The greed from these people is so sad. Used to go a while back and it was free as they did this out of the kindness of their heart and we always donated. Went today with my son and they wanted $45 just to watch Christmas lights on their house. Pure greed taking advantage of people on Christmas read more

It's just not for me anymore. It just had a weird vibe. I felt like this year they let a child press some buttons and arrange the show. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. The LED screens and lasers were distracting and jarring with abstract stripe patterns. It just didn't seem to have any flow, theme, etc. it's just constant flash. For me, the beauty is completely gone. To me, it no longer screams Christmas. I can't fault their hard work. It's just too much for me visually. read more

Unless you're in a large SUV or a pickup truck, the show is not conducive for a sedan. Your car is boxed in and your view is very limited. Do the drive through. read more

This is our first visit. We are amazed at the awesomeness of this experience. It must take so much time, effort, expertise and Christmas spirit to pull this off. It makes so many people happy! I read past reviews and appreciate how they have worked so hard to make it better every year. Thank you Larsen Family!! read more

The Larsen Christmas Light Show - Festivals Near Me

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This is a unique experience. You drive out here and wait in a long line of cars along the road. That's not so bad, as the line moves pretty quickly. Then when you get up to the house, you're directed to park in one of several lines of cars and wait for the show. They broadcast the music via FM and the show runs for about 15 minutes. Then you are pointed to the exit. Over all, very efficient. Pros: Efficient in an out The show is AWESOME! They run at least 2 different shows. Free (though they do request a donation to offset costs and the rest goes to charity). Cons: Can be a long wait Show is short Don't get behind a big pickup truck Definitely worth the trip. read more

The people working the light show are extremely rude. Directions on where to go were unclear and one woman ruined our experience by not allowing us to view the show after making a wrong turn. read more

This is our first trip at the new location. Love the content and special effects. We will be back next year!

A gorgeous mansion like house, decked up with 1+ million led lights, some mind blowing technical work and musical holiday tunes - Larsen Christmas Light Show is such a grand visual spectacle. The best part was being able to drive up to a plot right next to the house, park your car in one of the lanes marked and enjoy it from the comfort of your vehicle. Depending on crowds, the light shows last 15-20 minutes and all of this for FREE. If you do wish you can make a contribution which would help with all the overhead costs. A must see during Christmas if you are in the area! PS: Watch the videos of the light show and you will know what I mean - of course my phone camera hardly does justice. Edit : Unable to add more than 1 video, you can view some awesome videos of the light show on YouTube as well. read more

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I love this show. We go every year and always donate. This is a beautifully enchanting show and display. This year was even more amazing than last... Which I didn't think was possible. Great job all involved with lighting, designing, music, programming, maintenance, traffic.... read more

The Larsen Christmas Light Show - Festivals Near Me

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Beautiful show but the lasers need to be either redirected or taken out completely. They come right into your eyes in the car. There are so many other lights and special effects, they are not needed. But our eyes were burning afterwards. Possibly a lawsuit waiting to happen. Hopefully they will take them out of the show. read more

If your wondering where to take your family to get in the Holiday spirit, look no further than here! This is our 2nd year to go and we were more impressed this year. Better music, better visual effects and we though last year was awesome!! The lines can get long and it's possible to get behind a vehicle larger than your own is the ONLY complaint! Remember to us the bathroom last minute out the door and do not allow any drinks on the way! It's in the middle of nowhere with no restroom in sight! You could be in line anywhere from 10 minutes to over an hour but it really is a spectacular display!! Take your kids and and family and friends! Our 'kids' are 23 & 25 and we all loved it!! We went on a Tuesday and saw the 2nd show at 5:30! read more

The Larsen Christmas Light Show - Festivals Near Me

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A bit expensive, but a very nice holiday display fun for kids under teen. Teens ddnt have as much nice to say. read more

The Larsen Christmas Light Show - Festivals Near Me

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How can you say anything bad about someone who puts in such an amazing lightshow for the community at no charge? I thought it was just a heavily decorated house when I saw the news article about the Larsen house. Little did I know that it was such an extravaganza synced to dozens of songs you can tune to on your car's radio. Millions of LED lights dance along, twinkling and sparkling in perfect computer generated unison. read more

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Best Christmas light/music show you will ever see on one house. There is a reason they keep winning national awards. The correct address is not in Winfield, it is: 42W891 Beith Rd. Elburn, IL 60119 The display runs from Thanksgiving - January 2nd. You'll want to watch for at least a half hour because the show features a rotation of light shows set to changing music (provided via an FM station). It's also free. I recommend staying in your car (as opposed to parking in the parking lot). Cheers. read more

This light show never disappoints! This family is nice enough to put this together at no cost (they do accept donations). The house is nice and every year they do something different. Once on the street, there is a parking lot where you pull into. You turn your radio to the designated station and enjoy the lights to the music. The kids love it! We always go late, in our pj's with hot chocolate. We have been lucky enough to never encounter a ton of traffic. Also a plus that it's pretty local. This is def a show you don't want to miss! read more

Last year I would have rated the Larsen lights a 5... however this year I went and even thought there was an obviously long wait I told myself it would be worth the wait... we spent 45 min in line and got to the front for them to tell us to park along the street. Before we even got parked and situated they came around with a collection bucket for donations (which the website said was "a must"). As the driver I could only see about 2/3 of the display from my view on the street and we were only allowed to sit there through 2 songs. Then rushed out. I stopped and asked why it was only 2 songs and was told "you saw 4 songs, now you must leave". I said that wasn't even 10 min?! Was told again I had to leave. I won't be returning. It's a shame because they have the best lights I've seen but waiting almost an hour for less than 10 min? Not worth the 45 min drive I made just to get there! read more

Went on a Sunday night, not that long of a wait. The lights are so perfect and the people very kind. Thank u for all u do!

They really need to work on the parking/seating issue. I purchased tickets because the website mentioned the ground being on an incline which would allow EVERYONE to view the show unobstructed. However, this is not true, and I also had a large/tall vehicle in front of me and could not see the center of the light show because of it. If your first in line or have a tall vehicle, I'm sure you'll enjoy the show, but I did not. read more

Amazing....as long as you arent in a car. SUV or truck only or the view isn't so good. You can get out & look! We love you guys! read more

The Larsen Christmas Light Show - Festivals Near Me

We have made this a holiday tradition for the past 5-6 years with the kids, and had always loved it. However, the last couple of years it has been underwhelming. The more traditional lights and looks were replaced with lasers and LED panels everywhere, and the music has gotten terrible. Classics have been replaced with dub step versions of Christmas songs that just seem annoying. Don't get me wrong, it's still cool but it was much better before it seemed like they were trying too hard to make it better read more

This is a yearly tradition for our family. We don't even mind waiting! We actually prefer to watch from the road now instead of the parking lot because we usually end up in the back and can't see some of the details. We love that he changes it up every year and enjoyed the new songs. The kids did miss hearing TransSiberian Orchestra songs this year, though. read more

They have put together an incredible holiday light show. I finally made it for the full length show and the only complaint is they should be at the gate collecting donations and hand out the flyer. They should direct like model vehicles into rows. I have a mid-size SUV and being behind a full size truck is a bummer. The home sits on a small bluff, so that helps. Also instruct vehicles to turn off their headlights. Some idiot pulls in behind me 2/3rds of the way into the show with his headlights on. Some people are clueless and have no care how their actions effect others. I finally put my car into reverse with the hint for them to turn their lights off. They didn't, but ended up backing up themselves and pulled into another lane. Tune your radio to 88.5 fm and enjoy the 30+ minute show. read more

The Larsen Christmas Light Show - First show starts at 5pm. - Festivals Near Me

Did I really pack up the family truckster and drive over eighty minutes one way to see Christmas lights set to "Chelsea Dagger"? Why yes, yes I did. Our love for the Blackhawks is a force to be reckoned with, yo. Was it worth it? Would I drive three hours round trip with the family again? Yes. And also yes. Look, my outside Christmas decorating consists of a crappy "set" of half-burned-out-and-wholly-mismatched lights slapped on some haphazardly trimmed bushes. Throw in a lighted snowman who looks like he had a fair share of over-spiked eggnog, and boom. Instant holiday cheer, Courtney O. style. That being said, I admire a good display. I really admire a great display. An amazing display...yeah, that will blow my socks right off. The Larsen family doesn't mess around. Not only were the lights timed impeccably to the music, but the graphics, the variety, the cheer...it's the real deal. The Hawks tribute alone was worth waiting, almost idle, for a half an hour or so just to get close enough to see the beauty unfold right before our very eyes. Things to know before you go: be prepared to be patient. We went on a weeknight several weeks before Christmas and traffic--just people who wanted to see this amazing display, to clarify--still kind of sucked. Bring snacks for the little ones. And tablets/car friendly activities if you're looking to buy some sanity for the adults. The whole program takes awhile, so go when you have time to spare--lots of traditional Christmas songs, some Frozen, some Hawks related, etc.; be prepared to wait if you're going with intentions of seeing xyz song. The wait is so worth it, though. We'll be back next year for sure. See you there. :) read more

Sure, I like Christmas time, but I honestly HATE winter in the Chicago area...just not a fan of cold weather, I'd be totally fine living in a place with decorated palm trees. I DO like to make the most of it and embrace the season...even if that means driving around in a well heated car looking at Christmas lights. Last year my Mom & I sat in the very long line to see the lights at Cuneo Mansion in Vernon Hills, and I suggested checking this display out this year...I first heard of it late in the season last year. Everyone had been posting the Blackhawks theme this year on Facebook, so it was worth a drive. As we were driving there, I saw someone post on facebook that the line was long but from far away it looked awesome...so I told my mom - well, I just heard there was a long line to get in there! Good thing we stopped for Hot Chocolate on the way. I'm not sure how this happened but... here's a tip! I live in the Naperville area, and I plugged the address to the place on Waze...it took me west down 88, exit Orchard Rd, then zig zag along some dark two-lane roads. We ended up AGAINST the traffic going into the place! We saw the LONG line head of us facing our direction, but we were able to pull right into the "tailgating" lots - which, if you're in a hurry...you'll end up behind a few cars parked which may be hanging out a while. We did get to see a number of songs in which the house display lights up to, so it was well worth the drive, than just driving past, or sitting in that long line of traffic... my advice, go THAT route!!! There is a radio station you can tune into while you're there to watch the display. The station mentions there are two displays so if you come on a different night you may watch an entirely different show. read more

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There's a reason (or 1 million reasons) why the Larsen light show is so well-known. 1+ million lights synchronized to music. Stunning display. Parking lot as well as parking along the road. A donation is encouraged for parking in the lot. The lot has 8 lanes of traffic where cars park in lines & attendants direct (during high volume times) to expedite the flow. Music connects through the radio to listen in the comfort & warmth of your personal vehicle. Cubs, Blackhawks, and Christmas classics make up much of the show. There's even a little humor to add to the entertainment value. The show lasts roughly 45 minutes and begins roughly every hour. I know during peak days (like Christmas & the weekends just before) you can wait an hour or up to a couple hours to get into the lot. We visit the week following Christmas & the wait is non-existent or significantly shorter. No way I'd have the patience to program or string up all those lights. Simply spectacular. If it isn't a tradition yet, make it one! read more

Fabulous. I could stare at it for hours!! So glad our friends told us about it. New parking lot. Lots of traffic congestion. Enjoy the show and have patience. We went on a Monday. Tonight as a matter of fact. Should have taken a picture but it started to snow rain. Got me in the mood for the holidays. read more

Very disappointing this year. It was our 4th year visiting Elburn and was not worth it at all!!! Show was only 10 min, they let us in the middle of the show and we were not allowed to stay for the next one. It was boring, it was always very exiting with upbeat music but not this year! I would think if they will start charging next year, this year should be the best for a good advertising! I guess that was not the plan! Not recommending at all! read more

Ive lived in elburn the past 8-9 years and the light show USED to be amazing. The REAL christmas music was captivating and enchanting. The "cycles" they pull u through now, I understand, are necessary but kind of horrible. Its less then 20 minutes you get to watch, which is a good thing because all of the songs are like a minute and half. And its DANCE MUSIC. the music is almost annoying to hear and i wanted to leave after 2 songs but i couldnt because i was trapped in a cycle. I hope someone somewhere gets the message out to the gentleman who owns it. Please stop doing the most, go back to the way it was, and just play some classic christmas music. read more

drove an hour to go see the light show after having a great experience the year past. line didn't take that long and the wait time was short. however, the light show only ran for about 3-4 songs and lasted roughly 10 minutes. the year prior lasted around 25ish minutes and was an enlightening experience that i remembered enough to come back to show my friends. the sign next to the line of cars read out that the show would run for 25 minutes with a 10 minute wait time. even with covid going on i don't see how the show would've changed to this point, or why there wasn't at least a warning to patrons of the change. even with the dissatisfying display the workers still went around asking for donations. i'd rather pay money for a longer quality show than drive an hour for a light show that lasted less than my ex. read more

The Larsen Christmas Light Show - light show in action - Festivals Near Me

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The show is awesome. A big thank you to Brian and his family. It's a great tradition and hope they decide to do it again. Definitely pick a weekday, or even after Christmas. Went on 1/2 and no wait and show was fabulous. Nice to spend time with family read more

We took our family the night after thanksgiving it was a spectacular show and very memorable for the whole family. This will definitely become a holiday tradition for our family. We even had the pleasure of witnessing an engagement proposal in lights the night we attended. read more

The Larsen Christmas Light Show - Lights to frozen song - Festivals Near Me

These Christmas lights are unlike anything I've ever seen. Over one million lights all brilliantly orchestrated to play for a solid 30 mins to the tune of a vast medley of songs, including tributes to the Cubs, the Blackhawks, the movie Frozen, and our troops. Quite a mixed bag! The lights were incredibly impressive and I could hardly believe a half an hour had gone by when the show was over. We waited approximately 20 minutes to get up to the house to see the show, which I really didn't mind at all given it was the Thursday before Christmas, but people around us were mighty ornery. You pull into a sort of makeshift parking lot and view the show from there - which would be okay if everyone (us included) didn't drive an SUV. It was kinda difficult to see everything. Also if the people in front of you let their monste--errr, children, hang out of their sunroof, it makes it even tougher. But we managed! I really appreciated the end when we could actually drive up close and see all around the house. I'm sure it's a logistical nightmare but I wish there was a way they could allow people more time to get close enough to see it! Either way, it's incredibly impressive what these people pull off with lights and music, and well worth the trip out to Elburn to see it! read more

Total traffic disaster for us people living in the vicinity, it's worn out it's welcome!

Amazing lights show. The entire house is covered with lights, and the show is synchronized to music. Listen through your FM radio. Even better that the entire show free! But they do accept donations. Traffic is much more organized than it has been in the past. The show lasts roughly a half-hour, and they have staff on-site to collect donations and direct traffic. Unfortunately there's not much else to do nearby. It's a long drive outside of the Chicagoland area, and you start to enter the rural areas of the Downstate region. The roads are not well-lit, and the house is somewhat difficult to find, so you should be careful and aware of your surroundings when going there. A few stores and a gas station are several miles away. However, that's probably part of the charm of this place; the quiet surroundings provide a nice retreat away from the distractions of urban life. read more

Outstanding display coupled with a complete lack of traffic management or signage on a week night.

If you haven't viewed this-then you must before you die. It is worth the trip and will not disappoint. Thanks to the Larsen Family for putting a million smiles on faces across the country. The Larsens have good garage sales too. read more