Kansas City’s Plaza Lights Shine at Christmas

I spent some of my childhood in the Kansas City area and what I enjoyed the most when I was young was seeing the Plaza lights at Christmas time.

It is an over-90-year-old tradition that spans a 15-block area with Christmas lights over the entire Country Club Plaza. The lights come on in a special ceremony at each year’s Thanksgiving.

Hampton Inn Country Club Plaza
Hampton Inn at the Country Club Plaza

You can walk or drive through the Plaza area since the lighting is spread out throughout the retail district.

Where We Stay

Our favorite place to stay near the Country Club Plaza is the Hampton Inn which we could walk from to the Plaza.

You do have to walk down the hill to the lights, but it is very close.

Along the streets of the Plaza
Along the streets of the Plaza

Out and About on the Plaza

Some of our favorite stores include Better Cheddar, which if you’re into cheese is the store to checkout.

The Plaza also has a department store-sized Barnes & Noble that I always like to browse when I’m there.

You can order from Chuy’s  Mexican restaurant on the Plaza, which has tasty chips and enchiladas.

Horse drawn carriages can be seen in the Plaza.
Horse-drawn carriages can be seen in the Plaza.

Fun Facts About the Plaza Lighting

The Plaza lighting started with a single strand of Christmas lights strung over a store entrance in 1925 and by 1930 it included the whole plaza area.

Lights start to be strung up following Labor Day each year, it takes that long to hang this many lights.

Closer view of one of the towers.
Closer view of one of the towers.

The Plaza is built like a Seville Spain square there are towers throughout the complex adding to the beauty of the lighting.

The big switch on the stage at the Plaza Lighting Ceremony really does turn on all the lights.

A child selected to help turn on the lights from the audience is always chosen at random.

The only time that the Plaza lights were not in operation occurred in 1973 when President Nixon called upon all Americans to curtail the use of Christmas lights to reduce dependence on foreign oil imports.

Early morning view of the Plaza
Early morning view of the Plaza

Guests who have been invited to turn on the Plaza Lights include George Brett, Trent Green, “Fastest Man in the World” Maurice Green, Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis, Eric Stonestreet, Walter Cronkite, Derrick Thomas, Marcus Allen, Buck O’Neil, Saturday Night Live’s Heidi Gardner, and KC-based rapper, Tech N9ne.

Best Views

The best viewing options for the Plaza Lights include the 211 parking garage. Other rooftops with good views during the season of lights include McCormick & Schmick’s, The InterContinental Kansas City Hotel, and the second floor of Barnes & Noble.

Going towards the plaza.
Going towards the plaza.

Parking

All of the Plaza’s parking garages are free and open to the public.

Hours to see the lighting

The Plaza Lights shine daily from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m., Thanksgiving through mid-January.

The lighting is free and can be seen as you walk from restaurants to stores in the Plaza area. Also, you can drive through the streets of the Plaza and see the lights that way, watch where you are driving with people out and about and other cars.

The Plaza area is filled with fountains and sculptures. It is a very unique shopping area. The fountain pictured is the J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain in Mill Creek Park by the Plaza.
The Plaza area is filled with fountains and sculptures. It is a very unique shopping area. The fountain pictured is the J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain in Mill Creek Park by the Plaza.

MORE CHRISTMAS LIGHT DISPLAYS

Lake of the Ozarks

Santa, Rudolph, and lake-themed Christmas lights can be seen at numerous light displays during Christmas time at the Lake of the Ozarks.

See Lebanon’s Winter Wonderland of Lights

Whimsical Christmas lights reflecting off a lake are found at Lebanon’s Winter Wonderland drive-thru light display at Horner Park.

Dinosaurs roam the park at East Peoria's Festival of Lights.
Dinosaurs roam the park at East Peoria’s Festival of Lights.

East Peoria’s Over-The-Top Festival of Lights

Dinosaurs, the Batmobile, a Star Wars X-Wing, and skiers jumping over your car are just some of the amazing light displays at East Peoria’s Festival of Lights.

The Festival of Lights electric park is made up of floats that begin in the Parade of Lights prior to Thanksgiving each year. Being floats allows them to be huge displays that you drive by.

Driving through the lights.
Driving through the lights.

Road Trip to a Top 50 Christmas Light Display

Keokuk, Iowa’s “City of Christmas” lights display made the list of the Top 50 Christmas Light Displays in America.

Seeing Christmas Lights on Candy Cane Lane

During the holiday season, the St. Louis Hills neighborhood along the 6500 block of Murdoch Avenue lights up with hundreds of strands of Christmas lights to become Candy Cane Lane.

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