Best Hotels in Philadelphia for Christmas

Philadelphia's Christmas is concentrated in Center City. The German-style Christmas Village sits beside City Hall at LOVE Park, the Wanamaker Light Show plays in the old department store's Grand Court, and Franklin Square runs a nightly light show. December is cold, with some snow, but most events are within a short walk of each other.

What's on

• Christmas Village in Philadelphia — LOVE Park and City Hall courtyard. Usually from around Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve. In 2025 it ran 27 November to 24 December, with free entry. The 2026 dates are not yet confirmed.
• Wanamaker Light Show and Dickens Village — Wanamaker Building, 13th and Market Streets (Grand Court). Late November to 24 December on select dates in 2025, with shows every hour on the half-hour Wednesday to Sunday in the early weeks.
• Electrical Spectacle holiday light show — Franklin Square. Nightly. In 2025 the Franklin Square winter attractions ran 20 November 2025 to 28 February 2026.

Dates and times change from year to year, so check the organiser's listing before you travel.

Where to stay

• Center City (Market East and City Hall): Walk to the Christmas Village, the Wanamaker Light Show and the transit hubs.
• Rittenhouse Square: Restaurants and shops around a leafy square, a 10 to 15 minute walk to City Hall and its market.
• Old City and Society Hill: Historic streets and the waterfront, an easy walk to Independence Hall and the riverfront winter rink.

December weather

December highs average about 8°C (46°F) and lows about -1°C (31°F), with around 9 cm (3.5 in) of snow in an average month.

How we picked: the 7 hotels in this guide are 4- and 5-star hotels and resorts in Philadelphia with the strongest Booking.com guest scores, weighted by how many reviews they have. Scores and review counts were checked in October 2026.