Dyker Heights Christmas lights: The complete guide to Brooklyn’s most spectacular display
Just so you know: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a booking or purchase, I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
If you’re visiting New York in December, Dyker Heights belongs on your itinerary. If you’re still in the planning stages, our New York travel guide covers everything in one place, and our 4 days in New York at Christmas itinerary shows exactly how we fitted Dyker Heights into a full festive trip.
We visited in December 2024 with our three year old and my aunt, while our partners were away in Nashville for a couple of days. My aunt had been to New York over 40 times and had wanted to take us to Dyker Heights for years. By the end of the night, we understood why.
The neighbourhood itself is made up of huge detached houses on long residential streets, the kind of properties that look like they belong in a Christmas film. Some of them genuinely do look like the McCallister house from Home Alone. Most of them are decorated. The odd one isn’t, and that contrast somehow makes the ones that are hit even harder when you turn a corner, and the full scale of it lands.
The brightness, the level of detail, the sheer ambition of it. Our guide told us some homeowners spend upwards of $1,000 a month on electricity alone during December. You believe it when you’re standing in front of them.
This is everything you need to know about visiting the Dyker Heights Christmas lights. How to get there, whether to book a tour, what to expect, and why it’s worth the trip from Manhattan.
What are the Dyker Heights Christmas lights?
Dyker Heights is a residential neighbourhood in southwest Brooklyn. It’s affluent, quiet, and for eleven months of the year, unremarkable. In December it becomes something else entirely.
The tradition started in 1986 when a resident named Lucy Spata put up 40 Christmas angels on her front lawn on 84th Street, in honour of her mother who had recently passed away. Her neighbours complained. Some even called the police, though there was nothing they could do. Lucy didn’t just ignore them, she hired a band to play music on her lawn. Eventually the neighbours gave in, and then they joined in. Lucy’s display has grown every year since and takes her family seven days a week, three weeks, nine hours a day to put up.
Her house is still the most famous on the street, and she loved the tradition so much she included a stipulation in her will that her children can only inherit the home if they continue decorating every year.
The Polizzotto family on 84th Street, which is directly across from Lucy, were the first neighbours to join in, creating a Toyland scene commissioned by Alfred Polizzotto during his treatment for cancer, hoping to bring joy to the neighbourhood. Their display includes 29ft toy soldiers, mechanised horses weighing a ton each, and a giant animatronic Santa. Everything arrives on a flatbed truck each year.
Today the tradition has spread across the whole neighbourhood, an unspoken competition between residents to outdo each other. Many homes are professionally decorated by B&R Christmas Decorators, whose signs you’ll spot on front lawns throughout the streets. Some displays cost upwards of $30,000. Our guide told us electricity bills can reach $1,000 a month during December.
Over 100,000 people visit every year. The neighbourhood has been featured on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, a PBS special simply called Dyker Lights, and has earned nicknames including The Undisputed Capital of Christmas Pageantry. The lights go on at dusk from Thanksgiving through to Epiphany on January 6th, so if you’re visiting New York between Christmas and New Year, you haven’t missed them.
When do the Dyker Heights Christmas lights come on?
The lights go on at sunset which is around 4:30pm in December. Most homes keep them lit until 9pm, though some stay on until midnight. The sweet spot for visiting is between 5pm and 8pm when it’s fully dark but not too late for young children.
Start date: The lights traditionally go up the day after Thanksgiving. Most homeowners decorate the weekend after Thanksgiving, but if you want to see every display at its fullest, the first week of December is the better bet, not everything is finished immediately after Thanksgiving.
End date: The displays generally stay up through to early January. Lucy Spata’s house, which is the most famous on the street, stays lit until Epiphany on January 6th. So if you’re visiting New York between Christmas and New Year, you haven’t missed them.
Best time to visit: Weekday evenings are considerably less crowded than weekends, particularly in the two weeks before Christmas. If you can go on a Monday to Thursday, the experience is noticeably calmer.
The main streets to walk: The heart of the display is concentrated between 83rd and 86th Streets, and 11th and 13th Avenues (also known as Dyker Heights Boulevard). Allow one to two hours to walk the main streets at a leisurely pace.
Where do the Dyker Heights Christmas lights start and end?
The best decorations are concentrated between:
> 11th to 13th Avenues
> 83rd Street to 86th Street
Start at the corner of 📍 83rd Street and 12th Avenue and you’ll be right in the middle of the action. Allow one to two hours to walk the main streets at a leisurely pace, the neighbourhood is residential so there are no shortcuts, just block after block of houses.
One practical note – bathrooms are almost non-existent in the neighbourhood. Plan accordingly before you arrive, particularly if you’re visiting with young children.
How to get to Dyker Heights by subway
You can absolutely visit the Dyker Heights Christmas lights without a tour. Here’s how to get there independently:
Option 1 – R train (recommended)
Take the R train to 86th Street in Brooklyn. From there it’s around a 15 minute walk to the main lights on 84th Street and 12th Avenue.
Option 2 – D train
Take the D train to 79th Street and New Utrecht Avenue. From there it’s around a 15-20 minute walk. The terrain is slightly hilly so factor that in if you’re visiting with a pram.
Walk along 83rd or 84th Street toward 12th Avenue, you’ll know you’re getting close when the glow appears.
Getting back: Head to 86th Street and 13th Avenue to catch an Uber or taxi if you don’t fancy the walk. Signal is generally fine in the neighbourhood.
If you’re driving: Don’t attempt to drive through the lights, the streets are too crowded. You’ll need to park a good distance away and walk at least 20-40 minutes. Factor that in before you go.
For more budget savings tips, read our NYC on a budget guide.
Or take a Dyker Heights Christmas lights tour (like we did)
We booked a Dyker Heights lights tour and we were so glad we did.
We had a few shopping bags with us and our daughter’s pram, all of which went straight into the storage under the bus, which alone made the evening considerably easier. The bus was warm and comfortable, and the guide gave us history and facts about the neighbourhood and the streets we passed through on the way, including crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, which at night is worth the trip in itself.
Once we arrived in Dyker Heights the guide led us through the streets with a lit umbrella so we could always spot her in the crowds. She gave context on the houses as we went, which families had been decorating the longest, which displays were professionally done, which had their own stories. You do have to keep pace with the group, so decide in advance whether you want to stop for longer photos or stick with the guide.
By the end our daughter had fallen asleep, I’d zipped her coat up as we were ready to get off the bus at Pebble Beach and she was out within seconds. The tour included the stop at Pebble Beach in DUMBO on the way back to Manhattan, and my aunt stayed on the bus with her while I got off for the photos. It was worth every second. The Manhattan skyline fully lit up with the moon glistening over the river made for some of the best photos of the whole holiday and a moment I wouldn’t have had without the tour stopping there. It’s not something you’d easily find or plan independently at night with a toddler in tow, and it’s exactly the kind of thing that makes booking a tour worth it over doing it yourself. If you plan to visit any observation decks to see the skyline from above, you can read our best observation deck New York guide to help pick which one.
If you’re travelling with young children, older relatives, or just want a relaxed no-hassle evening, a tour is the right call. The subway journey alone is 50-60 minutes each way from Midtown, and navigating it after dark with bags and a tired toddler is a different prospect entirely.
Where to book a Dyker Heights tour
👉 Or this guided Dyker Heights tour with a walk-through and more skyline views from Brooklyn (Viator)
Prices usually start from around $59 per adult. Tours run from late November right through December. Book early as they sell out, particularly at weekends.
How long does it take to walk through the Dyker Heights lights?
To do the main loop (83rd to 86th Street, 11th to 13th Avenue) allow around 45 to 60 minutes. We spent about an hour wandering with loads of photo stops and still didn’t see everything. You could easily stretch it to 90 minutes if you want to cover every street at a leisurely pace.
If you’re on a tour, your guide will allocate time in the neighbourhood, usually around an hour on the ground, before heading back to the bus. Factor in travel time too: from Midtown Manhattan the journey is 50-60 minutes each way, so a tour typically runs around 3.5 to 4 hours in total.
If you’re going independently by subway, add the journey time on top and make sure you’ve planned your route back before it gets too late.
Are the Dyker Heights Christmas lights worth it?
Yes, without question.
This was one of the highlights of our entire ten day trip. We’d seen the Rockefeller tree, the Fifth Avenue window displays, Bryant Park, the observation decks, and Dyker Heights still stood out. One of my favourite films is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and standing in front of some of these houses I genuinely thought about Clark Griswold’s roof. These displays make his look understated.
The scale of it doesn’t translate in photos, you need to be there, turning a corner onto a fully lit street, to understand what 100,000 annual visitors are coming for. Our daughter was completely absorbed. My aunt, who had been to New York over 40 times, still found moments that were new to her.
If you’re visiting New York in December, this is not something to skip. It’s free, it’s unlike anything in the UK, and the Pebble Beach stop on the way back made it one of the most complete evenings of the whole trip.
Dyker Heights Christmas lights – Our honest take
🎅 Not overly commercial
It’s just local families and their homes. No ticketed entrance, no fairground atmosphere, no corporate sponsorship. The donations and hot chocolate stalls are run by residents, often for charity. It feels genuine in a way that a lot of Christmas attractions don’t.
🧤 Cold but worth it
You’ll be outside for at least an hour. We were freezing by the end of our trip. Wrap up properly, layers, hat, gloves, and comfortable walking shoes. Don’t underestimate the wind.
🚔 Well managed
NYPD are present throughout the season helping with traffic and crowd management. We felt completely safe wandering with our daughter at night.
👶 Better with young children before 8pm
The crowds build as the evening goes on, particularly at weekends. If you’re visiting with a toddler, aim for 5-6pm when it’s dark enough to see the full display but before the streets get really busy. Read our New York with kids guide for more tips on travelling to New York with children.
📸 Bring a fully charged phone
The photo opportunities are everywhere and relentless. We filled a camera roll. Make sure your phone is charged before you leave, there’s nowhere obvious to charge it in the neighbourhood.
Is Dyker Heights safe?
Yes. Dyker Heights is a very safe, residential neighbourhood. During the festive season the streets are full of families, visitors and NYPD patrols. We felt completely comfortable wandering around at night with our daughter.
The usual city awareness applies. Stick to the main areas, be cautious crossing streets as traffic can be unpredictable with so many visitors, and if you’re going independently aim to be heading back before 9:30pm. If you’re on a tour, your return timing is taken care of.
Bring a bit of cash to support the locals
The Dyker Heights Christmas lights are completely free to visit, the homeowners fund everything themselves, including electricity bills that can reach $1,000 a month in some cases.
A few residents sell hot drinks, sweet treats or crafts from outside their homes during the season, often raising money for local charities including injured veterans funds. Some have donation jars posted among the decorations. There’s no pressure whatsoever, but if you’re able to contribute a few dollars it’s a genuinely nice way to give something back to the people who make the whole thing possible.
Bring $10-20 in small bills, enough to buy a hot chocolate and leave a tip if you want to. Card isn’t always available at the informal stalls.
Final tips for visiting the Dyker Heights Christmas lights
Arrive around 5pm – the lights come on at dusk and the first hour before the main crowds arrive is the best time to visit with young children.
Book a tour early – tours sell out weeks in advance, particularly at weekends in December. Don’t leave it until you arrive in New York.
Visit on a weekday – weekends are significantly busier. Monday to Thursday is noticeably calmer and easier to navigate with a pram.
Dress for the cold – proper coat, hat, gloves and comfortable walking shoes. You’ll be outside for at least an hour and the temperature drops sharply in the evening.
Charge your phone – you will take more photos than you expect. A portable charger is worth having.
With young children, aim to leave by 8pm – crowds build as the evening goes on and tired toddlers and busy streets are a challenging combination.
No public toilets – plan accordingly before you arrive. If you’re on a tour, check whether the bus has a toilet, ours did and it was very useful.
Bring cash – for hot drinks, treats and donations at the houses. $10-20 in small bills is plenty.
Don’t drive – the streets are too crowded to see the lights from a car and parking is extremely limited. The subway or a tour bus is the right call.
Take portrait and landscape shots – the houses are tall and wide, both orientations give you completely different photos.
Dyker Heights lights FAQs
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