15 Places That Don't Need the Holidays to Twinkle and Sparkle

One of the great joys of the holiday season is the wealth of artistic light displays that cascade from houses, trees, and, in some cases, cover entire mountainsides. But we don’t have to wait for the holidays to enjoy amazing displays of light! 

In Madrid, Iowa, the High Trestle Bridge’s lights reflect brilliantly off the De Moines River. The spiraling steel frame of the massive bridge comes to life at dusk, so that traveling through it mimics a descent into a mineshaft. Towering over Villa Martelli in Argentina is a giant robot that moonlights as a power line tower, created by the local art collective DOMA. The lights are programmed to reveal the robot’s mood—with a smile and wink. From caves that resemble a dreamscape (thanks to worms) to an illuminated urban “forest,” here are some of our favorite places that twinkle, sparkle, and shine whether it is the holiday season or not.