christmas festival in downtown Franklin is the highlight of the town’s holiday lights display. The celebration brings to life beloved characters from A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist, allowing visitors to stroll around the Victorian Village and indulge in holiday fare fit for the era.

• Nearest City: Louisville, Kentucky
• Where To Stay: The Bardstown Motor Lodge is a nostalgic, renovated gem.

Known for its history, bourbon, and charm, Bardstown is one of the best small towns in the nation. You can still enjoy all of those things during the winter and holiday seasons.

This Kentucky hamlet is illuminated with lovely decorations and events during the Christmas season. The festive excitement lasts throughout the season, starting with the lighting of the town’s tree and ending with the parade moving along Main Street.

• Nearest City: Shreveport, Louisiana
• Where To Stay: This lakefront cabin is the ultimate retreat.

In addition to being the first permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase Territory, this hamlet in Louisiana has been the site of one of the nation’s first community-based holiday festivities since 1927. The Natchitoches Historic Foundation’s Christmas Tour of Homes, weekly fireworks displays, live music and entertainment, and carriage rides through the National Historic Landmark District are just a few of the town’s holiday customs.

• Nearest City: Jacksonville, Florida
• Where To Stay: The 44 Spanish Street Inn is an adults-only paradise.