Once the Christmas shopping is over, you have to check out these amazing activities only going on during the holidays…
There is so much going on around the holidays that it is hard to think of going anywhere or getting anything else done beside holiday related errands. We want to make sure we have purchased all the gifts we need and survive the holidays. Once you have done all of this, you are exhausted and it is January already. I don’t want you to miss out on all the fun activities there are to do during this time of year. Holiday lights, holiday decorated museums, and Christmas Markets to name a few! There is so much going on right in your own backyard you may not even know it. So this weekend give yourself a break, and checkout something amazing going on in your neighborhood.
Pennsylvania has a lot of amusement parks and they are great during the warmer months but did you know that they are open this time of year too? Yes, that is right. You can ride a rollercoaster in 30 degree weather while taking in the holiday light display. Amusement parks set up a holiday light display in the park where you can stroll around the park and just take in the lights. These light displays are as good, if not better, than some of the light displays that you drive or walk through. There are lights in trees, bushes, floating above you, Christmas trees that are 3 stories tall, and interactive displays. And of course all of the characters in the park are dressed in their holiday outfits. Some parks even have a musical lights extravaganza several times throughout the night, where the lights are synced with music. If you have never seen a musical lights extravaganza it is really fun to watch and they never disappoint.
Now each park is different, but they may also open a few select rides. Some parks will only open their children rides but others will have some of your favorite rollercoasters open. Riding your favorite rollercoaster in 30 degree weather is a new experience that you may only want to do once that night, but at least you can say that you did it. Since the parks only open a select amount of rides, the lines for these rides can become very long, especially later in the night. Getting to the park as soon as it opens is always a good idea. You still have some daylight and you can get on all the rides quickly. Later in the night when the park starts to get crowded you can enjoy the light displays. I would recommend checking out the amusement park’s website to see which rides are open before you go.
While you are checking the website, make sure to see if you can get discount pricing online. Some parks have advanced ticket sales online where you can get an extra discount when you purchase online. Tickets at the booth aren’t typically too expensive. Tickets are usually a third of the price of a regular park ticket during normal season. This isn’t a bad deal for all you are getting. Most parks open around dusk, so this isn’t an all-day activity. They also don’t stay open too late as it can get really cold outside. You get a few hours to see several amazing light displays and get on rides, so this is why it is important to get there before the lines get too long. You want to enjoy everything.
Museums are another great way to take in some holiday fun but this activity has you staying warm. Some of the local museums have decorated their exhibits in holiday spirit or even have a temporary holiday exhibit. One of our local museums here in Pittsburgh brings in several towering Colorado Spruce trees and decorates them with hand decorated ornaments. This has become quite a tradition as they have been doing this since 1957, and it always gathers a large crowd. Our local conservatory has a train exhibit set up and this year’s theme is Fairy Tales. Not only do the kids get to enjoy the train set but some of their storybook favorites are around too.
There is so much to see and do around the holidays and most exhibits come down right after Christmas. So this holiday season, make sure to slow down a bit and take in some of the great holiday spirit right in your own back yard. We hope your holidays are out of this world!
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