Bentleyville Tour of Lights 2026

Bentleyville Tour of Lights is a free walk-through holiday light display at Bayfront Festival Park in downtown Duluth, open nightly from November 21 to December 26, 2026. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, including Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Entry costs nothing; onsite parking is $12 per vehicle, or $10 if you pay cash. The path is 3/4 mile and takes about 30 to 45 minutes to walk.

The official Bentleyville site calls it "America's largest free walk-through holiday lighting extravaganza," with "over 5 million twinkling lights." The 2026 season is its 23rd. Hot cocoa, coffee, cookies, popcorn and marshmallows for the fire pits are free, and Santa and Mrs. Claus see visitors every night through December 23.

The display sits on the Lake Superior waterfront, a short walk from Canal Park, so most people plan a Bentleyville night around dinner and a daytime stop or two in the city. It is fully outdoors, and Bentleyville warns that the site "experiences strong winds and rapidly changing temperatures." Dress for the lake, not the forecast in town.

2026 dates, hours and cost

Dates and hours are from Bentleyville's homepage and contact and FAQ page, read November 12, 2026. Bentleyville's separate dates page still showed the 2025 season when checked, so go by the homepage.

Bentleyville says the lights come on at 5 p.m. each evening. Its budget, according to the FAQ, comes mainly from "visitor donations, local sponsors, parking, gift shop sales, and candy bar sales."

Parking and getting there

Where to park

The Bentleyville parking page says the lots open daily from November 21 to December 26 at 4 p.m., an hour before the lights. Discover, Visa, MasterCard and cash are accepted, and the event's plan your trip page adds Venmo.

Handicap parking in the Bentleyville lots is first come, first served. Bentleyville asks that the permit be visible when you drive in, and staff will direct you to a spot.

Sources disagree on the parking price. Bentleyville's own site gives $12, or $10 cash. The Explore Minnesota event listing says "$10 Sunday through Thursday and $15 on Friday and Saturday." The event's own site is the more direct source, but bring enough for either.

Shuttles and the train

Don't count on a shuttle from Canal Park. Bentleyville's 2026 train page says the North Shore Scenic Railroad "will not be offering the Bentleyville Shuttle Train this year," and that "as of 2024, the Jingle Bus service is no longer available."

The same page lists hotel shuttles at Beacon Pointe, Park Point Marina Inn, Comfort Inn West, Canal Park Lodge, Hampton Inn Canal Park and Lift Bridge Lodge, and says "Shuttle service is exclusively for registered hotel guests." Some of the shuttle dates printed there don't match the 2026 season, so confirm times with the hotel when you book.

What's at Bentleyville

Free treats and fire pits

Per the what is Bentleyville page, the free extras are "hot cocoa, coffee, cookies, freshly popped popcorn, and marshmallows for roasting." The gift shop sells hats and sweatshirts if the wind turns out colder than you dressed for.

Santa, Mrs. Claus and the knit hats

Santa is there nightly from November 21 to December 23, 2026, 5 to 9 p.m. The Santa page warns that "the line may close earlier on busier nights" so Santa can leave at 9.

Every child 12 and under who visits Santa gets a Bentleyville knit hat and a bag of cookies. The FAQ says hats are not shipped and the child must be there. Bentleyville says it gave out 27,000 hats last season, and its homepage sets a goal of 30,000.

The tree and special nights

The display's centerpiece is a 128-foot tree. Bentleyville's homepage also lists Santa's helicopter arrival, Tuesday Animal Nights and a Closing Night Fireworks show, but gives no dates for them, so check its homepage and Facebook page before you build a trip around one.

Giving back

Bentleyville partners with The Salvation Army and asks visitors to bring "a nonperishable food item or a new, unwrapped toy." It says donations go to seven communities in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, and that last season's 295,300 visitors helped collect 8,074 pounds of food and 1,069 toys.

Rules, accessibility and weather

Rules and the weather policy are from the FAQ; wheelchair and stroller details are from the accessibility page. Bentleyville says it makes "every effort to keep the pathways clear," but the walk is outdoors in December, so boots with grip help.

How Bentleyville started

The history page says Nathan Bentley began decorating his home in Esko in 2001, and the walk-through began in 2003. The display spent its first five years at his homes in Esko and Cloquet, taking the Bentleyville name after a 2004 move to rural Cloquet. In 2008 he formed a board and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to move it to Bayfront Park in Duluth, where the lights first came on November 27, 2009.

Pair it with other Duluth holiday stops

Glensheen's homepage gives the Christmas tour start dates, and the Lake Superior Railroad Museum lists the Christmas City Express dates. For hours and prices at the aquarium, the Lakewalk and other stops, see things to do in Duluth. For dinner before the lights, see Duluth restaurants and breweries in Duluth. If you're heading up the shore the next day, the North Shore in winter guide covers what stays open.

Planning checklist

1. Check the homepage and Facebook after 3 p.m. on the day you go, when weather closure decisions are usually made.
2. Bring cash to pay $10 for parking instead of $12.
3. Arrive near 4 p.m. if you want a spot in the Bentleyville lots, which open an hour before the lights.
4. Get kids to Santa early. The line can close before 9 p.m. on busy nights, and Santa's last night is December 23.
5. Leave pets, bikes and scooters at home. All are on the banned list.
6. Dress for wind off Lake Superior: hat, gloves and boots.
7. Pack a food item or new unwrapped toy for The Salvation Army drive.
8. Book a hotel with a shuttle if you'd rather not park; shuttles are for registered guests only.

Related guides: All Duluth and I-35 guides · Minnesota in winter · Things to do in Duluth · Duluth restaurants · Duluth to Grand Marais, stop by stop

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Sources

• Bentleyville Tour of Lights, homepage (2026 dates, hours, Santa, 23rd year, 128-foot tree, special nights): https://www.bentleyvilleusa.org/
• Bentleyville Tour of Lights, Contact us and FAQ (holidays, weather closures, path length, rules, pets, parking options, funding): https://www.bentleyvilleusa.org/contact-us/
• Bentleyville Tour of Lights, Parking: https://www.bentleyvilleusa.org/parking/
• Bentleyville Tour of Lights, What is Bentleyville: https://www.bentleyvilleusa.org/what-is-bentleyville/
• Bentleyville Tour of Lights, Plan your trip: https://www.bentleyvilleusa.org/plan-your-trip-to-bentleyville/
• Bentleyville Tour of Lights, Dates and times (still showing 2025 when checked): https://www.bentleyvilleusa.org/dates-and-times/
• Bentleyville Tour of Lights, Accessibility: https://www.bentleyvilleusa.org/accessibility/
• Bentleyville Tour of Lights, Bentleyville Train 2026: https://www.bentleyvilleusa.org/bentleyville-train-2026/
• Bentleyville Tour of Lights, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus: https://www.bentleyvilleusa.org/santa-claus-and-mrs-claus/
• Bentleyville Tour of Lights, History: https://www.bentleyvilleusa.org/history/
• Explore Minnesota, Bentleyville Tour of Lights event listing: https://exploreminnesota.com/events/5371/bentleyville-tour-of-lights
• Glensheen, homepage: https://glensheen.d.umn.edu/
• Lake Superior Railroad Museum and North Shore Scenic Railroad, Plan your next train ride: https://duluthtrains.com/nextyear/