Light Bright: Garden Light Shows

Brighten your nights this holiday season with inspiration from botanical garden light displays from around the country.

By: Jeff Stafford

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Photo By: Image courtesy of Atlanta Botanical Garden, photo by Joey Ivansco

Photo By: Image courtesy of Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, photo by Mark Dumont

Photo By: Image courtesy of Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden

Photo By: Image courtesy of Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, photo by Dave Jenike

Photo By: Image courtesy of Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden

Photo By: Image courtesy of Brookside Gardens

Photo By: Image courtesy of Brookside Gardens, photo by Gary Cahn

Photo By: Image courtesy of Brookside Gardens

Photo By: Image courtesy of Brookside Gardens, photo by Mike Lee

Photo By: Image courtesy of Brookside Gardens

Photo By: Image courtesy of Denver Botanic Gardens, photo by Scott Dressel-Martin

Funky Forest

The Atlanta Botanical Garden began a new holiday tradition in 2011 when it launched "Garden Lights, Holiday Nights." This unique landscape of creative light sculptures features nearly 1 million energy-efficient bulbs and has become a major seasonal event for families who want to experience a dazzling nighttime walk in the park.

Glow Appeal

The Orchestral Orbs are a one-of-a-kind topiary light show choreographed to holiday music at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

Mood Enhancers

One of the visual highlights of the "Garden Lights" holiday show is watching the multi-shape orbs change color in time to the music, which produces an atmospheric, mood-changing effect.

Brilliant Hues

Intense shades of green, purple, gold and other colors form an electric tapestry of textures and forms by night.

Buzzing Bees

Larger than life insects appear to take flight above the Edible Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

Up in the Trees

An elevated walkway and observation deck in the colorfully illuminated forest is glimpsed from below.

Chihuly at Night

A centerpiece garden sculpture by glass artist Dale Chihuly becomes even more spectacular when night falls.

Decorating Nature

A walk through the forest at night offers a completely different view of nature when the trees and plants are decorated with creative lighting.

Electric Flowers

A vivid array of red, blue and green lights combine to produce a whimsical display of flowers in bloom.

S'mores in the Garden

A family enjoys a campfire treat amid the glowing wonders of the "Garden Lights, Holiday Nights" show at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

Holiday Tree

A light sculpture version of the traditional Christmas tree surrounded by ornament-like stars provides the perfect Yuletide touch for this illuminated garden.

Twinkling Pathway

A stunning array of blue and green LED lights guide the visitor down a treelined path toward the great Christmas tree in the background.

Magical Forest Lights

Innovative color schemes and nighttime lightscapes transform a forest into a fantasyland.

Cold As Ice

A couple walks through a landscape of lighted trees that mimic nature sculpted in ice.

Liquid Lights

An illuminated fountain creates a Yuletide glow in the dark.

Parterre at Night

The Atlanta skyline is lit up by the Parterre Garden at the "Garden Lights, Holiday Nights" show at Atlanta Botanical Garden.

Pretty as a Postcard

Swans glide across the pond that borders the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden in this scenic skyline view of the "Festival of Lights" event.

Train of Wonder

View the "Festival of Lights" aboard the North Polar Express, one of the popular attractions at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.

Sign of the Times

A festive Christmas tree composed of multi-colored lights is one of the signature sights from the "Festival of Lights" at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.

Christmas Playground

Children delight in the yearly "Festival of Lights" event with its themed areas of Fairyland, Candy Cane Forest, Twinkle Trail and Lemon Drop Lane.

Flower Power

Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland presents the "Garden of Lights" every holiday season from November 29 to January 5. Illuminated with more than one million colorful lights, visitors can stroll through gardens featuring dazzling nighttime displays of twinkling trees, fountains, animal shapes and hand-crafted flower designs such as this red pedal wonder with blue-green accents.

Grazing Giraffe

A towering light sculpture shaped like a giraffe enjoys a vegetarian snack as represented by a tree covered in green lights at Brookside Gardens.

Arches of Light

A pathway that travels beneath several twinkling arches leads to separate garden areas with light displays.

Inside the Giant Caterpillar

Visitors to Brookside Gardens wander through a tunnel of lights that resembles a long, red caterpillar.

Glow in the Dark

Multi-colored light sculptures decorate the garden areas while a lighted gazebo beckons in the distance at Brookside Gardens.

Garden Monster

A large, imposing light sculpture that looks like a demonic creature with glowing eyes towers over the greenhouse at Brookside Gardens.

Living Canvas

Decorated and bare trees form a unique visual composition that combines the beauty of nature with striking electric light highlights at Brookside Gardens.

Color Palette

An outdoor patio at Brookside Gardens becomes as festive as a carnival midway with its combination of colored lights and shrubs with blooming flowers.

Meet Nessie

The legendary creature that haunts the waters of Loch Ness, Scotland is recreated in this imaginative light sculpture at Brookside Gardens.

Winter Lights

Blue and white color schemes capture the festive Christmas mood at Brookside Gardens' walk-through holiday lights display.

Denver Light Shows

From Nov. 29-Jan.1, Denver Botanic Gardens celebrates its annual holiday tradition of adorning the gardens and farm with colorful lights for the Christmas season. "Blossoms of Light" features animated light sculptures with some displays synchronized to holiday songs while "Trail of Lights" presents a more rustic approach to light decorations via a self-guided tour.

Chorus Line

Rows of illuminated trees line up like carolers along this garden pathway that borders the pond at Denver Botanic Gardens.

Enchanted Forest

One of the more dazzling displays at the "Blossoms of Lights" festival at Denver Botanic Gardens is this fantasyland of nighttime color by the pond.

Winter Wonderland

Garden plots and wall vegetation at the Denver Botanic Gardens are transformed into a magical environment during the Yuletide.

Night Vision

Two young visitors to the "Trail of Lights" event at Denver Botanic Gardens marvel at the array of colors that light up the night.

Treehouse Transformation

A children's play area and treehouse become a nighttime wonderland in the "Trail of Lights" show at Denver Botanic Gardens.

Green Machine

A tractor becomes as festive as a Christmas tree in this scene from the "Trail of Lights" festival at Denver Botanic Gardens.

Group Huddle

Visitors to the "Trail of Lights" festival at Denver Botanic Gardens seek the warmth of the courtyard fire pit on a cold winter night.

Light Bright: Garden Light Shows

Related To:

Shop This Look

Funky Forest

Glow Appeal

Mood Enhancers

Brilliant Hues

Buzzing Bees

Up in the Trees

Chihuly at Night

Decorating Nature

Electric Flowers

S'mores in the Garden

Holiday Tree

Twinkling Pathway

Magical Forest Lights

Cold As Ice

Liquid Lights

Parterre at Night

Pretty as a Postcard

Train of Wonder

Sign of the Times

Christmas Playground

Flower Power

Grazing Giraffe

Arches of Light

Inside the Giant Caterpillar

Glow in the Dark

Garden Monster

Living Canvas

Color Palette

Meet Nessie

Winter Lights

Denver Light Shows

Chorus Line

Enchanted Forest

Winter Wonderland

Night Vision

Treehouse Transformation

Green Machine

Group Huddle

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