Holiday Show Lights Up Burlington County's First Park

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — A nightly light show has been wowing visitors to Historic Smithville Park in Burlington County.

Each night when the sun sets, the Victorian village comes alive with scenes of holiday magic, including 14 specially decorated Christmas trees, moving stained-glass windows, and glimpses of Santa and his elves making final preparations for his annual holiday trip.

A video of the show, provided by Burlington County officials, can be seen below.

The lifelike holograms and decorated Christmas trees are the latest additions to what has become a beloved December tradition at Smithville, the centerpiece of the Burlington County Parks System.

The holograms were donated to the county for display at the park. Visitors can enter the park off Meade Lane. The light show and holiday tree displays are a short walk through the village along the Park Avenue walkway.

“Decorating Smithville for the holidays is something our County has done for decades, so we’re incredibly pleased to continue that tradition,” Freeholder Linda Hynes, liaison to the Burlington County Parks System and Department of Resource Conservation. “While the pandemic has forced us all to make changes in how we celebrate the holidays, including what activities we can hold at Smithville, it has not prevented us from giving our residents a holiday wonderland they can enjoy.”

Seven holographic scenes are on display in various buildings in the village, which was originally known as Shreveville before industrialist Hezekiah Bradley Smith acquired it in 1865, according to officials.

He renamed it Smithville, and transformed it into a thriving industrial town responsible for the manufacturing of cutting-edge woodworking machines, the famed American Star Bicycle and even the world’s first bicycle railroad.

Burlington County bought the village, Smith’s mansion and what remained of the H.B. Smith Machine Company factory in 1975 and developed it into Burlington County’s first park.

Each of the hologram scenes lasts less than 5 minutes and all seven can be viewed during a short walk lasting around 30 minutes, according to officials.