The best season for the best natural wonder, Stone Mountain creates a Christmas celebration unlike any other.

December 28th, 2024

I’ve been going to and marveling at Stone Mountain for decades. There is truly nothing like taking the gondola straight up and then standing on the world’s largest single granite monolith. The views and the experience are epic and taking the trails back down are an added bonus. Stone Mountain isn’t just aesthetically pleasing, it’s also carved into our remarkable American history.

Stone Mountain Christmas transformed the location into an incredible family destination that highlighted the holiday without losing the integrity of what makes Stone Mountain so great.

Remember that gondola ride I briefly mentioned? Well, during the Christmas season, they turn it into a can’t-be-missed Magical Flight to the North Pole. The gondola is decked out with beautiful color-changing led lights, Christmas music adds to the ambience, and once at the top, you are whisked away to Santa’s Workshop. Even as a mere observer, it was amazing seeing the brightly lit-up gondolas on their way up and down against the night sky.

The openness of the area, with Stone Mountain as it’s framed backdrop couldn’t have been a better setting for one of the country’s best light displays. The centerpiece was a huge Christmas tree that displayed beautiful, colorful animations accompanied by so many wonderful holiday songs. In only Stone Mountain style, the tree was lit by Santa Claus flying across the sky in his sleigh.

The tree was incredible with all of the glimmering lights around the field perfectly synchronized to music but one feature set Stone Mountain above and beyond. Their laser setup was easily the best I’ve ever seen. So bright, and larger than life were these lasers streaming together in every direction. The 20-minute light show also used huge fire-emitting canons and gorgeous fireworks. Usually, they have an unparalleled Drone Show to go with it, but this day was rainy and foggy, so it had to be canceled.

Stone Mountain Christmas had so much to do and experience leading up to the light show. My personal favorite was their Singalong Train. Normally the train would just ride around the mountain telling of the park’s history, but for Stone Mountain Christmas, they themed it as well.

The train was decorated with lights and showcased the most beloved Christmas songs that everyone sang together. Along the way, there was a handful of light displays and a special stop that touched the very heart of Christmas. With light and a storyteller, they told the Nativity, the true meaning of Christmas.

Stone Mountain Christmas was also filled with fun interactive shows for the kids and families that went one after another the entire day. Some of those highlights were seeing the singing and dancing of Princess Aurora and her friends, photo opps and a dance party with Rudolph and his reindeer friends, and a hilarious retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

The streets were also filled with performers taking pictures and playing with the kids. One such performer made giant bubbles that were so large that my 3-year-old daughter went inside one.

It was all smiles this year at Stone Mountain Christmas, and for good measure. There is no better place in the Atlanta area to celebrate the holidays, and none with a better value, than Stone Mountain Christmas. Completing the perfect holiday event was sitting down enjoying the views with a hot chocolate and a warm homemade cinnamon roll.