Winter Wonderland at the Gilmore Car Museum
Returning for 2025, Winter Wonderland invites families to celebrate the holiday season in Hickory Corners, Michigan.
Start your Gilmore Car Museum visit with an outdoor driving tour through beautiful colors, lights, music, and dynamic decorations.
You’ll travel the museum’s winding roadways to see over 25 individually themed light displays, lighted historic barns, and decorated vintage-era car dealerships.
Then, head inside the museum for a bevy of fun, including the Festival of Trees, a visit with Santa Claus, and live holiday music on Friday & Saturday nights.
| Gilmore Car Museum 6865 W Hickory Rd, Hickory Corners, MI 49060 |
In this article
New For 2025
Gilmore Car Museum elevates its Winter Wonderland game each year. Here are the new additions for 2025’s event:
- Princess / Character Thursdays
Meet your favorite fairy tale and holiday characters. - Fireworks Fridays
Cap off your evening with a festive fireworks show! - Light Show Rockin’ Playlist
The synchronized light display now features iconic 80s hits including: Footloose, Don’t Stop Believin’, Dancing in the Dark, Pour Some Sugar On Me, Thunderstruck, I Love Rock ‘N Roll, Jump
9 Things to Do at Winter Wonderland
Gilmore Car Museum’s Winter Wonderland is PACKED with activities inside and outdoors.
Visitor Tip: Dress for the weather. While there’s plenty to see and do indoors, you will also be outside! We recommend cozy layers.
1 – Go On A Great Elf Hunt
Elves can be a little mischievous, especially at the Gilmore Car Museum! Armed with clues, a map, and a lot of elf-determination, you’ll begin a quest to find the most elusive elves throughout the museum.
2 – Drive Through the Lights
Tune your radio to the designated FM station and watch the lights go by as you motor along the 1.0-mile-long pathway through the museum campus.
Along the way, keep an eye out for Rudolph’s Reindeer Forest – glittering reindeer sculptures in the woods.
The light show is included with admission.
3 – Visit Santa or Write Him a Letter
The kids can visit St. Nick for FREE at the Gilmore Car Museum. He’s ready to listen!
While you’re there, don’t forget to leave letters for Santa using colorful stationary, markers and crayons found at the North Pole Post.
4 – Search & Find in the Holiday Village, Garlandtown, USA
Our holiday village search and find activity is a festive game that revolves around the challenge of locating specific items, characters, or hidden objects within the bustling holiday village.
5 – Enjoy the Christmas “Through the Decades” Holiday Displays
Around every corner, it seems, there is a different Christmas Tree decorated according to the traditions of the time period on display.
Local businesses participate in the Festival of Trees by decorating one of the 40 trees on display. Vote for your favorite tree by placing a ballot in the voting box.
It’s fun to give kids a glimpse of Christmas past. And if you’re visiting with grandparents, to share a bit of nostalgia of how Christmas was for them as a child.
6 – Enjoy Holiday Beverages and Sweet Treats for Kids and Adults
Bring a few extra dollars, because you’ll be lining up for the gourmet hot chocolate, adult drinks, holiday-themed food & sweets, not to mention the holiday gift shopping.
Visitor Tip: You can sip while you stroll! We recommend getting beverages pretty close to the start of your visit.
7 – Take a Vintage Car Ride Through the Lights
Let musuem staff do the driving for you! Go Dashing Through the Snow in a vintage ride from Gilmore Car Museum. Families can ride through the lights in a Ford Model A, a Checker Taxi Cab, a ’63 Cadillac convertible, and several other vintage cars from the collection.
Dashing Through the Snow family rides are FREE (up to four guests), but donations are encouraged.
These family rides are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
8 – Take Advantage of the MANY Photo Ops
Be sure to take pics at the nostalgic 1960s fresh Christmas tree and wreath lot, complete with a vintage Shasta camper trailer.
And at the many other photo ops set up throughout the whole experience including giant vintage Christmas cards, and Santa’s Garage, where you can peek inside the workshop as a team of elves prepare for their journey to deliver gifts to children all over the world.
Come with a fully charged phone battery – you’ll be clicking away all night.
9 – Build and Race Toy Cars at the Car Test Stand
Located near the Delorean in the front part of the museum, there’s a toy car build and test stand that is easy to miss.
Ask staff where it is if you can’t find it – your kids will love creating and racing their own creations down the track!
Winter Wonderland Schedule
Winter Wonderland at the Gilmore Car Museum will run Thurs – Sun throughout the holiday season, from November 29, 2025 through January 4, 2026.
WINTER WONDERLAND HOURS
Thursday through Sunday, 5 PM – 9 PM
ADDITIONAL OPEN DATE
• Monday, December 22
NEW THIS YEAR
• Fri, Dec 12: Character Party, an interactive event with character shows and themed fun.
• Sat, Dec 20 – Sun, Dec 21: Craft Market with holiday goods and homemade gifts
Winter Wonderland Tickets
You can purchase tickets both online and in person at the museum.
Visitor Tip: There is a minimal booking fee for online ticket purchases.
TICKETS
• Adult (18+): $22
• Youth (5 – 17): $14
• Child (4 & under): FREE
Tickets are NOT date-specific. You may use your ticket on any day between Nov 29, 2025, and Jan 4, 2026.
About Gilmore Car Museum
The world-renowned Gilmore Car Museum – North America’s largest auto museum with more than 400 vehicles on display — is located midway between Chicago and Detroit, just 20 minutes north of Kalamazoo, or 45 minutes south of Grand Rapids.
The museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to tell the history of America through the automobile.
For questions or more information, visit GilmoreCarMuseum.org, call (269) 671-5089 or email info@gilmorecarmuseum.org.
This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to our winners!
WIN Tickets to Winter Wonderland
Enter to WIN (2) 4-packs of tickets to Winter Wonderland!
Gilmore Car Museum’s Winter Wonderland welcomes visitors with drive-through lights, festive displays and amazing food.
Prize Details:
- 2 winners will each receive (1) 4-pack of tickets to Winter Wonderland at Gilmore Car Museum
- Tickets may be used at any date/time when Winter Wonderland is open.
- Dates: Dec 5 – 30, 2024 (Thursday – Sunday) + Additional Mondays: Dec 23 and 30
- Time: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
FINE PRINT:
This giveaway will close on December 9, 2024, at 11 pm and the winner will be notified via email. The winner will have 24 hours to respond by email accepting the prize. No purchase necessary to enter the contest. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You are providing your information to kzookids.com and not to Facebook. Entrants will release Facebook from all liability. Entrants must be at least 21 years of age and reside in Michigan. Only one entry per household or IP address. Kalamazoo Kids’ liability is limited to the value of the prize.
More Christmas Light Shows in Michigan
Winter Wonderland is just one of many options for driving through some twinkling lights this holiday season in Michigan.
