The Marfa Mystery Lights
The Marfa Mystery Lights
4
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Mysterious dancing lights ("ghost lights") in the sky over Marfa after dark.
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24 within 3 miles
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16 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- SharonR4 contributionsI'd go againThe town of Marfa was so cute but we were there on a day most stores were closed. We went to see the lights of Marfa observation spot but didn't see them .Met a bunch of nice folks there , one whose son had seen them previously. The sun set was beautiful.Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 5, 2023
- Claire D3 contributionsWe Saw the Lights!We were staying in Alpine and made the short drive to see the lights. Can’t believe it, but we did see them. Lots of them. So very cool. I didn’t know what to expect but it was balls of light very far in the distance, jumping around. We saw up to five “balls” at the same time. It was a beautiful night. I’d do it again!Visited October 2023Traveled with friendsWritten October 18, 2023
- Esperanza F1 contributionMust visit Marfa TexasMarfa Texas, it did not disappoint! We came for the great food (which was/is delicious) and we got added bonuses. We were about to enjoy the McDonald Observatory, Jim’s Marfa Garden Airbnb, and the cherry on top MARFA LIGHTS. We visited during Winter Break and had no issue finding places to eat during Christmas Eve. We did plan ahead though, we purchased some food to make at the Airbnb. Several of the shops were closed but we didn’t go to shop.Visited December 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten December 25, 2023
- Brendan SArlington, Virginia2,152 contributionsMarfa Lights deliver!I didn’t come all the way to Marfa to not look for the mystery lights, but I was worried I’d spend hours in chilly darkness looking in vain. But I arrived at the viewing area on a cloudless night and immediately saw several lights flickering off in the distance, and about a half dozen were visible for as long as I wanted to watch. The lights are not a great spectacle, but they are there and they remain a mystery, and that’s pretty cool.Visited December 2023Traveled soloWritten December 27, 2023
- CocoWyoming254 contributionsNice star gazingWe went, we sat and stared at the sky for so long that we may have been seeing things, because we wanted to. We did see what looked like the big power poles in the distance, mysteriously lighting up and shooting beams towards the sky. That happened a few times then the poles would turn to black again. Maybe we saw something, maybe not but it was a beautiful starry night, so glad we did some star gazing!Visited January 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten February 1, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
604 reviews
Excellent
247
Very good
178
Average
132
Poor
32
Terrible
15
Ggomez587
Houston, TX60 contributions
Sep 2020 • Couples
We arrived on a cool, clear September night not really knowing what to expect. We kinda wondered around until we got to the back part of the viewing area. Off in the horizon, by the radio tower beacon, these bright white/yellow lights would appear for about 15 seconds and then fade away. Then 30 seconds later they would reappear in a different spot, only to do the same thing again and again. I'm told they don't always appear so we were lucky. Cool story and even cooler to see.
Written October 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susan L
Santa Fe, TX207 contributions
Jun 2020
Other than being a little disappointing that we didn't see "the lights," we saw a beautiful sunset and spending time outdoors with my daughter and grandson. Definitely time well-spent. Maybe next time we'll see the lights!
Written June 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
s m
SC388 contributions
Aug 2020 • Solo
The lighting here does no one any good. The red lights around the viewing platform are useless for navigation and are in disrepair letting white light through. The lights in front of the building illuminate nothing. Parking is an issue leading people to drive around with lights on running the experience for everyone else. Road way light is very visible from the viewing platform. On the viewing platform and grassy area in front are so poorly illuminated people resort to using phone lights ruing the experience. May be 1000% better if you were the only one there, bit overall needs to be rethought. If you bring kids they need to be prepared to stare into the darkness for hours for a few seconds of excitement.
Written August 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Debi Dr.D
Jacksonville, FL9 contributions
Jun 2021 • Business
I was driving alone from Marfa to Alpine at sunset completely unaware of the phenomenon of the Marfa lights. All of a sudden, what appeared to be headlights started shining behind me and then change to the front of my car. This went on for quite some time. It made no sense how they would change to different locations around my car—first on one side, then the other; very close to my car and then far away. There were no other cars or headlights around me at all. I honestly thought I was being abducted by aliens!! What a way to go, huh? Pretty terrifying. It wasn’t until I got back to my brother’s house in the hill country and relayed this strange occurrence to my him did I hear about the Marfa lights.
Written June 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Garry B
Dallas, TX10 contributions
Oct 2020 • Couples
We actually did not leave Marfa to view the lights until a few minutes after sunset. It is a short drive out Highway 90 east of Marfa to the well- marked roadside viewing area. Parking was tight due to our late arrival but we found a spot and walked out into the desert a little ways looking where others pointed. Sure enough there were flashing brilliant specks of light visible miles in the distance to the south west. Certainly not an aurora borealis kind of light show but we saw the light- as touted. What causes this phenomenon? There are many theories, but we like the one describing natural gas emissions that are flashed by friction of moving tectonic plates well below the surface. Maybe?? In any case it is a good and free show. It didn’t take a long time to view and we actually experienced the lights. Timing is everything. Our timing seemed perfect. In short, “We came, We saw, We went back to town. It was a fun early evening diversion.
Written October 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
D M
Travelers Rest, SC301 contributions
May 2021
Only 2 stars are we saw nothing the one night we were in town. We were there at sunset (there is a area, like a highway rest stop, built about 8 miles outside of town for viewing) and I'd do it again just to see this magnificent sunset. Then we drank some wine and waited...and waited...and waited. After 2 hours, we called it quits and went back to hotel. We saw nothing. Wish we had.
Written June 6, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rambling RV Rat
50 contributions
Apr 2021 • Couples
We visited Marfa Viewing Center twice in 2021, once mid week in Jan and once on a Sat in Apr. We viewed lights both times, but Jan was a significantly better experience mainly because few other people were present. Public service announcement: if you come to see lights, you want as little unnatural light. So come early, park, and relax beforehand. Turn off headlights! Shut off flashlights! There was so much unnatural ligjht during our Apr visit that we didnt see the Mystery lights until after 11 pm, when most people were already gone. For fellow RVs, great overnight stop. Easy in and out off of US 67/90.
Written April 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Warlocke
Houston, TX678 contributions
Dec 2020
This is really a hit or miss and we were fortunate enough to indeed see something on the horizon but reading some info they were probably the ones attributed to car headlights....Don't know though, they were still pretty interesting and didn't really look like car headlights at all and they didn't show regularly as it took some time after we arrived before they showed up and then disappeared. That was around 7pmish and I imagine there would still be more cars out there. When we went back to the area during broad daylight it is surprising how you would see car headlights as the place just looks like a desolate field as far as the eyes can see....oh well, we talked to some folks there who have claimed seeing colored lights that moved around so that was much more exciting...We didn't get a chance to come back though
Written December 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dmurray713
Tampa, FL262 contributions
Dec 2020
It's crazy to hear how some people don't see them, because the night we went was clear as day, brighter than stars. There is a nice adobe viewing platform with an open field right off the road about 10 minutes east from Marfa.
We got there right at the beginning of sunset, which alone is a great viewing spot because the sun sets against the mountains. We began to see these mystery lights as the last bits of the sun began to fade, and it was truly spooky and wild. They were only white for us (some reports said different colors, also don't be fooled because there are cell towers with red flashing lights in the same area). As the night got darker the lights became more prevalent. They would appear up in the mountains and at the edge of the horizon, ours primarily moved from left to right, and would disappear for a bit then reappear in the same spot it disappeared. It is truly bizarre and fascinating.
We got there right at the beginning of sunset, which alone is a great viewing spot because the sun sets against the mountains. We began to see these mystery lights as the last bits of the sun began to fade, and it was truly spooky and wild. They were only white for us (some reports said different colors, also don't be fooled because there are cell towers with red flashing lights in the same area). As the night got darker the lights became more prevalent. They would appear up in the mountains and at the edge of the horizon, ours primarily moved from left to right, and would disappear for a bit then reappear in the same spot it disappeared. It is truly bizarre and fascinating.
Written January 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa B
Austin, TX17 contributions
Apr 2021
Let me start with this. My husband and I did get to see the lights. I know folks say it can all be explained but they do act strangely. It nice to just sit there and catch the show. Anyway, I enjoyed it and it has always been a bucket list thing for me as was Marfa in general. Now about Marfa, don't waste your time! There isn't much there. Very few places to eat at or to shop at. The art is ok at best. Expensive and I'm not entirely sure how they keep the doors open. Stay in Fort Davis or Alpine and you can just drive into Marfa for the 20 min tour of the town. Go in for a dinner and see the lights. Make sure you make reservations at one of the few restaurants that are only open for dinner. And for God Sake take a mask!!! These folks are hyper phobic about thier mask wearing. I am vaccinated and don't feel obligated to wear one anymore. Had an encounter with a shop keeper at Ocotillo Botanica that was positively hostile. I put one on after being asked to but the young lady was very rude and hysterical about it. We did not buy anything sadly and I certainly could have spent some money in that shop.
Written April 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What month is best for the Marfa lights
Written October 27, 2020
Don't get fixed on the mystery light, instead take in the billion of stars and possible shooting stars. You will not be disappointed if it is a clear night.
Written October 29, 2020
Peut-on voir les lumières en janvier, nous aimerions y passer demain car nous sommes proches de Marfa. Merci de vos réponses
Written January 29, 2020
Where is a good place to stay overnight (hotel) that you can see the lights without having to leave?
Written February 6, 2019
The public viewing platform is the place to most likely see the lights. It is outside of town but easy to find. The mystery of the Marfa Lights is a mystery for sure
Written February 7, 2019
I went at sunset and stayed through 10pm both times.
Written October 25, 2018
which sentence from the article best explains why the marfa lights remain a mystery
Written September 20, 2018
Since I'm not sure what article you are referring to, this is a stab in the dark. Many believe this has a bit of multiple different natural phenomena and a big dose of mass delusion. We didn't see anything but a group of people sitting around enjoying an outing with friends. I'm not aware of any single unifying scientific theory.
Written September 21, 2018
The area is paved. No, you can not have an RV overnight. The lights are seen better during a clear night. Yes, you can take a pet. Marfa Lights Festival is coming up - Labor Day. Call Marfa Chamber of Commerce for more details. Parade, food, drinks, music, dance; I believe. The viewing area is located between Marfa and Alpine.The viewing area is closer to Marfa than Alpine.
No reservations needed, I believe. First come first to see. No viewing hours posted but do not drink since police patrol this area.
I wrote something earlier but do not know if it was posted.
Written August 25, 2017
elggirt
Houston, Texas
Is this station open to the public all the time or does it have specific hours? We will be in the area around New Years day and was wondering if it would be open.
Written June 25, 2017
It's open all the time because it is basically a roadside park positioned to give a good view of the lights.
The lights come out at dusk so don't go there during the day.....you won't see them then!
Written June 26, 2017
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