Bright Nights at Forest Park

Bright Nights at Forest Park in Springfield, MA, is a magical holiday tradition that never fails to delight visitors of all ages. From the moment you enter the gates, the spirit of the season is alive with dazzling lights, enchanting displays, and festive cheer. The drive-through light display is meticulously designed, featuring themed sections that highlight everything from classic holiday icons to whimsical winter scenes. Each section feels thoughtfully crafted, with some favorites being the Seuss Land, Santa's Village, and the majestic Winter Woods. The sheer number of lights and the creative animations truly make it a visual spectacle. The setup is perfect for families and friends looking to share holiday joy. Staying in the warmth of your car while slowly cruising through the displays makes it a cozy and relaxing experience. For kids, the scenes are captivating, and for adults, the nostalgic charm adds a touch of warmth to the season. One of the highlights is the "Merry Marketplace," where visitors can step out and enjoy hot cocoa, holiday treats, and even a chance to meet Santa Claus on select nights. There’s also a photo op area for capturing memories under the sparkling lights. Parking and entry are well-organized, ensuring a smooth flow of traffic. The event is highly accessible, making it a great outing for everyone. Tickets are reasonably priced, especially considering the effort that goes into creating such a stunning event every year. Pro tip: buying tickets in advance can save time and avoid long lines on busier nights. Bright Nights is not just a light display; it’s an immersive holiday experience that brings joy and wonder to the community. Whether it’s your first visit or part of an annual tradition, it’s guaranteed to fill your heart with holiday spirit. Highly recommended for anyone looking to make lasting holiday memories!

Bright Star is absolutely stunning! I loved the lights, the creative displays, and the overall setting—it felt magical. However, I recommend avoiding discount days, as the traffic can be overwhelming; I ended up spending over an hour just on the road. Plan accordingly, and you’ll have an amazing experience!

Great spot. Know famously by any local, and more than likely within 50 miles or more. I've gone here countless times growing up. It's always super busy but worth every minute. They have added alot over the years.

My family had an awesome fun - filled night at Bright Nights !!! The effort that is put into each light display, is amazing. We went on $10 Tues., and only waited for about ten minutes, to get in. We also visited Santa's Magical Forest. My kids loved riding on the winter carousel, and getting their pictures taken with Santa. We cannot wait to visit again.

We love Bright Nights 🤍 they try to make the experience joyful and smooth. Two lines are made for the entrance, and the Springfield PD helps with that (please be nice and follow their instructions!). Just be patient as you make your way in. Once you are in, everything is worth it. This is our second time coming, and we thought we might find something different, but we did not catch anything new—it was still a beautiful experience, though 🤍. I think there are other activities you can do while you are there. Post-COVID-19, you can park in one of the parking areas and go to one of their experiences/activities. You will enjoy it ✨

Went on a weeknight zero wait time. This is the best of the older style light displays in the area. The terrain of the park lends itself to separating the display into different “lands”. We did not have children with us so did not go to the Santa land part of the exhibit. Really enjoyed the beautiful light display. Would recommend.

What a perfect idea for a family event out! Pack up your car with snacks and toys for the family and jump in for a night filled with lights and exciting graphics, sculptures, animations, and more! Over the top quality in every way from the Bright Lights team. Easy ordering and well worth it in every way! It was like a short amusement park ride in the comfort of your own car, truck, van, limousine..! Call all your loved ones and enjoy! Note they even have a spot for you to stop along the way. I recommend you do! A nice little stop and way to stretch your legs. You can even get close to some lights and go on a carousel. Out of the many themes, Dr. Seuss, Candy Land and The Rose Garden were our favorites.

Always worth the drive! The lights were amazing as always. This year we stopped in at Santa's magical forest. The Santa was the most realistic and jolly one I have encountered in a while. The kids rode the winter carousel and got lucky enough to have Santa ride it with them. The tickets for the carousel were reasonably priced too, 3.00 each or 2 for 5.00. Always look forward to going each year! Have to order tickets on line before going, but it made the lines move faster going in. If your going, grab the coupon from big y. It brings the cost down to 16.50 a car load, without coupon its 24.00 a car load.

The tradition continues with our grandson ! Always a great time ! Been coming for 20 plus years !

We go every year and nothing changes. In terms of sitting in the line, you have to know when to go. Monday nights are usually a good bet, but weekends before Christmas day will be a major problem. We went on New Year's day this year and very short line. I agree that the light displays are stale and need an update. There is much better lighting technology these days that would offer a better show. The little kids like them, so for now it works. It honestly isn't worth the $25.00 fee if paying out of pocket, however. Our biggest complaint this year was the Santa's Village stop. My girls look forward to the carousel every year, and it was not running when we went. Seriously frustrating. The food is also not worth the price. We got the stalest pretzel in human history. The last night of the display should offer the same experience as every other night.

The sparkling, dazzling, and shining Bright Nights at Forest Park are a family tradition to see during the holiday season. I have been to Bright Nights throughout my childhood and finally relived the magic this year. My siblings and I purchased a ticket online beforehand and played 100.7 FM radio station to have festive holiday music play in the background as we drove through the park. I felt like a kid again cherishing the little things in life. I have many videos I wish I could share on Yelp.

Great light display - well worth the $ - buy tix ahead online - 2 lines to enter which narrow to one - parking lights as you go through, add on of light up wand available for extra $ - about 45 mins from CT - such a perfect Christmas night! The lights are all working which is not the case at some of these drive through attractions at Christmastime.

This place is impossible to find from the Interstate! The directions that the website gives are misleading, leading one into a dark, industrial area from which one has to struggle to find one's way back to the interstate. Asking anyone at any open business downtown elicits either the response of "I don't know", or "No entiendo Ingles". Over a decade ago, there used to be signs along the interstate when one entered Springfield, and along the city streets pointing the way. Now, there are none, so it can take one an hour or so of meandering around before stumbling onto the street where it's located. The clue is the loooong line of traffic in line for the park. While one is in line one has "outdoor entertainment" that the street beggars provide by holding up their fake signs of being "homeless", and tapping your window for money. The derelicts also stand outside the gift shop inside the park, as well as at the restrooms to demand money. Complaints to park security fall on deaf ears. Save yourself the trouble and the expense (at least $18 with a discounted ticket) by viewing videos of the display on You Tube.

Expected more of the light show.....ALOT of empty space to drive through. This was our first trip and we were excited but expected a lot more out of it

So... Im torn on writing this review because many things factored into the event. We were away on a little vacation this weekend when we went & we were swimming in hot hotel all day, then we go out in winter and my little slightly asthmatic kid started HACKING and I mean to the point where he was throwing up all over himself, literally as we were waiting in line to get in, I had to keep trying to pull off road to get out and help him out which caused for chaos, once we paid we were able to pull right over to a port-a-potty and help him to clean up and wash up. His hacking continued throughout the whole ride so as a nervous mommy I was more worried then enjoying the ride and luckily it went slow enough that I could keep helping him. The lights are pretty, but I guess after hearing about this place all my life & not really knowing exactly what it was I might have been expecting a little more. Its just lights. If you've ever been to Sweet Lights at Hersheys, Its kinda the same thing. I would prob go back again this year at Xmas, because Im corny like that, but no more pool swimming all day before going out into the cold.

One of the coolest ideas for a drive through lights show and definitely one of the first shows of its kind. They've been doing it for MANY years. When I went over 10+ years ago- the lines weren't completely hopeless & it honestly wasn't too bad as it was "something to do" - it was so great- it was something I remembered and held onto for years as I typically don't live in the area- I was just down here for college! I ended up transferring to a school more local- but I'll never forget the bright nights light show here! Definitely worth checking out!!

Always a great display and something adults and kids enjoy. We weren't able to stop at the craft fair this year but hope to next time. The line to get in can be a bit long but once you pay it moves fairly smoothly. The various scenes they create are fantastic.

Our toddler loved this, and we did, too! Regular price is $21 a car, we had a $5 off coupon from someone who had gone on a previous day and they passed it along to us. It was about a 35 - 45 min drive thru, and it was beautiful! We especially loved the carousel of blue and white lights, and the horse drawn carriages where the horses and wheels seemed to be in motion. You can tune your car radio to a station that plays holiday music, which adds to the experience. We will definitely come again in future years!

I know there are mixed reviews about this festive event, however I honestly enjoyed it!!! Maybe because I'm the type of person who can listen to Mariah Carey's Christmas album all year long. I thought this was a magical adventure. You drive around the park gazing at gorgeous holiday lights and there is a small fair type set up for the kids to have some fun on rides and meet that dude from the North Pole. There was also a fire pit set up if you wanted to make smores. The smores and kettle corn vendor is cash only. The main concession stand does take credit cards. I want to go back tonight. I am so in the holiday mood now!!! Talk soon....off to listen to some Mariah Carey. Cheers Darlinnngs!!! (In the voice of Mariah)

We were already in Springfield and set our GPS to 300 Sumner Street as the website stated. It took us through Oak Street, passing the Middle School. After about an hour of waiting in line we FINALLY got to the beginning where Forest Park was located on our right. A cop comes over to tell us we cannot take the right turn into the park, and that we can now only take a left..which would bring us all the way to the back of highway. May I add that this same cop let EVERY car in front of us (except for the 2 directly before us) take the right turn. He mocked us stating "you must not be from Springfield since your coming from this side street." It made no sense at all. Waiting in a line of cars for 1 hour JUST to be told to go to the back of another line (which was 10x longer than the one we just sat in) is simply not worth it. An activity that should have been fun and memorable was turned into a night of utter disappointment. Very displeased with the Springfield law enforcement as well as the Bright Lights Staff. I will be telling this story to everyone I know who was thinking about visiting. Extremely saddened.

I definitely think this is something more for small children and families when it comes to the level of light display but it was such a cute little date night for me and my fiancé, we talked and sang Christmas music, it was a fun night! Overall I don't think I would go back, once is definitely enough but it was something different and put you in the holiday spirit!

We've been coming here every year for at least 15 years. But I think he this Family tradition has come to a stop after last night's debacle- We were turned away after waiting in lines for over an hour. The reason I say " lines" is because there are several ways of getting into the park. One being from the highway, which was the route we took. The problem here...we were met with a line of traffic immediately upon exiting the highway. Which we waited in for at least a half hour. However, once we got to the front of the line, finally ready to turn onto the street, we were forced to go straight, (away from the park). It was only 8:30 by this time; we were less than 1/4 of a mile away from the entrance so we still had an hour before the gates were to close. Which would have been an ample amount of time to get in. So we had absolutely no idea why what was going on and the cop refused to talk to us. So we thought maybe there was an accident and attempted to get in from another direction where once again, we were met with a long line of traffic which we waited in for another 45 minutes and when we finally got to the front, we were once again directed away from Bright Nights. This officer wouldn't speak to us (or the people in front of us) either. He just kept shaking his head no. We tried one other way which proved fruitless as well. Except this officer was at least kind enough to give us a few seconds of his time. Needless to say our ride home wasn't exactly pleasant; as we had to listen to our crying children the entire time. That being said, it would have been nice to have been informed of this after waiting the first time. A sign or two would have been ideal. Even better, a mention/warming of this on their website. Which would save a LOT of time and tears.

--Copying my review from Google and adding stuff because I hate bright nights so much-- Literally a joke. I've never written a review for any place before this but this thing is so poorly run that I had to. Got there at 7:00 waited 2 hours, and got turned away before the cutoff time by the cops because "bright lights decides to close this line early". Uh so there are two lines and one gets preferential treatment? I can't fucking imagine what the locals think of the traffic shit show. The traffic is unreal and there are maybe 4 or 5 cops for thousands of cars who clearly are overwhelmed with the enormous volume of traffic. Those cops are only at 1 or 2 intersections. Absolute insanity. https://www.brightnights.org/visitor-info lies and says Sumner Ave. gates close promptly at 9:30 P.M which is false, I've archived it in case they dispute my charge back claim. Big joke, can't believe the city of Springfield allows this poor traffic management, accident waiting to happen, literal scam to go on. Good scam for the company though. Don't waste your time, traveled for 1 hour and waited 2 to not get let in. You're just supposed to know to get there at 4:00 when you've never been? Shameful on the part of the organizers to obfuscate the process of getting into the park. Clearly 100's of cars not let in tonight. Will charge back because of no refund policy, recommend you all to do the same.

I use to go a lot when I was younger to see the lights. I went as a adult and it was good but not worth the wait. I waited in line for about a good solid two hours. By the time I got to the lights my leg was starting to get stiff and numb for waiting for two hours. I think that the price isn't reasonable due to the long wait. Maybe $15.00 is more practicable. However, the lights were really nice. It was a nice date night once the show started.

Kids loved it wife loved it Happy wife happy life am I right? You drive up as soon as you enter you pay if you PRINTED coupon on site to save 3 bucks good on ya mate If not ur a sucker just like me which is fine too They tell you to dim ur lights aka shut off the low beams leave on ur running lights so cars still see ur taillights and don't ram you Go slow keep distance between u and cars front and back of u don't be afraid to let someone pass who is clearly in a rush enjoy ur time with ur family I live in methuen ma and drove all the way to Springfield ma and it is worth it when ur kids and ur wife loved the show I recommend getting off and getting to the concession stand ya it's pricey average food but part of the experience not time to cheap out Have fun be safe and enjoy

Bright Nights is one of the holiday traditions of southern New England. It is a beautiful experience and well worth taking the family. Take the whole family. In a van. A big one. Because it's really expensive. Our family makes this a night out. We go to a kid friendly restaurant and take advantage of the little daylight we have this time of year. Tune in the FM station they put on to get holiday music and get a flavor for the experience. They do have a place you can pull over for Santa and treats, but it's really expensive. The lights celebrate Springfield's history. You'll see lots of Doctor Suess and Milton Bradley. They are amazing. The downside and the reason this review is not 5 stars is the outrageous price and dot goes up every year so crowd source your trip.

WORST $21 IVE EVER SPENT. No, seriously. Don't waste your time or money coming here. Over an HOUR to get into the park. Why is there no emergency exit for families who realize their egregious mistake by entering this trap? Why is this even advertised as one of the best places to see Christmas lights? I'd like know who decided that...then find them and punch them in the face.

I have been to Bright Nights every year for the past few years, and I definitely recommend it. Even as a Jew, I find it very nice to look at. I opt not to listen to their Christmas music, because that isn't something I enjoy, but it doesn't take away from my enjoyment. I find it so amazing what they can do with the lights, and although it doesn't change much year to year I still keep going back. I did one year decide to try the horse drawn carriage ride since I thought it sounded nice. Much to my surprise it was just a big group of us going for about 2 minutes and that was it, definitely not worth it! Also watch your valpack for a coupon or ask someone who has already been because they give you $5 off your next visit with your receipt.

We took the kids on $10 Tuesday, the lights were beautiful and the ride was nice. We haven't been in over 5 years so it was nice to see all the new things they added. My favorite was the leaping deers. Very very pretty.

So I will say this - The lights are fantastic and driving through the display was not only majestic but romantic. It was much larger than I had anticipated. That said, though the lights might be beautiful, the main and adjacent roads are not properly prepared for the volume of cars. It's complete chaos trying to get to the place - almost 2 hours just waiting on city streets with people honking and police overwhelmed. The city needs to make MUCH MUCH better efforts to streamline traffic. As much as I liked the lights I'll never come back because of the poor process getting to the park.

Since we had family visiting the area for the holidays, we decided to swing through Bright Nights to show them all the incredible lights. The light displays this year were similar to the past years which were great, but it would be nice to see new displays from year to year. We did love all the Dr. Seuss tributes as well as the dinosaur displays. The entry price here is a little steep, but we ended up getting a discount because of our Big Y card. Driving through the park is a blast, but it would be nicer if you could walk through. We felt a bit rushed by the vehicles behind us which was a bit frustrating, but we tried to take as much time as we could. In the end, we really enjoyed the displays here and we hope to continue coming here yearly.

For 21$ on a Saturday night it was an okay deal. The drive itself averaged 30 minutes. There were a decent amount of displays, some were flashy and others were borderline sad. I come from a big city so maybe my tastes are a bit spoiled. It was nice that they had their own radio station and a great little rest area half way. 21 may have been a bit much, but when it comes to kids, I'm sure they would have a blast.

This was a nightmare. Whatever tradition this was, you need to let to die. Given the hour long line to get in, I can't begin to comprehend why... Why was everyone here? Were they all like me, coerced into this rubbish by deranged family members trying to reclaim some dimly revered memory of their childhood? Fine, you want specifics. It was an hour to get the park entrance. Don't follow your GPS, it'll efficiently avoid the traffic and you'll run afoul with the local police ; they will redirect you into the traffic jam. And let's be clear, this entire event is one prolonged traffic jam. Yes, Everyone will try to cut into the jam. Yes, you will have no recourse. Yes, you will stare at the jerk's bumper for the next 2 hours. The cost, 21$, atrocious. Free is too much. Couldn't pay me. Seriously, I'd sit thru a focus panel group, jury duty, sales pitch for timeshare for a Croatian getaway. Anything. The lights are.. Boring. Clearly old, dim, mostly functional. Generic holiday themes in 5 watt bulbs. About 15 minutes into this torture everyone in the car realized our mistake. We all share a look of pleading eyes, then turn to the instigator of this event, my mother. She too sensed the error and could only say "what? I remember it being good!" 40 minutes in, there is a magical forest carstop. Not content with just having a row of toilets, they gussied it up with several rejected carnival rides and questionable refreshments. If you make it this far, good job! You are about half way thru. The next 40 min is more of the same. Surprisingly, the road wasn't littered with the abandoned cars of those who fell asleep at the wheel or drove into the woods In a desperate attempt to escape. Please, please stop perpetuating this event. If you are desperate to see Christmas lights, just drive around the neighborhood. House lights are far, far better. If you want the experience of never ending traffic, just drive slowly.

Unreal... been waiting in line for three hours now and now the kids are sleeping, this is ridiculous! They make you buy tickets in advance yet sell too many obviously, otherwise it wouldn't be this way, so not fair nor right to do this to people. Why would they sell so many for one night so very sad and disappointing.

Okay, here's the deal on Bright Night's: it is cool(ish) but wayyyyyyy over priced. I mean, WAY. $21 per car on weekends. Fortunately, Big Y sells them for $14.50, which is still too much in my opinion. This is the first year I've been in probably 7 years, and not much has changed except for some visibly broken light displays (that our $21 per car apparently can not afford to replace) and really terrible signage/directionals. Seriously, be careful in the non-exhibit areas. It's very easy to take a wrong turn. If you have kids and you can afford it, then I guess I could see going annually. If you don't have kids, once is enough to last you 10+ years.

So if you want to have a good time at Bright Lights... Pick when you go carefully!! I did not go on a weekend or directly before or after Christmas, because guess what, it's open until January 6th! I brought a lot of food for the line wait if there was one in order to keep my people happy. There was no wait. We arrived at 5:45 on a Monday spent about forty minutes give or take viewing the lights at a very slow roll and were home before 8. We ate our takeout in the car while we enjoyed the lights and snapped pictures through my embarrassingly dirty car windows. No wait. Pretty reasonable. The lights were beautiful, and this was something completely safe to do outside the walls of my house. It was worth the money and the driving to do it. This was my first time and I would do it again. If people are measuring this against previous experiences I wouldn't. This is hell year folks, nothing we cherish is the same because no one can do all the things they ordinarily would do so we all have to pile in on the few things deemed safe. If I had been in the car with small cranky children for hours waiting and then been turned away I would have been cranky too. Those poor people deserve a medal. Any wait over twenty minutes with an angry kid is torture no one needs. But we with our bored to death at home over fourteen year old kids were packed to the gills with food and games. I was ready for anything because of being forewarned by previous reviews. We were prepared to wait, because in the words of my husband, what the hell else do we have to do?

We were very disappointed in the lack of signs when entering Springfield. Ultimately we drove right by the entrance and were forced to turn around and come back towards the entrance from another direction by the traffic cop directing traffic there. The new line was at least 2 miles long and we finally decided to go home after a 45 minute wait in line. What a disappointment. I agree with one woman who commented that it is not right for the company to make people pay for their tickets in advance and obviously sell too many tickets. There is no way that all the cars we saw could ever make it through to the entrance by the 930 closing time I would recommend that you do not go to this attraction.

Every year I hope Bright Nights will be discontinued only to stumble upon a scene of congested traffic, flashing police lights and orange cones in the middle of the street. Last night I was walking down Sumner when I saw police lights flashing in the distance and thought "oh wow, something bad must have happened...I wonder what's going on." As I got closer I realized that something bad had indeed happened...Bright Nights! It's ridiculously overpriced, a waste of electricity, doesn't make any money for the city, is an overwhelming source of unneeded pollution and a traffic nightmare for everybody in Forest Park. Let it end already.

I try to make it a winter tradition to attend Bright Nights at least once! Usually armed with what I call "Christmas In A Cup" (a Dunkin Donuts Vanilla Chai) and my own Christmas tunes (they provide a Bright Nights radio station, but their music used to be fairly bland, this year they improved their selection) i drive through the park as s...l...o...w...l...y as humanly possible. (for $18 per carload, you've gotta get your money's worth, am I right?) Also, it's definitely prettier when it's snowing, or there's at least some snow on the ground. (My personal favorite Bright Nights memory is the time when I put off going until the very last minute because there wasn't any snow. Finally, I begrudgingly went, not in the best of moods. As I paid for my ticket and pulled in the park, I remarked to one of my friends, "I just wish it was snowing." And it INSTANTLY started to snow. I was so excited, I started to cry. (I am a big dork who cries over shit like that. Get over it.) ) In the past, the lighting display has remained pretty standard--but this year it got a mini upgrade. I was glad to see this and hope they will continue to add on in the coming years! Approach the park from The X and not 91--you'll get a spot in line MUCH more quickly. I also recommend stopping at the gift shop, especially if you have children with you. (there is a snack bar, gift shop, and you can take photos with Santa! And there are porta potties there, too.) Big Y offers reduced price tickets ($15) and you can also get a $3 coupon from WMECo. (it should come in the mail with your November or December billing statement.) The ONLY thing I would do to improve bright nights? Have a little area (preferably at the end) where you can pull off to the side & take photos by the light display. Oh, and a reminder to turn on your headlights!

Bright Nights is not popular with a lot of my fellow residents of the Forest Park neighborhood because it ties up Sumner Ave. traffic for hours every evening for several weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years. There are several of these light displays around the country but this is one of the biggest. I think the display is charming and the experience is worth the admission cost. It is especially beautiful when there is snow falling. Insider tip: during busy times approach the entrance from the east, (from the X). Most of the waiting traffic comes from the other direction and the police can't let the traffic back up as much towards the X.

If it wasn't for a free pass I won I never would have gone. There is absolutely no way I'm spending $21 to drive through Bright Nights. This is the city of Springfield's tourist trap. A 2.5/3 mile stretch of lighted sponsored advertising. If each display is sponsored by the areas big companies, why does it cost $21 to get in? And where does that money go? It should be free for all Springfield residents because we have to deal with the bullshit traffic on Sumner Ave. Some parts are extremely hard to see if there are no other cars and you have to put your lights on. I went once when it opened, and last night, about 19 years later. It looks all the same to me. They tell you to tune to 98.5 to listen to Elf Radio which sounded like shit. Yes, kids 9 and under might get more out of it than adults, and yes the parents will feel ripped off after, but it's for the holidays, and Springfield knows that.

I hadn't been to Bright Nights since shortly after it opened, which was many, many years ago (as in, during Clinton's first term). So, when my husband received a free pass in his swag bag after running the Bright Nights road race, we decided to check it out. We arrived at around 8pm on a Thursday evening, and managed to avoid the long line typically associated with the event. We waited under five minutes before reaching the main gate. The lighting display was almost exactly how I remembered it-- an odd mish-mash of Christmas, dinosaurs, plugs for Mass Mutual and Baystate, winter scenes, and Dr. Seuss. But it was nonetheless endearing in its randomness. The Bright Nights radio station was more or less unlistenable, but there was enough outside of the vehicle to keep our attention. The entire drive-through took a little over an hour (I think). It was certainly unique, and something I'd recommend seeing once or twice. I suspect kids would get a bit more mileage out of it than a couple of thirty-year-olds. The entrance fee is a little steep if you don't have a pass ($18/car on weeknights, and $21 on weekends), but it looks like there is a $3 off coupon on the Bright Nights website.

I've been amazed by Bright Nights since I was a kid, and someday I hope to bring my kids to it. I bet they'll be equally amazed by what creative people can do with lights... Because this gets better and more intricate every year!! The Barney Mansion lighting exhibit is particularly intricate -- actually, all of these exhibits are highly sculptural. I write "exhibits" because these exhibits at Bright Night are essentially outdoor, (whimsical) artworks -- sculptures. This is public art at its finest, dressed up in holiday garb, but make no mistake: this is artwork, and EXTRAORDINARY artwork at that.

This was our first experience with Bright Nights. We decided to go through on active duty night, since it was free! There were veterans working the entrance, it was awesome and they thanked us as we went through. We got a $5 coupon for the next time we came through and a gift from Yankee Candle. Super sweet. The traffic was really light, but it may have been the minimal amount of active duty members in the area and the lack of snow. We didn't have to wait very long. We live in Longmeadow, so the drive home was quick. There were so many cool lights, from characters from Suessland to dinosaurs. My two year old and my fiancé and I were in awe. It's an amazing tradition that I would love to do every year from now on. I can't wait to come through once snow has fallen. My son will keep asking to come back, I know it. He loves dinosaurs. This is a must!!! You need to swing by if haven't already.

Bright Nights is the yearly light fixture from the City of Springfield that graces Forest Park every year from Thanksgiving until after Christmas. Be prepared to hang out for awhile, particularly on weekend/snowy nights. You do have to pay to get in (according to the site, it's now $15 for cars during the week, $18 on the weekends/Holidays), and the lines are long, but once you get in, it's a treat primarily because of how slowly the lines move. As you drive through, listening to the Christmas carols blaring on the radio station they suggest you turn to, the panoply of colors overtakes you. What makes it particularly fascinating is the different themes for each section. Take Seussland, for example (Theodore Geisel was born in Springfield, hence the Seuss example). Driving through Seussland, you can look outside and see a variety of different characters. Look in one direction, hey, it's the freakin' Cat in the Hat (and not the creepy Mike Myers one either)! Look the other way, it's the Lorax! The different sections appeal to a variety of peoples. Whether you're Christian (a Nativity scene!) or not (Toy Land! Dinosaur Land! Victorian Land!), you'll be well-served. It's the spirit of the season, and all that. I have great memories of Bright Nights. Whether it was my own wonder in my parents taking me through during those dark, occasionally snowy nights, or later bringing people here during Grad School, it's a beautiful, wonderful, Christmas-y/Holiday-y sight to behold. :)

So disappointed by the wait.. how can you expect children to wait for over an hour to enter the park.. not worth it. There should be a better method to prevent all of the line cutters from just jumping in... ruins the Christmas mood! Better off driving through your neighborhood looking at the pretty local lights.. stay clear, especially with young kids!!

There are some Scrooges who slam this kitschy holiday light show, and to them we say "Bah Humbug!" This is in fact a wonderful light extravaganza viewed mostly from the inside of your vehicle as you travel slowly through three miles of varied lovely and humorous light displays. And by varied we mean from dinosaurs to Doctor Seuss to typical holiday scenes (think Santa or one-horse sleighs). It's all really quite festive. There are apparently several million lights, and we're inclined to believe the obsessives who have counted them. Midway through you can hop out of the car, enjoy some hot chocolate at a reasonably priced concession stand and take the kids for a carousel ride. It took a little over an hour to get through the park including that stop, and we experienced rather light traffic. We followed a friend's advice to arrive right after it gets dark and not wait until 7 or 8 when traffic can be very heavy. We suggest you do the same next year. (P.S. It costs $18 per car, which goes to charities.)

My family loves this attraction! Very festive! We live nearby and have visited it at least 8 times, including with extended family. Even now that my son is older, we still love to go through and look for our favorite displays (like the volcano in the jurassic park area, or the grinch and other characters in Seuss Land, and the game of Life). Our holiday season always feels a little more complete when we make it to Bright Nights. Highly recommend :)

I hope people read the most recent reviews on this before going...this was a horrendous experience. We purchased our ticket online and drove an hour and a half to go see this place and it resulted in the only view of lights being that of the car tail lights from all of the traffic. We literally couldnt have made it in...we arrived at 7:20ish, which is more than two hours before gates close and we sat in traffic for half an hour and traveled less than .1 miles during that time (we were .75 miles away from the entrance). If you do the math there is absolutely no way we could have made it in and there were no indicators on their website that it would be like this or that you had to be there by a certain time to gain entry. We ended up giving up after barely moving by 8pm and ended up in more traffic just trying to get away from this hellhole...I will NEVER go back again. No light show could be worth this nonsense. This is a scam - they clearly sell way too many tickets and then make it impossible to get through, dont allow refunds, and then just pocket all the money people wasted to not even be able to see the lights. This should seriously be illegal/someone should take legal action against these scammers.

I have great memories of Bright Nights at Forest Park with my grandparents. Every year during the holidays, my brother and sister and I spent a week with my them in East Longmeadow, and Bright Nights was always a major highlight of the trip. Basically you pay to drive through Forest Park and gaze in awe at one of the most beautiful holiday lights displays I have ever seen, while listening to Christmas music on a station they tell you to tune into. It took around 30-45 minutes to drive through, not only because it was bumper to bumper but also because, why would you want to rush? The display never really changed much from year to year, but that didn't make it any less exciting the fifth or sixth time than it was during the very first. Part of that was probably because I was a kid, but part of it was the lights just really were beautiful.

Yeah, the traffic can be a nightmare, but that time of the season I know to find alternative ways to I-91 (coming from the eastern side of the city). There's tons of light displays and it's fun to load the car up with friends and take a slow relaxing ride through the park. A great way to get into the holiday spirit, and a great moment to tell your girlfriend you're not going to decorate the house like Forest Park. On the way back home, stop by the house on Bradley Road that is decked out with lights and is timed with music.

The lights were nice but the 1 hour wait in line and the jerks cutting the line- and no police to stop them ruined our Christmas spirit.

We noticed many display lights were out. A number of displays were missing from last year, notably the Pergolas were not lit up. Only 3 rides for the kids. Last year there was a large bounce house. My family has gone every year. This was the first year we felt let down.

Had a great time here and was glad we didn't have to wait long to get in since we got there 35 minutes before it opened. To all the locals complaining about the traffic, shut your yapping. For years I've dealt with tourists clogging up Laguna Canyon Road for at least half the year so you can suck it up for 2-3 weeks a year. Aww you poor New Englanders.

Spectacular. I have been going since I was a youngster. I love the radio station that is linked to the drive through. Have fun and tune in!

A boat full of girls ready to see the lights had fun, but there's room for improvement. Tips for next year: -The pool should be covered. Don't they know it's winter?? Also, Santa swimming lights would be dope. Think about it. -The carousel is great, but making it "move" with a lighting trick would make it awesome. -The corporate sponsors need to step up their dollars. Long stretch without lights between winter garden and Seussland. -This experience would be 100x better if there were food trucks. People get hangry in those long lines... -Okay, stopped at the Snack hut. The rest of lights are awesome! Dino AND Noah's Ark!? Way to be.

I live near Forest Park, having recently moved here from San Francisco, and I don't own a car. I think that this event is great, but I think that it should be more pedestrian friendly, if even one night of the year. Have some stands where people can sell hot chocolate and other goodies, have caroling, and allow people to walk through and see the displays. I think this would definitely improve Bright Nights.