Well what a night. I have been visiting this 2 block gem for years now. It is never a dissapointment. Now its not going to be some big extravaganza like the the Lights in Willow Glen in San Jose, nor like up the peninsula in San Carlos. If you want something local, with a few homes that light up the block, come on out to Fulton Street in Palo Alto and get in the mood for Christmas. I thought it was a nice quick easy drive and walk. I have included some of those houses that really lit it up. You will need to take a look for yourself. read more

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Amazing experience for the kiddos! I highly recommend it my girls had so much fun. It's not a super fast attraction and I love that they don't have to get out of the vehicle. read more

We visited this free attraction during the weekend. The kids in my group loved the cardboard cutouts for photo ops, entertained by the cartoonish characters lined with colorful string lights, and free libraries along the street, where they were each able to choose a book. The neighborhood homes were nice enough to amuse the adults, some beautifully lit. And parking was easy off Embarcadero Road, either on Middlefield Road or Guinda, which was convenient to enjoy a walk through (versus just driving by). As lovely as everything was, there were a lot of dark houses, as well as some cardboard cutouts without lights nearby so they could hardly even be seen. My fave wasn't even on Fulton Street, it was on a side street (look for the gingerbread house on Tennyson Ave). For a more impressive and exciting holiday lights experience, I recommend Christmas Tree Lane in San Carlos over this. But the Palo Alto attraction was cool to check out as a one-time thing. And I appreciate the residents who put effort into making this annual tradition possible. read more

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Is it amazing? No. Is it free? Yes. 0.4 miles for a six foot male at a leisurely slow pace (2mph) is 1122 steps, or about 12 minutes, not including the minute or so you will watch undisciplined children trample the landscaping as you wait to fake a smile next to a cardboard reindeer. Point is, unless you have a thing for pregnant white ladies (I saw two), you have to consider is it worth driving out of the way to walk the two blocks. read more

Christmas Tree Lane - Local Flavor Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Out of all the Christmas Tree Lanes in the bay, it's definitely a less crowded one because it's not as decked out as the other ones. I still enjoyed walking around and appreciated the planted baby Christmas trees on the sidewalks. Overall, I'd say it's only worth coming here if you are in the area or live close by. There are definitely better Christmas Tree Lanes. read more

Christmas Tree Lane - Local Flavor Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Last year when Covid cancelled all holiday festivities including outdoor ones that encourage gathering, it was nice to see that most Christmas Tree Lanes around the Bay Area went up as usual. I went back to all my faves like Alameda Thompson Street and the San Carlos Eucalyptus one and was happy to discover some new ones like this Christmas Tree Lane in Palo Alto. Since overcrowding was expected, this one was a drive thru in 2020 but sounds like returned to normal as a walk through this year. Arriving at dusk ensured that we didn't have to deal with the large line of cars to get in. What dropped a star for me was many of the houses were decorated with cardboard cutouts vs. light displays which I personally prefer. But any effort put in since Covid to bring some brightness in a dark time is appreciated. read more

I only included pictures of the houses that went all out. All the other houses were subpar. A couple houses didn't even put up lights. You can't park on the street itself but there's plenty of parking down the street. There wasn't a lot of pedestrian traffic, small and perfect for a free activity to take the family on a weekday night. read more

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Super cute!!! I was doing a Google search for a Christmas Tree Lane in the Bay Area and this one popped up. Note: For the 2019 year, Christmas Tree Lane will be lighted 5 to 11 pm from Saturday, December 14 through Tuesday, December 31, 2019. You can drive through Christmas Tree Lane or walk through. I personally love to take the time to look at the decorations and take pictures, so my boyfriend and I walked through Christmas Tree Lane. My boyfriend and I came from San Jose. Not too far and it was definitely worth the commute. All, if not, most houses on Christmas Tree Lane were decorated. read more

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For some Christmas/holiday cheer, I checked out Fulton street on Christmas Eve. This neighborhood was COVID friendly. I was smart to come just after the sun set and see the lights once the the sky got dark to beat any car lines though a couple of the houses weren't all lit yet. This street was two lane of cars in both directions and very few to no pedestrians, which was great to be able to see the homes from the car. Seems that this neighborhood relied more on cutout display decor of characters and scenes versus lights; yet Still brought the holiday cheer. Per the website, if this year was not the pandemic, the decor is more interactive. Hoping for when we can return to how these decorations were designed to be interactive. read more

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We visited this free attraction because we were in the area. On the day of our visit, it was raining and after Christmas so some homes were not lit and there were very few visitors. I don't know if it's livelier before Christmas but it wasn't impressive on this particular night. If you are in the area, it's a nice little light display with a few photo ops. read more

Still up in 12/31! I thought at first that this was only a Christmas special but glad to see the tradition carried out through the New Year. Drove by this neighborhood in Pleasanton and thought the decorations were very cute. Very impressed that the neighborhood was able to coordinate this. To be honest though, I found a lot of the decorations underwhelming, probably because of COVID-19. Not sure if it's worth the 20+ minute drive but it was a nice view and also there weren't that many people driving through the neighborhood. read more

Drove 45 minutes for Christmas lights, but they weren't impressive. Found a much better display in Pleasanton, ten times more festive and worth the trip. read more

Underwhelming this year, possibly due to covid. I drove by 2 days before Xmas and it looked as if the homes were forced to decorate and did the bare minimum to meet requirements. A few string of lights and some Christmas decorations. There were a couple of houses that were nice. I would say this is not worth your time and drive unless they amp it up next year. We drove into another block which had better lights. What I did think was cool was how there were mini Christmas trees lining the block. read more

Well, I feel bamboozled. Friday night we went to the lights in San Carlos, and that neighborhood really had the Christmas spirit down. So we thought to ourselves, where else can we go? Saw this on Yelp, and came the next day. It literally was like 4 houses all spread out. What the? I felt a little cheated, and also felt like I wasted my time. I checked the address a few time to make sure we were in the right place, and yup we were. This is a fair warning for anyone who makes the trek. It's only a few houses. Head to the one in San Carlos for the full experience. read more

A beautifully decorated street, perhaps 20 - 25? Gorgeous Palo Alto homes all aglow with the holiday spirit; Lots of people walking around with their kids.... Reminds me a bit of the famous "Peacock lane" in Portland, which is truly amazing if you ever get a chance to see. read more

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So darn cute! Gets ya into the holiday spirit! Drove down Christmas Tree Lane with BF. Romantic and cute ^.^ I look forward to it for next year! Bring families and kids of all ages! read more

This street should NOT have more than one star. It might have been lit in times past, but it is most definitely not festive in the year 2016. I also might be extremely biased because I was born and raised in the conservative California Central Valley, so I've seen multiple neighborhoods get wayyyyyy turnt for Christmas. I'm talking major light shows. I've yet to find anything comparable here in the Bay Area, so when my husband and I were out driving last night (12/26), he suggested I get the directions to "Christmas Tree Lane" in Palo Alto. Ya'll, I was expecting so much flavor. Excitement. Beauty. Palo Alto, right? Gorgeous homes, right? It's bound to be beautiful. FALSE!!! Only a hand few of houses had lights. Just because you put up some wooden characters, that doesn't make your lawn festive. Sorry. You just have wooden characters on your lawn! And blow up characters? Yeeesh! It's quite clear that while people 30 years ago got into decorating/the festivities, the new folks are either a. Too old to care b. New to the street and don't care about the tradition c. Don't observe/celebrate Christmas All of those options are fine! Just don't have a website dedicated to promoting a gorgeous street with Christmas lights when it's basically three houses on a street with wooden fixtures and tangled up lights. No bueno. It took me longer to write this review than it did to drive down "Christmas Tree Lane". read more

This place brings the holiday spirit to the Bay! My mouth dropped when we turned onto this street and got a glimpse of the splendor that awaited us. Before us was an entire block of decorated houses- and cute little lit up trees lining the street all the way down! It is such a stark contrast to the minimally decorated typical Peninsula suburbs that it no longer feels like you are in the Bay but in some other mystical place. After parking on one of the side streets where we were allowed to, we went out and took a better look at the lights. We saw so many unique designs- one house that had lights streaming out of the window like a waterfall, one that had so many colorful rainbow lights and gumdrops that it looked like a gingerbread house, one that had so many good snoopy characters, one with teddy bears in the window, a mechanical soldier, an epic ski house, and so much more! Great for kids, dates, visiting parents... I recommend bringing everyone along and sharing in the beautiful show that these residents put on. Gratitude and blessings to them! read more

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This year was my first time visiting the Christmas Tree Lane in Palo Alto and I have a message to the houses owners. You are amazing people! you are very kind to let us enjoy your decorations (for Free!) You don't have any obligation and you are doing it every year and our children can enjoy the Christmas Spirit. From me to you: Happy Holidays! :-) read more

Christmas Tree Lane - Snoopy and Woodstock, my favorite ones - Local Flavor Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Each year the 1700 and 1800 block of Fulton Street in Palo Alto are turned into a tribute to the most wonderful time of the year. A Palo Alto holiday tradition, the concept of Christmas Tree Lane (originally called Christmas Fairyland Lane) was conceived over a bridge table by Judge & Mrs. Edward Hardy and the George Englishes more than sixty years ago. It has survived black outs during World War II, the energy crisis of the 1970's and a few other challenges over the years but, is still going strong thanks to the hospitality of the street's residents. Whether you drive slowly down the street with only your parking lights illuminated and enjoy the displays from your car or park on a side street and walk past all of the Nutcracker characters, elves, reindeer and the Peanuts gang, please be mindful that these are people's homes and you are there at their invitation. It is wonderful of them to continue this sweet tradition despite the fact that they risk inviting a whole lot of crazy onto their front lawns in doing so. Don't give them a reason to opt out of the fun next year ---behave !!! You don't want to be responsible for killing a time honored tradition. Christmas Tree Lane usually rises mid-December. The lights displays turn on daily around 5 p.m. and continue through New Year's Eve, with the lights darkening each night at 11 p.m. No parking is allowed on Christmas Tree Lane, but parking is available in nearby neighborhoods. read more

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I really have nothing new to add to the other reviews, except to say that I wish more neighborhoods banded together in this way and put together a themed holiday display like Christmas Tree Lane. The fact that the homes are not super flashy or over the top makes it seem from another, simpler time. The little trees in front of each home are the icing on the cake of Fulton Street in Palo Alto. It's fun to stand at the top of the street and look all the way down the "lane" and see all the trees lined up. It seemed to me that there was 100% participation this year of the homes. It's definitely walkable, so bundle up and take a walk through. A definite must see if you are in the area and a great holiday tradition to start. While walking through, "say hello to friends you know and everyone you meet." Everyone around was super friendly! read more

Visited the other night and really loved all the decorations! So pretty, many looked handmade - it really put us in the Holiday spirit. read more

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Sorry, but this place is a bit overrated, at least this year. I came here expecting the street to be brightly lit, but when I got here, it was dim and dark. In my opinion, living on Christmas Tree Lane should mean that the houses should participate in lighting their houses. Sure, it doesn't have to be extravagant, but at least put a little effort. This is where I was disappointed. There were many houses on this street that belonged to Grinches, so many of them had no decoration or lights. They were plan dark and dull. It ruins the Christmas spirit and the honor of owning a house on Christmas Tree Lane. One house had a cardboard train on the front lawn saying "Happy Holidays' with no lights - thats pretty lame. So, 3 stars for the houses that did put up something. Hopefully next year will be better. read more

I came on a Saturday night the weekend before Christmas. I was left a little disappointed since there weren't many lights up. There were some people walking through the streets to look at the Christmas decorations and lights but it was overall pretty quiet for a Saturday night before Christmas. It wasn't as festive and decorated as other Christmas tree lanes I've been to. The only nice thing I liked were the small Christmas trees in front of every house. read more

I love Christmas and I loved Christmas Tree Lane when I went this year! The lights aren't all crazy colored or covering every inch of the street, but I actually prefer it that way. The houses were tastefully done and many had some sort of theme such as The nutcracker to it. Plus I love how every house has a tiny christmas tree on the sidewalk, it was a nice way to tie all the houses together. The street is fairly small, but definitely a great place to visit if you live nearby! read more

OMG I am so happy to see someone Yelped this!!! Last nite, heading home from dindin on Embarcadero we are nearing the freeway when...holyheckwhatthefwasthat....we pass an insanely lighted street on our right. Going too fast to make a safe right into the next street, we head up to Newell and make a right there...figuring we'll see the beacon of neighborhoodly holiday-ness as we make a right down a side street. Ding ding ding, we did! On a long stretch of Fulton at Embarcadero, this one neighborhood went all out for Xmas. Not sure if it's like this every year, but it was an awesome surprise! A long line of slowly snaking cars met us as we turned onto the street and we got into our place and started the oohs and aahs. A bunch of people walking with hot chocolate obviously had the same idea or the pre-idea since they were also slowly enjoying the lighted festivities. After the bitter defeat we had at Vasona Fantasy of Confusion...this was a warm balm to our holiday-loving senses. We basked in the bright glow of thousands of lights, a Nutcracker in a booth, Santa sneaking down a chimney, were those SMURFS I saw singing carols on someone's lawn???? And of course we did have to see some guy leading his 3 kids up to the porch of someone's house so he could take posed photos of them with the decorations. Uhhhh, ok. Have some respect for the people who open their houses, lawns, chimneys to ya'll. Head over and check this place out immediately. I am not sure how long it's up for but it's a great way to end a fun evening in PA...surprise Christmas fantasy-land on a beautiful side street. The houses are no slouch either...I love me some architectural eye-candy I can't afford. Oh...Recession Friendly!! Perk. read more

Christmas is my favorite holiday and it's not because of presents. When I was a kid, I'd remember my mom hosting my Dad's side of the family at our house for dinner on the 24th. We'd eat and play with the cousins, watch TV specials and then at midnight, my brother and I would be the ones in charge of passing out everyone's gift. I also love putting up the tree, lights and unwrapping the ornaments, most of which have sentimental value associated to them. But my fondest memory was my family of four piling into our car and driving through a residential street in Santa Clara (where we used to live). We'd "ooooo" and "aahhh" as we passed houses within a two block span that was decorated with lights and figurines. I loved it and even as we grew older and moved away, I'd ask my Dad to take us back to that area in Santa Clara, but the houses stopped participating in it. Well tonight my childhood came back. I was driving on Embarcadero Road and passed what looked like any street opening with a house lighted up. Only there was a line of cars slowly inching down Fulton Street. I made a quick U-turn and queued up. On both sides of Fulton St., houses were decorated. There was colored lights and white lights, a nutcracker in a booth, reindeers and a sled, smurfs, paper children...oh it was great. I think I may have to go back again and take it all in. If you drive, it's considerate to turn off your car headlights. If you're walking, park on the side streets and then walk and enjoy the sights. The decorated lights span 2 blocks and it's a great way to start up my family tradition again! read more

Christmas Tree Lane 2020 begins Saturday, December 12 and continues through December 31, 2020. Hours this year are 5 pm to 10 pm (because of the COVID-19 curfew). Drive down Christmas Tree Lane from 5 pm to 10 pm to create lasting memories for the entire family. read more

I love Christmas time because I get to be a little child again. No one can judge me for getting excited about the tiniest of things such as peppermint white chocolate lattes at Starbucks, baking accidentally ugly shaped (but oh so tasty) cookies in my own home and searching the mall for fun little gifts. Christmas Tree Lane just made Christmas in California rather than in snow covered cold Germany a little more....well...christmasy. My lovely boyfriend drove me down this downtown Palo Alto street about a week ago around 9pm. I gasped and shrieked and ooohed and aaahed as we slowly perused down the lit up magical holiday wonderland lane. The decorations range from extensive lights all over houses, gardens and fences to reindeer, snowmen and santa figures. The adult in me ended up coming through a little bit anyway as I wondered what the daily electricity bill for this street looked like in the winter time ;) read more

Came by tonight at 10:30 (12/5/2015). We didn't see much. Just one house had lights. There were more lights on the cross streets. Came too early this year? Came too late tonight? Maybe the other reviewer is right. Participation has dwindled in recent years. EDIT: Apparently, it starts on 12/13 this year. http://www.christmastreelane.org/index.php read more

If you like drives, and have 15 minutes, this is a great place to go see some holiday lights. Its two blocks long, and you're going to go slow enough in the warmth of your car to see all the pretty lights. Its a little far from my house, but my grandma wanted to see some holiday lights (I probably wouldn't have gone if my grandma hadn't asked me to go). Some houses are decorated better than others, but a still a good way to get yourself into the holiday spirit. You can also park at a neighboring street and walk around to see the lights. Pro-tip, Have a really good driver who can see a lot of things at once (lights, pedestrians, cars etc). It is especially treacherous because you're supposed to turn off your headlights, so some have their fog lights or no lights on at all. read more

I was born and raised in Palo Alto, over 60 years ago. To me Christmas Tree Lane is a personal memory that still lives on in my life, even though I have not visited there in many years. During this holiday season this special "gem" comes alive with a true holiday spirit. To truly feel this time of year reach within your own heart and when you experience Christmas Tree lane for the first time may the glow from Fulton Street tug at your heart strings as it still does for me... read more

Only two houses had lights up. Christmas Tree Lane in San Carlos was much better plus they keep their lights on all night. Even the surrounding houses in the neighborhood lack the Christmas spirit and lights I experienced a few years back and when I visited San Carlos Christmas tree lane. San Carlos wins this year. read more

It was nice, clean and well decorated. Would come here again and recommend to other for sure. The hot chocolate was really good but the service was a bit annoying imo read more

Nothing to get you quite into Christmas spirit like visiting this spot! They do an excellent job, and were even serving hot chocolate. Can't wait to go back next year! read more

I heard about the existence of Christmas Tree Lane from my friend, and I immediately googled it and was pretty excited to check it out. I finally came tonight with my family. Honestly, it wasn't as good as I expected it to be. The street wasn't very long, but still a good two blocks. I was pretty impressed by the two rows of lit-up x'mas trees, plus the red streetlamps. The trees definitely made the entire street look more spirited. however, i thought the houses could have done a better job at decorating it up. I thought that every single house would be completely decked out, but it was only 75% of the houses, and they weren't even REALLY DECKED OUT. Some of the houses on MY street even did a better job. I think if it wasn't for the x'mas trees on the sidewalks, it would make the street look very normal. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed checking it out w/my family. The part that I really like about x'mas is checking out the x'mas lights...and this street definitely does a good job at showing me the x'mas spirit =) It's probably the only street that does that in the SF bay area too. I guess the reason why I was slightly disappointed is becuz I saw way better when I was in LA a few years back, but I guess you can't compare. If you haven't seen this already, I definitely recommend it, but I don't think I would really come back again next year and the year after. I would rather just go check out x'mas in the park in san jose =P read more

A fun walk down Christmas Tree Lane! We came after xmas so there were only a few visitors, free parking along nearby streets, you can walk down the street in 15 minutes and see everything. It seems less extravagant than the San Carlos rendition. read more

So the first time I tried to come here was this past Tuesday. I brought some of my girlfriends with me and I told them to dress warm, and we even got hot coffee before we tried coming here because other reviews said to get out and walk. Anyways I got to the neighborhood and nothing was decorated! So I went on the website and saw that it started December 10th, and that I was too early whoopsiesss. So my friends and I came back yesterday night, and we were willing to get out of the car, but we saw nobody else walking around! I expected more people to be out walking, but it was around 9 so maybe the crowd died out? There were cars driving slowly and checking the decorations out though. It' definitely is a cute neighborhood! So jealous of all the houses, but if you're driving the trip seems very short! So I'd recommend getting some hot coffee, and just walking down the block! read more

Kind of a let down. I remember 30 or 40 years ago nearly every house was brilliantly decorated, now, less than have the houses do anything, and there was not a single house with any "Wow! factor". There used to be houses with home made animatronics. Now there aren't even any of the animated stuff you can get at Costco. read more

Visited on 12/20/2015 at 5:30pm. Beautiful decorations by all the homeowners, quite a few people taking a stroll and kids having a good time. Great way to feel the holiday spirit! Pro tip - park on a nearby street and take a stroll instead of driving through! Relaxing 30mins with friends and/or family. read more