With its short days and long nights, it's easy to think of winter as a time of cold and darkness—so thank goodness for holiday lights. Across the country, communities, organizations, and businesses hang billions of brilliant lights and chase the darkness away with holiday light displays. We sought out the seven best Christmas light displays in the US, discovering everything from a subterranean wonderland to a field of sparkling cacti.

Glittering Lights

Las Vegas Motor Speedway | Las Vegas, NV

At Glittering Lights, millions of twinkling lights guide visitors along a 2.5-mile drive. The custom light displays change each year, so you'll see some new additions alongside old favorites. And on certain nights in December, local churches present a Living Nativity.

Click here for discounted admission at Glittering Lights

Pro-tip: Sign up for the Santa Tram, and you can ditch your car in favor of an open-air tram complete with caroling elves and hot cocoa.

While you're there...

• Peep more holiday lights and get a sneak peak at Santa's official elf training center at Operation North Pole
• Explore the Opportunity Village Magical Forest, a Winter Wonderland featuring family-friendly activities like mini golf, an avalanche slide, and an enchanted carousel

Waterbikes Holiday Lights Tour

Long Beach Waterbikes | Long Beach, CA

For a decidedly different lights tour, hop on a floating hydrobike for this trip down the Naples canals. During the Waterbikes Holiday Lights Tour, you'll get to ogle at the holiday light displays that bedeck the area's million-dollar homes, and enjoy complimentary hot chocolate on the dock.

Click here for a deal on the Waterbikes Holiday Lights Tour

While you're there...

• See even more holiday light displays (and some cool animals!) at ZooLights at the Los Angeles Zoo
• For a more relaxed view of the waterfront light displays, book a seat on the Long Beach Trolley Tour of Lights

Lights Under Louisville

Louisville MegaCavern | Louisville, KY

The Louisville Mega Cavern is a manmade cave with 17 miles of underground passages that you can drive your car through. For Christmas, the 100-acre cavern lights up for Lights Under Louisville, an entirely underground lights tour with pirate ships and toy soldiers around every turn.

• Pro-Tip: It'll take you about 30 minutes to drive through the holiday light display, so cue up a playlist in the car of your favorite holiday music.

While, you're there...

• Check out the underground bike park at the cavern (psst: we've got discounted admission).
• Gobble up donuts and other yummy baked goods at Heitzman Pink Box Bakery, right down the street.
• Take a tour of the Kentucky Derby Museum. (hint: they have a Pancakes with Santa event on select Saturdays, too!)

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

Rockefeller Center | New York, NY

If there's one Christmas tree everyone needs to see, it's the 85-foot Norway spruce, aglow with holiday lights, that stands at Rockefeller Center. Tens of thousands of people now line the sidewalks to witness the tree-lighting ceremony, but it all started with a humble, 20-foot tree erected by construction workers in the midst of the Great Depression.

While you're there...

• Lace up your skates and hit the ice at the center's famous ice rink, followed by a rink-side dinner at The Sea Grill
• See the Rockettes perform their famous Christmas Spectacular show at Radio City Music Hall

The River of Lights

Rio Grande Botanic Garden | Albuquerque, NM

If a traditional holiday spruce or fir isn't exotic enough, search for the illuminated cacti that dot Albuquerque's Rio Grande Botanic Garden during the River of Lights. More than 400 giant sculptures dazzle visitors every year at the holiday festival, depicting everything from a giant T. rex to a flying pegasus.

• Pro-tip: Get there before 8 p.m. on Wednesday–Sunday, and you'll get to see model trains chug their way through the Garden Railroad exhibit.

While you're there...

• Get cozy with a cup of hot chocolate or chai tea at Mug Shots coffee house

Blossoms of Light

Denver Botanic Gardens | Denver, CO

The Blossoms of Light show at the Denver Botanic Gardens highlights the beauty of nature. Rather than set up glowing Santas, the garden drapes holiday lights across pedestrian paths and illuminates the flowers and trees that grace the winter gardens.

• Pro-tip: Be sure to grab a pair of HoloSpex glasses, which take the displays to the next level by adding floating imagery to the colored lights.

While you're there...

• Keep up the celebratory spirit with a steak and wine dinner at 801 Chophouse

Holiday Light Show

Smith Point County Park | Shirley, NY

The Holiday Light Show is presented by the Girl Scouts of Suffolk County, so proceeds from the event benefit the Girl Scouts' outreach programs. During this drive-through lights tour, you'll see festive, glowing renditions of a lighthouse, an enchanted castle, and even a replica of the Empire State Building. Tickets are only sold at the gate, and they don't accept cash, so be sure to have a credit or debit card on hand.

While you're there...

• Experience Ballet Long Island's rendition of the classic ballet "The Nutcracker", performed at the Noel S. Ruiz Theater