New England holiday light displays

With the holidays come a variety of dazzling light displays throughout New England. From Edaville Railroad in Carver (left) to Santa’s Village in Jefferson, N.H., check out where you can find some of the most impressive displays in the region.

La Salette Shrine

Attleboro

Boasting over 300,000 lights across more than 10 acres, the National Shrine of Our Lady La Salette is bound to be quite a spectacle. The shrine will be open to the public from 5-9 p.m. daily until Jan. 6.

Free, donations suggested. Click here for more details.

Edaville Railroad

Carver

Edaville Railroad goes into the holiday season full steam. Weekends in December, Edaville turns into a beautifully lit haven for the holidays. Board a train and take in the sights from the warmth of the coach as you chug through Edaville on a 20 minute ride.

$18 ages 2-64; $16 seniors; children under 2 are free, for schedule and times, see schedule online

Santa’s Village

Jefferson, N.H.

Lots of amusement parks close all winter, but at Santa’s Village, winter makes the park even more magical. Decked out in Christmas lights, the park has 14 rides open for its Christmastime 2012 celebration.

$27, children 3 and under free, see schedule online

Strawbery Banke Museum

Portsmouth, N.H.

Strawbery Banke Museum’s annual Candlelight Stroll provides a walk around the Portsmouth’s historic waterfront neighborhood, the paths and landscape lit with candles. It includes horse-drawn carriage rides, live music, and a gingerbread house competition.

$20 for adults, $10 children, children under 4 free, families (2 adults and all your children under 17) $50. Tickets available online.

Bright Nights

Springfield

If you want to get into the holiday spirit without leaving the warmth of the car, try Bright Nights in Springfield. The makers of the annual display custom-weld frames for a well-crafted, larger-than-life experience for the whole family.

Mon-Thurs $18, Fri-Sun $21, check schedule online.

Heritage Museums and Gardens

Sandwich

American culture is lit up for the holidays, when guests can visit with Santa, stroll the Heritage grounds, enjoy a vintage carousel, and, for the first time, play music and enjoy activities on the stage in the Hidden Hollow.

Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from Nov. 23–Dec. 23, 5–9 p.m. $7 for member adults, $4 for member children, $10 for non-member adults, $5 for non-members children, heritagemuseumsandgardens.org

ZooLights

Stone Zoo, Stoneham

Santa, reindeer, and thousands of lights? Sounds like the holidays. That’s just what you’ll find at ZooLights at Stone Zoo. Visit Santa’s Castle, meet the reindeer, and tell Mr. Claus what you’d like for Christmas. New this year are arctic foxes, which guests can visit in the zoo’s Yukon Creek.

$7.00, $6.00 per Zoo member, $4.00 per Zoo member on Mondays, running through Dec. 31. Get more details and check schedule online.

Winter Wonderland

Pawtucket, R.I.

Winter Wonderland is fairly self-explanatory. Enjoy a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus every night from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., take a hay ride, walk through the trees and Victorian houses in the wonderland (all lit up for the holidays, of course), and enjoy live music and other performances by local entertainers.

Entertainment schedule online

. 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. nightly. Free.

Holiday Light Fantasia

Hartford, Conn.

Hop in the car and head down to Hartford, where the holiday cheer will come to you. Cruise down a two-mile stretch of road through Goodwin Park, taking in the light displays along the roadside as you go. Proceeds benefit year-round programs at Channel 3 Kids Camp.

Running through Sunday, Dec. 6, 5-9 p.m. Sun-Thurs, 5-10 p.m. Fri-Sat, $12 per car (up to 10 passengers), $25 limousine, $50 per mini bus (up to 30 passengers), and $100 per full size tour bus (31 passengers or more). Directions.