Five Places to See Amazing Lights
The illustrious beauty of sparkling lights can easily be seen in most places during the holiday season. But if you are someone who enjoys breathtaking illumination throughout the year, then you probably don’t want to wait for annual Christmas decorations. Here are a few places to get your lighting fix throughout the year.
Times Square
The Big Apple has so many historically captivating areas to see: amazing museums like the Museum of Modern Art, the epic Yankee Stadium, and Law and Order’s second home, Central Park. While you’re in the city, make sure you take an evening to visit the highly illuminated Times Square. Spend a night taking in some of the lights on Broadway and while you’re at it, maybe a show. To really marvel at the lights in Times Square, consider planning a trip during New Year’s Eve to watch the ball drop. This annual celebration combines a plethora of dazzling lights, great energy, and music to create a brilliant New Year’s Eve event.
Freemont Street Experience
It was once the performing palace of greats like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, and Frank and Dean Martin. In fact, after each of their deaths the lights were dimmed to honor them. If you truly have love for lights then you will become awestruck while partaking in the Freemont Street Experience in Las Vegas. The Freemont Street Experience, also known as Glitter Gulch, is a 5--block lighting explosion. The show lasts over 5 minutes and is displayed on a 1500--foot long screen. The screen is 90 feet wide and sits nearly 100 feet above the popular Freemont Street mall. Before being replaced by over 12 million LED lights, the canopy used almost 2.1 million incandescent bulbs for illumination. The upgrade to LED lighting cost $17 million. You can catch the light and sound show every night at dusk, presented on the Viva Vision screen.
Urban Light
Installed in 2008, Urban Light is a large scale lighting sculpture that was created by Chris Burden. It is made up of 202 restored street lamps from the roaring 1920s and the 1930s. Made of cast iron, the lamps range from 20 to 30 feet tall and give the appearance of a forest of lights. You can visit this breathtaking assembly of light at the Wilshire Blvd entrance to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Since being installed, Burden’s installation has been featured in a number of feature films, including the romantic comedy, No Strings Attached, and it has also been photographed numerous times. You can visit this sculpture anytime; it is open to the public for free 24/7.
Split Rock Lighthouse
Viewed as one of the most picture perfect places in America, the Split Rock Lighthouse located in Silver Bay, Minnesota has been standing for over 100 years. Split Rock was built in the wake of a historically horrific shipping tragedy during the Mataafa Storm of 1905 where nearly 30 ships were lost at sea and 36 seaman died. Originally lit on July 31, 1920 the lighthouse used a Fresnal lens for illumination. Fresnal lenses were made for lighthouses to capture rays of oblique light from a light source. Because of their makeup, the light could shine from further distances using a lighter and thinner lens, allowing people to see it more clearly. After years of using a Fresnal lens, Split Rock Lighthouse was illuminated using a 1000--watt incandescent oil vapor lamp. In 1969, the light was officially suspended by the United States Coastguard. If you want to see the Split Rock Lighthouse in all its glory, mark your calendar for November 10, where every year the lighthouse emits light in honor of the SS Edmond Fitzgerald, which sank with its complete crew in 1975.
Festival of Lights
If you’re planning on traveling outside of the United States and you’re interested in seeing lights on a super large scale, then book your flight to Berlin, Germany for the annual Festival of Lights. Held yearly in October, this astounding lighting celebration lasts for two weeks. Lighting artists from around the world come out to decorate some of Berlin’s historical buildings, monuments and landmarks, including the Berlin Cathedral and Brandensburg Gate by draping them in a gorgeous array of lights. Guests have a number of touring options, such as viewing the lights on a bus, boat or just walking through the lighted streets. The annual lighting event is free of charge.
These are just a few of the places you can see amazing lights in the United States throughout the year. Have any other places in mind for elaborate illumination? Feel free to share them in the comments section below. As always drop us a line on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest or Instagram!
