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This is a list of Johnson
County Kansas Christmas light displays worth going out of your way
to see. Click on the photos for larger images or links to pages devoted
to the displays. Most of the photos on this page were taken 2008, but I
have confirmed which ones were up and on display on Thanksgiving Day -
November 26, 2009.
The number of displays
with flashing lights coordinated to local radio broadcasts has grown this
year and not all of them are are on this list. But they are still nice
and worth visiting if you are in their neighborhoods. One is at 15145 Windsor
Circle in Leawood, just off Iron Horse Court. Another is at 9717 Lee Boulevard
in Leawood involving two homes on opposite sides of the street. You cannot
stop or slow your car to watch the Lee Boulevard display.
Maps
of the Johnson County Christmas Tours.
Topeka
Christmas Light Displays Lawrence
Christmas Light Displays
Johnson
County Kansas Christmas Light Displays
Leawood,
Kansas Southeast map A
Hager
Family Sound and Light Display
Ken and Marilyn Hager's
computer
controlled sound and light display is one of the prettiest I have seen.
There are many attractively decorated houses along 127th Street as you
drive from State Line Road, west to this home. There are 4 songs on the
program which runs from 5PM to 1AM. The electronics for this show are by
Animated Lighting and the lights are installed by Brighter Holidays. Tune
your car radio to 102.7 FM to enjoy the show.
2801 West 127th Street,
Leawood, Kansas 66209 |
|
Prairie
Village, Kansas North map A Must
see!
Babick's
Falmouth Christmas Display
Every window in Mike
Babick's house is filled with animated Christmas characters. The exterior
is skillfully lighted, the garage is Santa's toy shop with dozens more
animated figures, and the roof is covered with a cartoon town with buildings
that once had animated lighting. And if you step up to the front door and
look into the house, you will find Christmas ornaments hanging from the
ceiling and even more moving figures filling the walls of the living room.
Longer review with more
photos and map.
7611 Falmouth Street,
Prairie Village, Kansas 66208 |
Leawood,
Kansas Southeast map B
Burton
Family Christmas Display
The Burton family
has been building fairly large Christmas displays for 8 years, but in 2009
they made the change from inflatables to animated lights. The display isn't
just in their front yard, but also in the adjacent lot where there is a
large nativity and Santa Claus playing golf. This display is a little smaller
than most listed on this tour, but is only a block from the Hager's sound
and light display.
12600 Meadow, Leawood,
Kansas 66209 |
|
Prairie
Village, Kansas North map B
Candy
Cane Lane Must
see!
In 2008 Candy Cane
Lane recovered from several years of dwindling displays. It was the
51st year of Candy Cane Lane and every house was attractively decorated.
This display of lights was once again worth a special visit. Although there
were no decorations at all on Candy Cane Lane on Thanksgiving night, the
display was back up for the rest of the season.
Longer review
from 2008 with more photos and map.
7900 block of Outlook
Street, Prairie Village, Kansas 66208 |
Leawood,
Kansas Southeast map C
Pawnee
Lane Santa Claus Airport
Runways for Santa Claus
are very popular in 2009, but this home in the Leawood South Subdivision
takes the theme a couple of steps farther than the rest. An airplane piloted
by Santa Claus has just taken off, while two more airplanes wait their
turn. There are also a helicopter and a large balloon piloted by Santa.
Christmas music is played over a speaker and can be heard from several
houses away. Special thanks to Craig Fisch for recommending this Pawnee
Lane Christmas Display.
If you know more about
this Christmas light display, please email
the details.
12708 Pawnee Lane,
Leawood, Kansas 66209 |
|
Prairie
Village, Kansas North map C
Dorr
family Christmas Display
This is the third year
for the Dorr Family Christmas sound and light program on Fontana
Street. It has 47,252 lights, 7,200 feet of extension cord and is operated
by eleven 17 channel Light-O-Rama controllers. Tune your car radio to 91.1FM
to "Listen To The Lights" from 5:30-10:30PM Sunday through Thursday, and
5:30-11pm Friday and Saturday, through New Year's Eve. The 2009 show runs
a little over 13 minutes and the songs are Illuminations: Reflections
of Earth, Spirit of the Season, Wizards of Winter, and
Linus
& Lucy. Donations are accepted for Heartland Habitat For Humanity
in a donation box at north side of yard. (Photo from 2008 show)
7909 Fontana Street,
Prairie Village, Kansas 66208 |
Leawood,
Kansas Southeast map D
Kryger
Family Animated Holiday Lights
The Kryger family holiday
display is one block east of Roe Avenue at the corner of 132nd Street
and Granada Drive. Tune your radio to 96.9 FM and enjoy a 15 minute sound
and light program created using Monster Brain technology. Songs in the
2008 show included Christmas Eve Sarajevo and Wizards in Winter
by Trans-Siberian Orchestra,
Star Spangled Banner by LeAnn Rimes,
and Snoopy Peanuts Theme Song. There are more lights than appear
in this picture and there are more good light displays at other homes up
Granada Drive.
13201 Granada Drive,
Leawood, Kansas 66209 |
|
Overland
Park, Kansas North map D
Lowell
Avenue Christmas Display
This lovely Christmas
display on Lowell Avenue is just a block South of 75th Street. We discovered
it on our way to investigate another holiday display that wasn't nearly
as impressive. In addition to the outdoor display, there were more decorations
in the picture window near the center of the house. As of Thanksgiving
night, this display was not quite as large and impressive in 2009.
If you know more about
this Christmas light display, please email
the details.
7533 Lowell, Overland
Park, Kansas 66204 |
Leawood,
Kansas Southwest map E
Ash
Street Christmas Display
This Ash Street Christmas
Display is one block east of Nall Avenue and just north of 130th Terrace.
This is at least the third year for the holiday display, which includes
mostly fixed lights. There are just a few flashing lights and the only
movement is from the white deer at the left. The next house to the left
has a Christmas display with deer, which complements this display. If you
know more about this Christmas light display, please email
the details.
13020 Ash Street, Leawood,
Kansas 66209 |
|
Merriam,
Kansas North map E
Steve
Pearson Christmas Display
Steve Pearson started
enlarging his Christmas light display in 1989. By 2002 he had 15,000 lights.
Steve's display has won the Merriam, Kansas Festival of Lights Contest
at least 3 times. Although partially set up, this display was not lighted
when checked on November 26, 2009.
Steve's gallery
of photos of his display for 2008.
9900 Johnson Drive,
Merriam, Kansas 66203 |
Leawood,
Kansas Southwest map F
Ultimate
Holiday Tree
The Ultimate Holiday
Tree is a tree shaped flat panel holiday lighting display with thousands
of solid state LED bulbs. Created by Mark Callegari, it was featured on
HGTV's "All Out Christmas" show. Located in the 6600 block of West 131st
Street along Deer Creek Golf Course, in 2009, the Ultimate Holiday Tree
is supplemented by LED house wash lights, a new 8' LED wreath and ten smaller
LED trees. Tune your car radio to 98.5 FM to listen to the program. (photo
from 2008)
6600 block West 131st
Street, Leawood, Kansas 66209 |
|
Lenexa,
Kansas North map F
Haskins
Street Display
Thanks to Tim Dorr,
I just discovered this neat, varied display near 79th Street and Pflumm
in Lenexa. It has been around for at least a couple of years. This Haskins
Street Christmas Display has many moving figures including Santa Claus
on a teeter totter and a small Ferris wheel. I particularly like the parachuting
dog! If you know more about this Christmas light display, please email
the details.
8007 West Haskins Street,
Lenexa, Kansas 66215 |
Overland
Park, Kansas Southwest map G Must
see!
Christmas
Place - Terrace Place subdivision
For 11 years, the
residents of these two streets in the Terrace Place subdivision have been
creating Christmas Place. Every home participates. These homes are
coordinated with all keeping the same theme, rather than individually standing
out. Pulling into the subdivision is like walking through an enchanted
forest. There is a feeling of being inside this display that adds to the
wonder and isn't captured in the photo. If you know more about this Christmas
light display, please email the details.
131st Place west of
Antioch Road, Overland Park, KS 66213 |
|
Overland
Park, Kansas North map G
Petersons'
92nd Terrace Display
92nd Terrace west
of
England Street is a culdesac where every home is decorated for the holidays.
The centerpiece of the display is the lights and inflatable decorations
on the island at the end of the culdesac opposite the Peterson family
display. There are other good Christmas light displays along England
Street. Most of the 92nd Terrace display was not up on November 26, 2009,
but Mr. Peterson was at work Thanksgiving evening and promised it will
be up soon.
9300 block of 92nd
Terrace, Overland Park, Kansas 66212 |
Overland
Park, Kansas Southeast map H
129th
Terrace Christmas Display
This 129th Terrace
Christmas Display is very attractive on its own, but the culdesac has
several other homes that are well decorated. This display includes a light
show and radio broadcast on 88.1 FM, but the radio gets interference from
a commercial radio station and the flashing lights are nearly lost in the
overall display. If you know more about this Christmas light display, please
email
the details.
8500 West 129th Terrace,
Overland Park, Kansas 66213 |
|
Overland
Park, Kansas North map H
96th
Terrace Holiday Display
This 96th Terrace
Holiday Display is a little small to be included on this list, but
the enormous red and white tree that you see on the left side of the photo
has such an impact when seen in person, that we decided to include it on
the tour. There appears to be a second large display, just two blocks east
at 7508 92nd Terrace, but a large portion of that display was not lighted
the night that we visited this Overland Park neighborhood.
7700 West 96th Terrace,
Overland Park, Kansas 66212 |
Overland
Park, Kansas Southeast map I
Curtis
Family Christmas Light Display
14 years ago, Craig
and Paula Curtis used 3,000 lights to decorate their home for the first
time. Their display has grown to 25,000 lights, with the bulk of the Christmas
lights on the roof of the Overland Park home, giving a unique look to the
Curtis
Family Christmas Light Display.
9508 West 117th Street,
Overland Park, Kansas 66212 |
|
Overland
Park, Kansas North map I Must
see !
Vince
& Associates Holiday Lights
The best place to view
the Vince & Associates animated Christmas music and light display
is from the parking lot of Emmanuel Baptist Church, across Metcalf. Tune
your radio to 96.9 FM. Although this building looks like it is an insurance
agency or similar office, Vince & Associates does pre clinical or laboratory
research for pharmaceutical companies. View a short video
of the display. Call (913) 696-1601 to confirm hours and the final date
of the season.
10103 Metcalf Avenue,
Overland Park, Kansas 66212 |
Overland
Park, Kansas Southeast map J
Hall
Family Christmas Display
2009 is only the second
year that the Hall family has done a major holiday light display and the
first year that they have added music and animation. Tune your radio to
107.1FM to listen to the Christmas music program that is coordinated to
the flashing lights. There is another very attractively decorated home
as you turn down the culdesac toward the Hall Family Christmas Display.
11308 Mackey Street,
Overland Park, Kansas 66210 |
|
Overland
Park, Kansas North map J Must
see !
Lamar
Avenue Holiday Lights
This pair of homes is
just south of 95th Street. The Lamar Avenue Christmas Display consists
of a very nicely decorated home and the adjacent Rotz family home which
has no Christmas decorations, but has an arrow pointing at the other home
and the word "ditto." After 17 years of decorrating the home Roy Rotz decided
to have some fun in 2009. He says that "the sign just might become an annual
tradition."
9507 Lamar Avenue,
Overland Park, Kansas 66212 |
Overland
Park, Kansas Southeast map K
115th
Street Christmas Display
The 115th Street
Christmas Display at this house is one of the smaller displays included
on this list, but the house next door at 7612 is nearly as elaborately
decorated and there are two other homes with impressive displays, creating
a nice Christmas environment. Notice the geometric strings of lights behind
the house on the right.
If you know more about
this Christmas light display, please email
the details.
7608 West 115th Street,
Overland Park, Kansas 66210 |
|
Overland
Park, Kansas North map K Must
see !
Ingham
& Mikkleson Holiday Lights
This is another pair
of homes just south of 95th Street. They are across the street from each
other at 9514 & 9515 Windsor Street. The Mikkleson home shown above
is the most elaborate, at 9514. The Ingham home across the street has firemen
putting out a fire in the house from the movie The Christmas Story
- which is a thanks to the firemen of Consolidated Fire District #2, who
put out a fire caused by overloaded circuits at the house during the 2008
Christmas season.
9514 Windsor Street,
Overland Park, Kansas 66206 |
Lenexa,
Kansas Southwest map A
110th
Terrace Display
I was pleased to discover
this display when passing by on College Boulevard. The neighborhood has
several nice displays but this one on 110th Terrace is the largest
and most interesting. It is spread over a large corner lot and includes
Christmas music coordinated with some of the lights, coming from a speaker
near the back. We particularly liked the large Santa Claus which can be
seen through the front door. The owner said there were still more holiday
light fixtures to go up on November 30, 2009 when this photo was taken.
13916 W 110th Terrace,
Lenexa, Kansas 66215 |
|
|
Overland
Park, Kansas Southwest map B
Nottingham
by the Green Subdivision
The trees throughout
Nottingham
by the Green subdivision have green lights on the trunks and red lights
in their lower branches. While this does not give the feeling of being
within the display in the way that Christmas Place does, this Christmas
light display goes on for many blocks and gives some good vistas. If more
lights were added to the trees, or more of the residents did significant
individual holiday displays, I think that this could become the most impressive
Christmas light display in the Kansas City area.
East of Pflumm Rd &
South of 127th St., Overland Park, KS |
|
Overland
Park, Kansas Separate Map
Must see!
Hainline
Family Christmas Display
The Hainline Family Christmas Light Display in
Overland Park, Kansas is one of the most impressive Holiday light displays
in Kansas. Dallas Hainline has decorated 12 homes with the help of his
son Zach and other family & friends. Tune your car radio to 96.9FM
to listen to a five song program or park and walk through the neighborhood
while the music is played through speakers.
Longer review
with more photos and map
5900 West 157th Terrace,
Overland Park, Kansas 66223 |
Olathe,
Kansas Southwest map C Must
see!
Paulie's
Penguin Playhouse
The Craig family Christmas
display started off in 2004 with 15 penguins and a few Christmas lights,
but has grown to nearly 150 lighted figures which fill most of his yard
at Mur-Len Road & Indian Creek Parkway in Olathe, Kansas. In 2007 it
took a crew six days to set up the Christmas display. Many of the figures
move, some play music, and there are even penguin videos playing on the
roof. This is the largest single display in Johnson County, and one of
the largest Christmas Displays in metropolitan Kansas City. Longer
review
with more photos and map. Display ends December 26.
16617 Indian Creek
Parkway, Olathe, Kansas 66062 |
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|
Olathe,
Kansas Southwest map D Must
see!
Giant
Nelson Road Christmas Display
This is just a tiny portion
of a Christmas light display which occupies 3 or 4 acres. It is nearly
1/5 the size of some of the charity drive through displays. Many of the
figures include movement, including the horse's feet in the photo above.
Thank you to Sharon Pacheco for telling me about this impressive display!
If you know about the
Nelson Road Christmas display, please email
the details.
1300 block of North
Nelson Road, Olathe, Kansas 66061 |
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Gardner,
Kansas Gardner map A
Christmas
in the Park
In addition to the
light display at Gardner's Christmas in the Park, children have
the opportunity to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus in Santa's Workshop
on November 30 following the 7PM lighting ceremony and December 6, 13 &
20 from 5 - 6:30PM. The 19th Annual Christmas in the Park will be
lighted for the first time on November 20, 2009. The Jingle Bell
Shop: Children aged 3-12 may make Christmas gifts for their parents
during special crafts events on December 18. RSVP by calling Gardner Parks
& Recreation Customer Service Center at (913) 856-0936 by December
15.
Cornerstone Park -
215 North Center, Gardner, Kansas 66030 |
Olathe,
Kansas Southwest map E Must
see!
Christmas
Card Lane
Christmas Card
Lane is an entire subdivision of homes with extravagant Christmas decorations
& lights, tied together thematically by giant Christmas cards with
greetings from each family. Over 100 homes are decorated with Christmas
lights and luminaries. It appears that fewer homes in Christmas Card Lane
have been decorated in recent years, but is still worth a special visit.
Longer review
with more photos and map.
West of Ridgeview and
north of 151st Street Olathe, KS 66062 |
|
Gardner,
Kansas Gardner map B
G-Town
Christmas
G-Town Christmas
in Gardner is a new 16 minute computer controlled display which was started
in 2008. Tyson, Natalie & Kevin Hofsommer struggled with repeated technical
issues, but the show was up and running about a week before Christmas.
In 2009, the Hofsommers' were able to get the show running by Saturday,
November 28.
Tune your car radio
to 91.1 FM to listen to the music the lights are synchronized with using
Light-o-Rama technology.
430 West Westhoff Place,
Gardner, Kansas 66030 |
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Johnson County North Christmas Display Tour
This route takes you by all of the north Christmas Displays. The entire
route is
25 miles and takes a little over an hour to drive, without the time
spent at the displays
Johnson County Southeast Christmas Display Tour
This route takes you by all of the southeast Johnson County Christmas
Displays. The entire route is
13 miles and takes about 45 minutes to drive, without the time spent
at the displays.
Johnson County Southwest Christmas Display Tour
This route takes you by all of the southwest Johnson County Christmas
Displays. The entire route
is 12 miles and takes about 30 minutes to drive, without the time spent
at the displays.
Hainline Family Christmas Display
One enormous display
covering
12 homes at 5900 West 157th Terrace in Overland Park
Gardner Kansas Christmas Display Tour
This route takes you by both Gardner Christmas Displays.
They are less than a mile apart.
Olathe
Restaurant & Attraction Guide
Overland
Park Restaurants & Attraction Guide
Kansas
Attractions Kansas
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LL 12/09 copyright
2007-2010 by Keith Stokes |
