Madison, WI Christmas Lights – Socially Distanced Holiday Fun

If you’re landing here, you may be wondering what a graphic designer and christmas lights have in common… They’re both visual forms of creativity and I’ve always happy to spread cheer, regardless of the time of year.

Driving around during the holiday season is one of my favorite things to do. While winter is something I dread every year, the holiday lights always light up my spirits!

Last year, my fiance and I found this (outdated) list, of homes decorated for the holidays. We went on a road trip around Madison and explored homes lit up with Christmas merriment. I underestimated how fun it would be to drive around, listen to holiday tunes, and sip a thermos of hot cocoa. 2019 was our first official year of this new tradition… Who knew that 2020 would bring new ventures that would require socially distanced holiday fun.

I thought it would be so fun to gather an up-to-date list of some of the most special light displays in Madison, Wisconsin. AND as a bonus to you, we’ve created an extra fun activity for you to print off and bring along on the journey. At the end of our post, we’re sharing a scavenger hunt I put together, with some of the things you’ll see while you’re on your holiday drive. Some of them are easy, but beware, there may be some tricky ones too!

There are 3 parts to this post:

1. Holiday lights (with maps) for each region of Madison.
2. The top ten homes if you want to see the highlight reel.
3. FREE Scavenger Hunt to print and take along on your ride.

Let’s dive in!

Light on Colony Drive, Listed below in our North West segment Photo by JS Online of: https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/christmas-light-tourists-dont-want-to-miss-colony-drive-display/article_3a8c2287-c1db-5faa-bf24-56459b867810.html

Madison Christmas Lights by Region

Stay tuned as we add more light displays to our list!

The lights have been divided into different areas of Dane, County. To make your light tour even easier, I’ve made a google map for each route. The link can be found at the bottom of each table. Disclaimer: Some lights are set to specific times, for best viewing, I would recommend visiting between 5-9pm.

** Asterisks note our favorite homes we don’t want you to miss!

Downtown/Central Madison

Click here for our pre-planned map for central Madison Christmas lights: https://goo.gl/maps/vHubzMFN6i6Ry4BP7

North West – Middleton & Waunakee

View or map for the Middleton/Waunakee Area: https://goo.gl/maps/AFFW6aucMpWhAzV96

South West Madison – Fitchburg & Verona Area

Link to our route for Southwest Madison, including the Fitchrona Area: https://goo.gl/maps/aRhf8xWjY3wspKWKA

South East –  Cottage Grove & Oregon Areas

Use Our Pre-planned Map Here: https://goo.gl/maps/4yBVbeZq74QH8sqx6

North East – Sun Prairie Area

View our map for the Northeast section of holiday lights: https://goo.gl/maps/bES7h2Vn4MPQgQki9

Looking to visit the top ten homes?

Here’s a map with our favorites: https://goo.gl/maps/GqLFyetoYdtZBWEv7

Annual holiday lights along University Avenue on our Central Madison Segment. Photo from WMTV: https://www.nbc15.com/content/news/Annual-holiday-lights-along-University-Avenue-about-to-turn-on-563661281.html

Here’s a list of the public displays in our area (also in regional maps).

Fantasy in Lights – Olin Park – Turville Drive

Waunakee – 2020 Rotary In Lights – 410 E. Main Street

Janesville Rotary Gardens – Holiday Light Show (Not on our maps, but VERY cool if you’re up for the drive!)

Zoo Lights are BACK this year!!! – 702 S. Randall Avenue

Download your free scavenger hunt here!

We’d love to hear from you! Is there an incredible holiday display we missed? What’s your favorite display on the list?

Did you find all the scavenger hunt items? What was the hardest thing to find?

Tag @Sprout_Studio on Instagram or Facebook so we can see your adventures!

PLEASE NOTE: If any of these home displays are no longer lit up, please let me know so I can remove them from the list. I don’t want anyone driving around for Duds. #ManyThanks!