Santa’s Magical Kingdom is open on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 26, 2026, from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Bring the family after dinner for a drive through animated Christmas scenes in Eureka, Missouri, without booking a timed arrival for the lights.
You can stay in your own car for the full display. That keeps the outing simple when relatives are visiting, the meal runs late, or some of the children have already had a long day.
Christmas Lights Open Thanksgiving: Hours, Price, and Arrival
Our Thanksgiving drive-through lights operate during the regular evening hours. Family-vehicle admission costs $35, including tax, and you pay cash as you exit. Advance tickets aren’t required for the drive; train and wagon rides use separate reservations.
| Thanksgiving visit detail | What to know |
| Date | Thursday, November 26, 2026 |
| Light-show hours | 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. |
| Family-vehicle admission | $35, including tax |
| Payment | Cash at the exit booth; ATM inside Kringle’s General Store |
| Arrival booking | No advance ticket or timed slot for the lights drive |
| Location | Jellystone Park in Eureka, off I-44 at Exit 261, next to Six Flags |
Our current visitor information confirms holiday opening, admission, and directions.
Fit the Lights Around Thanksgiving Dinner
Choose your arrival after you know when dinner will finish. For the lights drive, you don’t need to commit to a departure time before the turkey reaches the table.
The published estimate for the display is about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on traffic. Count the drive to Eureka, any entrance queue, optional stops, and the journey home separately. A later dinner may leave room for the lights while making a longer visit less practical.
Build your evening in this order:
- Set a realistic time to leave home. Include cleanup, coats, and getting everyone into the car.
- Check the journey to Exit 261. Use navigation from the house where you’re gathering, especially if you’re visiting relatives.
- Decide whether to stop inside the Kingdom. Shopping, refreshments, photos, and reserved rides need extra time.
- Allow room before closing. We recommend arriving at least 20 to 30 minutes before closing, and earlier for additional activities.
Treat that closing buffer as a minimum, rather than a target for a relaxed family outing. An earlier arrival gives you more room if dinner or traffic changes your plan.
Bring Visiting Family With a Clear Carload Budget
Thanksgiving admission costs $35 per family vehicle, so the lights-drive price doesn’t increase with each passenger. Keep everyone in a legal seat with the appropriate restraint; larger vehicle categories have different rates.
| How your group arrives on Thanksgiving | Lights-drive admission |
| One family vehicle | $35 |
| Two family vehicles | $70 total |
| One 12- to 15-passenger van | $60 |
These prices include tax. Food, shopping, and professional Santa photos are separate purchases, so you can choose the extras that fit your group.
Bring admission cash before leaving the house. Kringle’s has an ATM if you need one, but having payment ready keeps that errand out of your evening.
For oversized vehicles, check the vehicle limits and group arrangements first. The driving route allows vehicles up to 12 feet high and 30 feet long; large commercial buses need separate arrangements.
What You’ll See After Dinner
The Kingdom’s 35-acre display gives everyone something to watch from the car, including animated characters and large scenes above and beside the route.
Look for:
- The entrance and waterfall: four-story Kingdom Doors and a 300-foot waterfall made of light.
- The Tunnel of Dancing Lights: an animated tunnel as long as a football field.
- Elfland and Toy Land: elves among the trees, a rope-swing mishap, oversized 3-D toys, and Santa’s loaded sleigh.
Preview the Kingdom’s light displays with relatives before heading out. Each child can choose a scene to look for while a passenger helps them spot it.
Everyone can remain in the vehicle for the full driving route. You don’t need to add another activity to see the lights.
Keep the Evening Flexible or Reserve an Extra
A lights-only Thanksgiving visit leaves your arrival flexible within operating hours. A reserved ride gives the evening a fixed departure time, so decide which suits your dinner plans before booking.
| Your Thanksgiving plan | What to arrange |
| See the lights from your car | Drive up during operating hours and bring admission cash |
| Add a warm drink or shopping | Allow extra time for Kringle’s General Store and its snack shack |
| Include a Santa photo | Review the Santa photo details and allow extra time |
| Take a train or wagon ride | Check the ride calendar and reservation instructions before settling your meal schedule |
Santa’s published appearance dates include Thanksgiving. Photos cost extra, and the photographer delivers the finished images digitally by text to your phone.
Train and wagon rides have their own schedules and arrival requirements. Booking a ride for two or more people waives your vehicle admission fee; use the ride page to check the total and available departures.
If you reserve a ride, arrive 30 minutes before departure. The exception is a 5:30 p.m. ride, which requires arrival at 5:15 p.m. Choose a reservation only when your group can comfortably reach it after the meal.
Don’t Assume Thanksgiving Means an Empty Entrance
Allow time for an entrance queue on Thanksgiving. Our general visitor guidance favors early-season weekdays, but holiday traffic can differ from an ordinary Thursday.
Leave a buffer even if you visit early in the season. On rare peak nights, we may temporarily prevent cars from joining the line to avoid traffic backing onto I-44.
Before your family leaves the table, make these final checks:
- Confirm the current hours and any operational updates.
- Put admission cash where you can reach it at the exit.
- Check the route from your gathering place to Eureka.
- Bring coats if anyone wants to leave the car for an optional stop.
- Recheck arrival instructions for any reserved ride.
For winter road conditions and incidents, use MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map. Call 636-938-5925 with questions about your Kingdom visit.
Thanksgiving Night Questions
Is Santa’s Magical Kingdom open on Thanksgiving Day in 2026?
The published season includes Thanksgiving, which falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026. Light-show hours for that date are 5:30 to 10:30 p.m.
Can we decide to visit after Thanksgiving dinner?
You don’t need advance tickets or a timed arrival for the lights drive. Check the remaining hours and travel time before leaving, then pay cash as you exit.
Does Thanksgiving admission cost more than a regular weeknight?
The listed family-vehicle rate is $35 Sunday through Friday, including Thanksgiving Thursday. The $40 family-vehicle rate applies on Saturdays; larger vehicles have separate prices.
Can we enjoy the lights without walking outside?
You can see the full driving display from your vehicle. Leaving the car for refreshments, shopping, photos, or a reserved ride is optional.
Will our Thanksgiving lights visit take only 30 to 45 minutes?
That is the published estimate for the display drive, depending on traffic. Your whole outing also includes travel, any entrance queue, and the stops you choose.
Should we reserve a ride if dinner may run late?
A ride reservation requires you to meet its arrival time, so choose a departure your group can reliably reach. The lights drive itself doesn’t require a reservation, which gives you more flexibility after dinner.
Make the Lights Your Thanksgiving Evening Plan
Keep the outing as simple as your family needs: finish dinner, bring cash, and drive to the Kingdom with enough time before closing. Add a stop or reserved ride only if it fits the evening you have.
Plan Your Thanksgiving Visit for the current admission, hours, and directions to Eureka.