From the lovely and unique beauty of lit-up palm trees to the streets full of multi-color lighting, there’s nowhere quite like Los Angeles when it comes to dazzling holiday light displays. Everyone here in LA seems to be making the most of the holiday season while the stores seem to like calling the people walking on the streets to come and have a look at how beautifully they’ve been decorated to match the festival theme. And while there are countless twinkling displays across the city to check out across the city, we’ve pulled together the best-decorated stores that are guaranteed to leave your family glowing through the New Year.
Although the list focuses on the best-decorated stores in Los Angeles, we’ve also included some other places we found to be worth mentioning:
Burro
Another great place to visit during your visit to Los Angele during Christmas Season is the Burro, making it possible for travelers and locals to get into the holiday spirit. Along with looking beautiful from the outside, the store is also sure to give you an eyegasm with beautiful holiday décor strung from wall to wall inside the store. You can shop for almost every kind of Christmas card you’d want to send to your loved ones for holiday greetings. This store is a true contestant to help make holiday traditions stand out.
Cost Plus World Market
If you’re not in the mood to visit multiple places to get everything available on your shopping list, then Cost Plus World Market is the perfect choice where you can also experience the real spirit of LA’s Christmas season. Here at Cost Plus World Market, you can spot the reindeer, experience snowflakes, and enjoy the decorated Christmas trees all over the place. This place looks like a Christmas decorating playground for holiday lovers. Along with the decoration, you’d also love the cost of products available here as the shopping here will never hurt your budget.
Santa Monica Place
Another great place to experience the real spirit of the Christmas season is Santa Monica Place. If you’re in Los Angeles during this holiday season, you can’t afford to miss the huge tree located in the center of the store, along with Santa’s holiday house and a large Menorah. The entire store is decorated using thousands of Christmas lights. You’d love to enjoy the outdoor skating rink just a few blocks away.
Melrose Fashion District
Head to the west of Melrose to West Hollywood’s Design District where you are sure to shop the cool edgy boutiques in Hollywood on this famous street that turns out to be better during festivals than any time of the year. Along with offering you the perks to shop for the best apparel and fashion products, this place also lets you enjoy the gorgeous holiday views from West Hollywood’s best-kept secret — “urban park”. Make sure you visit the third floor of Restoration Hardware.
Malibu Country Mart
Don’t get confused with the name, as this place gives you a chance to get a country Christmas. You can spot the live reindeer of Santa and festive holiday decorations at the Malibu Country Mart. Every Saturday, Santa visits the store to take wish lists from kids while the special events for kids make it a must-visit for people of all ages as you can take part in cookie decorating and face painting events. No matter what age group you belong to, just take a drive along the Pacific Coast Highway and make sure to stop at the Malibu Country Mart.
Christmas Traditions
It may look like just a traditional store from the outside, but has a lot to offer as you step in. Inside it, you’d find a whole Christmas Village that is filled from wall to wall with Christmas décor, trees, lights, and ornaments. Although it’s open throughout the year, the Christmas season makes it a must-visit as it will make you smile with the amazing decoration skills owned by the owner and the team. It features many Santa and Frosty the Snowman along with sizzling glass ornaments.
The Americana at Brand
The people in Los Angeles may not be enough lucky to enjoy the snow during Christmas, but you’ll always have the option to experience shopping in the snow at The Americana at Brand. This makes your dream come true of feeling the true snowfall as the snowflakes fall from high above every night while the 100s of Christmas trees are decorated with thousands of lights and ornaments. You’ll find a Santa shopping for you as you can hand your list to Santa Himself. There’s also a holiday trolley.
Westfield at Century City
The Westfield at Century City seems to be offering the perfect mix of Southern California’s Christmas trees and palm trees. This store owns the expertise in mixing the little Christmas with their California setting. Before you enter the store, you’d be greeted with a huge Christmas tree outside while inside twinkling lights and ornaments hang from above. You also find a variety of products to choose from for your loved ones. Also, there’s a Santa inside taking wish lists for children young and old.
Christmas Tree Lane
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena is also advertised as America’s first large-scale Christmas Light Display. Now just the Los Angeles lures in the visitors with amazingly lit-up breezy palm trees, but it also is no slouch when it comes to conifers. The mile-long driveway becomes blanketed in lights each year during the holiday seasons and is transformed into a beautiful, must-see Christmas Tree Lane.
Take your vehicle or simply walk down the lane as it lights up the second Saturday in December. Be sure to dim your headlights as it’s illegal during this time here.
Beverly Hills
You may be familiar with the name ‘Beverly Hills’ as it’s often mentioned in Hollywood movies. But, little you may know about this famous place is that this is the true holiday counterpart to New York’s 5th Avenue. During the holiday seasons, plenty of neighborhoods modestly decorate their main drags for the holiday seasons, making this whole place a must-visit while you enjoy the real spirit of Christmas and New York.
The Lights swirl around the palm trees that line Rodeo Drive, up the steps of Via Rodeo, making it one of the best places to enjoy the real fun of the holiday season.
Rodeo Drive
There’s no best way to describe the Rodeo Drive than the two words during the holidays – Glamor and spirit. Rodeo Drive turns out to be a must-visit location during the holidays to get into the true holiday spirit, even if you can’t afford to shop at some of the stores. The decorated storefronts here are enough to give you a chill down the spine. If you head towards Rodeo Two, you will find likely see Santa and hear holiday music or see carolers.
Don’t forget to have a look at the intersection of Wilshire and Beverly Drive where you’d see Santa’s sleigh led by the famous reindeer Rudolph.
Christmas in Hollywood
Not just the name of this store made its way to the list, but its amazing decoration for the holidays all year long. Whether you’re looking for a great collection of Hollywood Ornaments or a specialty gift during your visit to Los Angeles, Christmas in Hollywood is a must-visit. This store, along with giving you an eyegasm also offers a wide collection of handcrafted gifts. Whether Christmas or any other festival, it’s a must-stop shop no matter what the season.
Santa’s Village
It is said that “weekend escape to Santa’s Village is not just for December anymore.” And this place turns these words true as you can visit here almost any time of the year, but you just can’t afford to miss the beauty of this place during Christmas, after all, it’s Santa’s Village. Of course, you can’t expect to buy anything from here, but it’s sure to let you fall in love with the festival season once again. SkyPark at Santa’s Village is an updated version of the San Bernardino National Forest theme park.
The Grove
You must have heard the name “The Grove” as it’s the most popular shopping mall in Los Angeles. But, it turns out to be the place you must visit during the Christmas season as you can spot the real Santa and his elves in a massive gingerbread house. You’ll be greeted with Christmas Carolers and lights galore. You’ll have the pleasure to shop from some of the nation’s biggest retailers. And if you love snowfall, you must visit during the night as it snows every night at the mall from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
