Short answer
Stone Mountain Christmas runs on weekends and school holidays from November 7, 2026 to January 3, 2027. An Attractions Ticket ($39.99 adults, $36.99 children 3 and up, 2 and under free) covers the 6 p.m. Christmas Parade, Santa’s Big Flight at 6:30 p.m. and the 8:20 p.m. Christmas Drone & Light Show. Parking is extra: $25 a car.
Everything below about the event comes from Stone Mountain Park’s own Stone Mountain Christmas page, ticket page, parking page and park FAQs (checked ). Drive times come from our own drive-time table and weather from NOAA normals. We don’t sell tickets and there are no affiliate links on this page. For the park the rest of the year, see our Stone Mountain guide.
Stone Mountain Christmas 2026 at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| When is it? | November 7, 2026 – January 3, 2027, weekends and school holidays only (not every night) |
| What does it cost? | Attractions Ticket $39.99 adults, $36.99 children (ages 3+); 2 and under free; taxes and fees extra |
| Parking | $25 per car for the day, or a $40 annual parking pass; not included in the ticket |
| Show times | Christmas Parade 6 p.m.; Santa’s Big Flight 6:30 p.m.; Drone & Light Show 8:20 p.m. (7:20 p.m. Christmas Eve, 8 p.m. New Year’s Eve) |
| Santa visits | At his North Pole office, through December 24 only |
| Extra-cost add-on | Flight to the North Pole (separate ticket or combo; limited capacity) |
| Dogs | Not in special-events areas, on attractions or in buildings |
| Drive from Atlanta | 17 miles, about 32 minutes with no traffic |
Which nights is Stone Mountain Christmas open?
Only on weekends and school holidays between November 7, 2026 and January 3, 2027; the park calls them “select dates” (checked ). Weeknights outside school holidays have no Christmas programming, even though the park gates themselves are open daily from 5 a.m. to midnight.
Attraction and show hours change by day, so open the park’s daily schedule for your date before you drive over. The park hadn’t published a full list of operating dates in text when we checked; we check weekly and will add it here.
- Opening weekend: Saturday, November 7, 2026.
- School holidays: open on those weekdays too, per the park; the daily schedule shows which days that includes.
- Christmas Eve: the Drone & Light Show moves up to 7:20 p.m.
- New Year’s Eve: the show starts at 8 p.m., and the park sells its Kids’ Early New Year’s Eve through the regular Stone Mountain Christmas or combo ticket for December 31.
- Closing day: Sunday, January 3, 2027.
What happens each night, and when?
The evening runs on a fixed order of three shows, per the park (checked ). Arrive by 5:30 p.m. to park and get wristbands before the parade.
| Time | What | Where it’s worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| 6 p.m. | Christmas Parade: Santa, Mrs. Claus and other holiday characters | Runs through the Stone Mountain Christmas streets in the attractions area |
| 6:30 p.m. | Enchanted Tree Lighting with Santa’s Big Flight | Santa “flies” overhead in his sleigh; can be delayed or canceled in high wind or bad weather |
| 8:20 p.m. | Christmas Drone & Light Show | Projection on the mountain, color-changing drones and a fireworks finale; 7:20 p.m. on Christmas Eve, 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve; also weather-dependent |
Around the shows: over two million lights, the Musical Frosted Forest, a comic stage version of A Christmas Carol, the Scenic Railroad as a night-time sing-along ride, Jurassic Christmas with a Christmas Dino Glow Experience after dark, 18-hole mini golf and a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 4-D film. The Summit Skyride runs 10 a.m.–3 p.m. on event days.
What do tickets cost, and what’s included?
One ticket covers it: the park’s Stone Mountain Christmas Attractions Ticket, sold for a specific date (checked ).
| Ticket | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Stone Mountain Christmas (Attractions Ticket), adult | $39.99 | The Christmas event, the three evening shows and 7 family attractions for one day |
| Stone Mountain Christmas, child (ages 3+) | $36.99 | Same as adult |
| Children 2 and under | Free | Same as adult |
| Annual Mountain Membership | Not itemized on the pages we read | Includes Stone Mountain Christmas and the Drone & Light Show |
| Flight to the North Pole | Separate ticket; combos with Stone Mountain Christmas sold | Immersive Santa’s-workshop experience; limited capacity and can sell out |
| Daily parking | $25 per car | Required to drive in; separate from every ticket |
- Taxes and fees: parking, taxes and service fees are added on top of the ticket price, the ticket page says.
- No show-only ticket in winter: the Drone & Light Show needs an Attractions Ticket or Annual Mountain Membership. The park’s cheaper Light Show Only ticket is a May–August product.
- Redeeming: online tickets come as an emailed barcode; show it at any ticket window to get the wristband you need for the attractions area.
- Where to buy: online on the park’s ticket page, choosing your date.
Where do you park, and how do you get there?
- Parking: $25 per vehicle for the day on the park’s parking page, or $40 for a 12-month pass. (The park’s own FAQ text still says $20 a day; budget $25.) The permit covers leaving and coming back that day but doesn’t guarantee re-entry, and the park warns re-entry “may be difficult” on busy days and during large events.
- Accessible parking: available first come, first served.
- Free on foot or bike: cyclists and pedestrians can enter at no charge through the South Woods Gate; you still need an event ticket for the attractions area.
- Directions: the park has several street addresses, and it recommends its written driving directions over map apps, which it says can send you on routes that are hard to follow.
- No rail: MARTA trains don’t reach the park, so plan on driving or a rideshare.
| Driving from | Miles | Drive time (no traffic) |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 17 | 32m |
| Macon | 93 | 1h 54m |
| Columbus | 123 | 2h 29m |
| Chattanooga, Tenn. | 134 | 2h 35m |
| Augusta | 144 | 2h 49m |
| Birmingham, Ala. | 163 | 3h 14m |
| Charlotte, N.C. | 239 | 4h 44m |
| Savannah | 257 | 4h 51m |
Free-flow times from OpenStreetMap routing (collected September 29, 2026), with no traffic model; weekend-evening traffic on US-78 will add time. Full table: Georgia drive times.
Is it good for kids, strollers and wheelchairs?
- Best age: the whole event is built for families with young children: Santa, the parade, a sing-along train and glowing dinosaurs. The 8:20 p.m. show is late for toddlers; on Christmas Eve it’s an hour earlier.
- Strollers: bring your own or rent one at the Adventure Center (valid state or federal ID needed). Strollers have to be parked outside most attractions.
- Wheelchairs: manual wheelchairs and electric scooters (ECVs) can be rented at the Adventure Center with ID and a credit card, while supplies last. The park posts a Park Accessibility Guide; accessible parking is first come, first served.
- Food: on-site restaurants and stands sell holiday treats and warm drinks. The park allows picnics elsewhere in the park.
- Dogs: leashed dogs (6-foot leash max) are allowed in the park’s open areas, but not in special-events areas, on the Memorial Lawn, on attractions or inside buildings, so leave them home for this.
What’s the weather like at Stone Mountain Christmas?
Cold after dark, and colder than people expect by December. NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for Atlanta’s Hartsfield airport, about 25 miles away, give an average November low of 44.2°F, a December low of 38.4°F (about 9 nights a month at or below freezing) and a January low of 35.6°F. December averages 4.57 inches of rain over about 7 wet days.
The shows are outdoors and the park warns that the drones and Santa’s flight can be delayed or canceled for wind or bad weather, so pack hats and gloves and check the park’s channels before you leave. Monthly numbers: Georgia weather by month.
How do you avoid the crowds?
- Go early in the season: November weekends before Thanksgiving are the lightest part of the run at most holiday events; the weekends right before Christmas and the school-break days are the busiest.
- Arrive in daylight: the attractions open before the shows; getting parked and wristbanded before 5:30 p.m. saves the evening queue.
- Pick your spot early for the 8:20 p.m. show and stay put; leaving right after the finale means sitting in the exit line.
- Book Flight to the North Pole ahead: the park says it is limited-capacity and may sell out.
That crowd advice is our general pattern for timed holiday events, not park attendance data, which Stone Mountain doesn’t publish.
How does it compare with Georgia’s other light shows?
Stone Mountain Christmas is the closest big holiday show to downtown Atlanta and the only one with a parade, Santa’s flight and a drone show in one ticket, but it only runs on select dates.
For drive-through shows (Lake Lanier Islands, Callaway Gardens), Rock City and Life University, see our Georgia Christmas lights comparison; for the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s walk-through, our Garden Lights, Holiday Nights guide. Everything else for the season is in Christmas in Georgia, Christmas towns in Georgia and our event calendar.
FAQ
When is Stone Mountain Christmas 2026?
November 7, 2026 through January 3, 2027, on weekends and school holidays only, according to Stone Mountain Park. It isn’t open every night, so check the park’s daily schedule for your date.
How much are Stone Mountain Christmas tickets?
$39.99 for adults and $36.99 for children 3 and up; children 2 and under are free. Parking ($25 a car), taxes and fees are extra. The ticket also covers the park’s 7 family attractions that day (checked ).
What time is the Stone Mountain Christmas drone show?
8:20 p.m. on event nights, 7:20 p.m. on Christmas Eve and 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. The Christmas Parade starts at 6 p.m. and Santa’s Big Flight at 6:30 p.m. Wind or bad weather can delay or cancel the drones and Santa’s flight.
Can you see the Stone Mountain Christmas drone show without a ticket?
The park says the Christmas Drone & Light Show is part of Stone Mountain Christmas and needs an Attractions Ticket or an Annual Mountain Membership. Its Light Show Only ticket is sold only for the May–August show season.
How much is parking at Stone Mountain Park for Christmas?
$25 per vehicle for the day on the park’s parking page, or $40 for an annual parking pass. Parking isn’t included in the Stone Mountain Christmas ticket, and re-entry can be difficult on busy event nights.
Is Flight to the North Pole included?
No. Flight to the North Pole is a separate ticket, though the park sells combo tickets with Stone Mountain Christmas. It is limited-capacity and can sell out, so book ahead.
Can you bring a dog to Stone Mountain Christmas?
No. Leashed dogs are allowed in the park’s open areas, but not in special-events areas, on the Memorial Lawn, on attractions or inside buildings.
When can you visit Santa at Stone Mountain?
Santa is at his North Pole office during Stone Mountain Christmas through December 24 only.
How we checked this guide: Dates, hours, admission and parking prices, and access details were verified against the official sources listed below on . Operators change schedules and raise prices without notice, so confirm anything time-sensitive before you drive. The figures in this guide also feed our Georgia Attraction Transparency Index and Family Day-Out Cost Index.
Sources
- Stone Mountain Park — Stone Mountain Christmas (dates, select dates, show times, Santa, attractions, event FAQ)
- Stone Mountain Park — Attractions Tickets (Stone Mountain Christmas prices, ages, Kids’ Early New Year’s Eve, fees)
- Stone Mountain Park — Tickets & Specials (Light Show Only ticket is May–August)
- Stone Mountain Park — Parking Passes (daily $25, annual $40, re-entry, South Woods Gate)
- Stone Mountain Park — FAQs (gate hours, strollers, wheelchair and ECV rental, pets, directions)
- Stone Mountain Park — Daily schedule and operating calendar
- It’s Georgia — Georgia Drive Times (OSRM free-flow, collected September 29, 2026)
- It’s Georgia — Georgia Weather by Month (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Atlanta Hartsfield)
Checked on against Stone Mountain Park’s own pages. Dates, show times and prices can change; we re-check this guide every week until the event ends.
Hank Whitlock is the pen name of the It's Georgia editor. Every guide is built around the questions a busy family actually asks before a trip: how long is the drive, what does parking cost, can the stroller make it, are dogs allowed. Details are checked against official park, city, and venue sources, and each guide shows the date it was last updated.
