This Is the Most Unique Holiday Lights Show in the U.S.

This holiday season, forget about rooftops and streets lined with twinkle lights. One of the most fantastic light holiday light displays in the U.S. is actually located underground, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Beneath the streets of Derby City, you’ll find Louisville Mega Cavern, a former limestone mine that is now the largest human-made cave system in North America. The quarry was primarily used from the 1930s through the ’70s, and supplied stone for roads and buildings across the region. Today, the 100-acre, four-million-square-foot labyrinth has found new life as an underground playground. And every winter, it transforms into one of the most enchanting holiday experiences in the country with Lights Under Louisville.

From mid-November to early January, visitors can drive their cars into the cavern or hop aboard the open-top Christmas Express, which travels through tunnels lit by millions of lights, lasers, and dazzling projections. Giant illuminated characters appear around bends, and more than 40 themed scenes create a mile-long Christmas parade that winds beneath natural arches and soaring stone ceilings. Last year alone, the installation featured over seven million lights and nearly a thousand sparkling figures to create an underground spectacle that even seasoned holiday travelers surely can’t say they see every day.

But according to Lauren Parker, the senior director of marketing at Louisville Mega Cavern, the magic isn’t just in the scale, it’s also in the setting. “This beloved holiday staple is the ultimate seasonal destination,” she says. “As a fully underground drive-through light show, it offers an unforgettable experience with millions of lights for a cozy outing and the perfect family tradition.”

The cavern stays a steady 58 degrees year-round, which means you get holiday ambiance without the winter chill. The natural rock architecture reflects and amplifies the displays, turning tunnels into secret passageways and open chambers into glowing domes. Plus, since the cavern is naturally dark all the time, it doesn’t need to be nighttime for visitors to see these holiday lights—you can go during the day.

“A lot of people don’t realize that since it’s fully underground, they don’t have to wait until it gets dark,” Parker says. As a fully dark cavern experience, the magic is always on.

Tickets start around $50 per car for a 30-minute drive-through, while the open-air trailer option is $22 for adults; children under three can ride for free. The cavern is easily accessible just off I-264 and is less than 10 miles from downtown Louisville, with plenty of free on-site parking. And if you’re craving some adrenaline to go with your sparkle, the cavern also has Mega Quest, an underground aerial rope course, and Mega Zipline, both of which run through the same vast cavern system.