Clark Griswold himself couldn't beat these creative, over-the-top Christmas houses. Sure, they're awash in lights, but they have so much more! These homeowners really go above and beyond, proving that lights aren't the only choice when you're decorating for the season.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
The Crazy Christmas House in Coventry, R.I., boasts enough light bulbs to raise the electric bill by $500! Over 67,000 lights are synchronized to dozens of songs broadcast by radio to visitors. This year, the Horrocks family is using its popularity to raise funds for 4 Paws for Ability.
The Christmas Castle in Jamaica Plain, Mass., has attracted both admiration and infamy throughout the years. Dominic Luberto covers his Tudor-style home in thousands of dollars' worth of lights—and we aren't complaining!
This ranch-style home played host to an animatronic Santa’s workshop and legions of other seasonal characters. Drawing hundreds of visitors each Christmas season, this house attracted too much attention for the comfort of the Prairie Village, Kan., city council, which forced Santa and the elves to pack their bags.
San Francisco residents Tom Taylor and Jerry Goldstein reach for new heights when celebrating the season by using a crane to decorate the top of their 15-foot pine tree with volleyball-size ornaments. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
These 45,000 blaring lights at a Toronto home lead visitors to a little manger and nativity scene nestled in the driveway. Pack the car—let's go!
Neighbors in West Frankfort, Ill., share the holiday glow with tens of thousands of visitors by lighting up five blocks for their Candy Cane Lane. Better get in line now!
A Corpus Christi, Texas, family goes big with its lawn each year by setting up a nativity scene that features life-size animals. Merry Christmas!
The Garabedians put the Hollywood in the holiday season with their star-studded annual display. Liberace, Beauty and the Beast, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, and over 170 mannequins mingle on the red carpet of this Bronx home.
This San Marcos, Calif., home begins decorating in early October to string 90,000 lights and arrange hundreds of illuminated characters in time for Christmas. The house even serves as a home base for Santa—visitors are welcome to drop wish lists in the mailbox.
Kenny Irwin’s Palm Springs, Calif., display is the largest home show in the country, with over seven million lights. His four-acre property is home to hulking robots and a sculpture of Santa’s reindeer created from discarded slot machines.
If you're interested in more about holiday decorating, consider:
10 LED Designs to Brighten Your Holiday Nights
8 Tips for Hanging Holiday Lights
Enroll now and learn DIY basics from the next generation of home improvement experts
