Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights (2018)

During A Longwood Christmas at Longwood Gardens, interior spaces celebrate all things Christmas trees with Tree Reimagined–a collection of holiday trees with a twist. Outside in the gardens, more than half a million lights illuminate the night. Visitors will also find fire pits for warming up and carolers adding a note of holiday cheer.
Photo courtesy of Longwood Gardens

Now through the end of the year, visitors to Norfolk Botanical Garden can see more than a million dazzling holiday lights. Now through Dec. 15th visitors can walk through the lights and experience the magic of the holidays and on December 16th visitors can drive in the comfort of their car during the Dominion Energy Garden of Lights drive-through. Celebrate the four seasons during the 24th installment of this popular regional holiday tradition. The Marigold & Honey food truck will be onsite selling cocoa and treats.
Photo courtesy of Norfolk Botanical Garden

Gardens Aglow at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay ranks among the biggest and brightest lights displays in New England, with more than 650,000 bulbs. The event is part of the larger Boothbay Lights in partnership with area hotels, shops and restaurants.
Photo courtesy of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond lights up with more than a million LED bulbs during the Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights, a holiday tradition kicking off Thanksgiving Weekend. The 2018 event will reinterpret famous works of art in twinkling lights, accompanied by botanical decorations.
Photo courtesy of Will Fisher / Flickr

Atlanta Botanical Garden gets transformed into a magical holiday fantasy land during Garden Lights. During the event, the garden lights up with multihued displays (more than 1 million bulbs in total) including the guest favorite Orchestral Orbs and Radiant Rainforest. Guests are encouraged to meander through the displays, hot beverage in hand, to the sounds of wandering carolers.
Photo courtesy of Atlanta Botanical Garden

Illuminations at Botanica in Wichita features 37 nights illuminated with some two million twinkling bulbs, paired with thousands of luminaries to light the way. Carolers and live music set the scene each night, and Santa is on-site for visits with young visitors.
Photo courtesy of Ty Nigh / Flickr

The beautiful Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga. celebrates the season with more than 8 million lights spread across over a dozen lighted holiday scenes during Fantasy in Lights. Besides riding the Jolly Trolley past the lights displays, visitors can listen to stories from Mrs. Claus, watch live stage shows, learn to build natural bird feeders or ring in 2019 with a fireworks display.
Photo courtesy of Callaway Gardens

New Mexico’s largest walk-through light show, River of Lights at the ABQ BioPark Botanical Garden, features more than 500 displays made up of millions of lights. Other highlights of the event include a holiday-themed Garden Railroad model train exhibit, holiday nature crafts in the education building and visits with Santa aboard the Polar Bear Express.
Photo courtesy of Visit Albuquerque

Just outside of Mobile, Ala., Bellingrath Gardens celebrates the holidays with Magic Christmas in Lights. Over 3 million lights illuminate some 1,100 displays scattered throughout the 65-acre garden estate. Nightly choral performances and holiday finery inside the Bellingrath home add to the holiday cheer.
Photo courtesy of Bellingrath Gardens and Home

On select nights in December, Brookgreen Gardens celebrates the holiday season in the glow of more than 4,500 hand-lit candles and countless more sparkling lights. Visitors can walk through the display with a warm cup of cider in hand to the sounds of live holiday music.
Photo courtesy of Design Folly / Flickr