This easy holiday road trip from Huntsville will dazzle you

Last holiday season, I experienced a magical evening checking out Wonderland Under Warrior at Rickwood Caverns State Park, then swinging through Cullman Christkindlmarkt on my way back to North Alabama.

Immediately sold on making this easy holiday road trip from Huntsville a new annual tradition, I was happy to repeat it this past week, gathering more details to share with you.

Attraction openings + essential info

The best way to do it? Plan a full day for it, even though it’s only 2.5 hours of driving, round-trip.

📆 OPENING DATES + TIMES: Cullman Christkindlmarkt officially opened Thursday, Nov. 20, with a bigger celebration including a parade and tree lighting starting at 6:30PM on Friday, Nov. 21. Wonderland Under Warrior opens to the public on Saturday, Nov. 22.

⌚️Allow yourself at least one hour at Wonderland Under Warrior and at least three at Christkindlmarkt on the way back home.

🚋 Add at least two more hours if you want to see the lights at Ave Maria Grotto and Winter Wonderland at Sportsman Lake Park while you’re in Cullman; both are easier to access this year, thanks to a new tram service loop.

And now, here’s what you’ll discover.

Wonderland Under Warrior @ Rickwood Caverns State Park details

This year’s edition of Wonderland Under Warrior at Rickwood Caverns State Park is as dazzling as last, with several twists meriting a repeat visit … although I believe I’d keep going, even if nothing changed.

The experience: Park, buy a ticket (if you didn’t reserve online, which is highly recommended), then stroll up a gravel pathway lined with twinkling lights and animal-themed displays to meet a greeter at the cavern entrance. You’ll descend a few steps and follow the sounds and lights guiding you along the cavern, through 260-million-year-old rock formations.

The caverns are full of photo ops and chance meetings with holiday characters, and check the official schedule to align your trip with Santa.

The cave stays a comfortable 62 degrees all year, so dress accordingly.

• When: 2PM-8PM on Nov. 22-30 (closed Thanksgiving); Dec. 3-7; Dec. 10-14; Dec. 17-23; Dec. 25-30; Jan. 1-4
• Where: 370 Rickwood Park Rd, Warrior, AL 35180
• Distance from Huntsville: 75 miles
• Cost: $12 for ages 5 and older; free for kids age 4 and younger.
• Get Tickets

Cullman Christkindlmarkt details

Although Cullman’s Christkindlmarkt has only been around a handful of years, it has grown into one of the largest traditional German holiday markets in the United States. This year, it earned the prestigious “Signature Event” honor from the Southeast Tourism Society, an award conferred upon only 16 festivals across 13 states.

The experience: For 2025, Christkindlmarkt is as beautiful as ever and has more room to move, having expanded its footprint by 50% and now stretching south to the city’s historic Warehouse District. The city’s 3,500-square-foot Festhalle Farmer’s Market is another new, huge attraction, now enclosed to host a Käthe Wohlfahrt store, a premier retailer of high-quality, traditional German Christmas decor.

Other festival favorites include North America’s largest Weihnachtspyramide—a 30-foot traditional German Christmas pyramid, a 108-foot Ferris wheel (Alabama’s largest), a rare double-decker carousel, a daring swing ride, ice skating, dozens of food and craft vendors, an entire space just for kids to play, craft and visit with Santa and other holiday characters.

• What: Cullman Christkindlmarkt, a traditional German Christmas market recognizing Cullman’s heritage + its founding by Col. Johann Gottfried Cullmann + German immigrant families in the 1870s
• Where: Depot Park, 107 Arnold St NW, Cullman, AL 35055
• Distance from Huntsville: 54 miles
• When:
  • Thursday, Nov. 20 – Wednesday, Dec. 10
    • Thursday through Saturday, 11AM-9PM + Sunday, Noon-8PM
    • (Closed Thanksgiving)
  • Thursday, Dec. 11-Tuesday, Dec. 23
    • Monday-Saturday, 11AM-9PM
    • Sunday, Noon-8PM
• Cost: Admission + parking are free! Bring money for shopping, vendors, rides + more.
• Opening events, full schedule + more: Website | Facebook

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