I’m no humbug, but I partake in Christmas in moderation. I save my (voluntary) Christmas music listening for the week of the holiday, and my decorations are limited to a few lights and a tree.
Enchant Christmas, which bills itself as the “world’s largest Christmas light maze,” is for festive fanatics – those who start counting down the days in January. The annual holiday experience, which started in 2016 and now has seven locations around the United States, is essentially a sculpture park. Larger-than-life reindeer, snowflakes and ornaments are laced with dazzling lights and scattered around a labyrinth of merriment.
It seems like quite a spectacle, one that could melt the cold souls of Scrooges. Before going, I had a few doubts. Promotional photos imparted the sense of a vast winter wonderland, but I reminded myself it could only be the size of a ballpark. And it’s just lights, right? I’ve seen those before.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
But as I drove closer to Enchant, a bright, yellow-white, 100-foot-tall metal Christmas tree dominated the horizon – a beacon calling the merry masses, striking joy in the hearts of revelers and challenging my expectations.
In all seriousness, the Christmas tree is the star of the show. It’s at the center of the maze with plenty of space for photos, and the flickering lights create a magical effect. It’s worth considering a trip for the tree alone.
But of course, there’s a lot else to see. The maze has a simple story: an elf accidentally let Santa’s reindeer loose, and it’s your job to find all nine of them to save Christmas. Along the way are several structures prime for photo opportunities: a technicolor tunnel, an arch resembling a wedding ring, an ornament-shaped dome you can walk inside and more. One section shoots fake snow in the air. Some walls have cute phrases, like “kiss me” and “jingle if you’re single.” They’re clearly meant to be Instagrammable, if that’s your thing, but they’re also just enjoyable to look at.
The field also includes an ice-skating rink, which you can purchase as a ticket add-on. I didn’t opt for it on account of not wanting to fall on my face, but the rink looked, for a lack of a better word, enchanting. It’s not quite a trail, as the website says, but a portion of it circles around a family of light-sculpture polar bears, and the whole thing is surrounded by twinkling trees.
The maze itself isn’t difficult to navigate, thankfully – it wouldn’t be fun getting stuck in cold weather. I didn’t run into any dead ends, and the paths are circular and spacious, which makes the crowd feel less crowded. (The Saturday that I attended was sold out for most of the night.) Most of the reindeer stand taller than the walls, which makes them easy to spot so you don’t need to retrace your steps. Enchant understands that the game is secondary to the sights.
It can be a little difficult to find the maze’s entrance, though. My partner and I initially entered in the middle and had to ask a few employees to locate the real entrance, which is the only place where they give out the game’s scratch-off cards. Staff members were joyful and helpful, with some of them in character as elves. (One pair snuck a goofy selfie when taking a photo of us.)
Food options include Franklin Field’s standard fare along with local spots such as Tots on the Street and Happy Dough Lucky, a doughnut shop. The numerous bars set up inside the maze and outside on the concourse offered hot chocolate and drinks in a glowing light bulb container. The holiday market featured a few local businesses, such as Discourse Coffee and Everything’s All-Light candles, but mainly Enchant merch and collectables including ornaments, snow globes, pillows and other home decor.
And this shouldn’t come as a surprise, but wear layers. You’ll be in the cold outdoors for an hour or two, and there aren’t many heaters, likely for safety reasons. The maze walls helped block the wind, though, and the ambiance would feel off without a little chill, anyway.
The atmosphere is delightful. From plantlike lights in the stadium seats that dance in the wind to an interactive rainbow-tile dance floor with an elf DJ, each detail made spirits bright. Guests unpromptedly sang along to Christmas tunes, and one group formed a dance circle and cheered on one another. And kids can visit Santa and write their wishlist on their scratch-off cards and drop them into mailboxes at the end of the maze.
There’s certainly a good time to be had, but it’s pricey, especially for families. The lower end of ticket prices is $27 for adults and $22 for kids, but expect to pay $40 for adults and $30 for kids on the weekends. Tickets don’t include ice-skating or parking, although I parked overflow for free at Orchard View Shopping Center and took the provided shuttle service, which was quick and easy.
In the end, I had the holiday spirit infused in me. Sure, it’s a tad flashy and commercial, but it’s Christmas! It’s kind of the point, and Christmas fans will find a lot to enjoy. The 4 million lights are a marvel, and the aura is charming and full of wonder. If you’re willing to pay the price, Enchant might be the only Christmas destination you need.
