C
oast to coast, holiday light shows have grown in popularity in recent years, transforming from your neighbor’s simple icicle light display into a major event at iconic cultural institutions, botanic gardens, and neighborhoods across the world. I know this firsthand- I’ve hit the famous light spectacle in Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge neighborhood for ten years and counting.
The show at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is an equal stunner: This year, from November 21, 2025 through January 4, 2026, New York City’s Brooklyn Botanic Garden will present Lightscape, an illuminated winter trail that takes inspiration from the garden’s flora and fauna to create an enchanted forest experience that features more than 1 million lights along a 1 mile trail.
Acting Director Kathryn Glass shares what makes this enchanting New York City tradition so special and how the Garden dazzles tens of thousands of visitors every year with an unparalleled light show.
What makes Lightscape a must-see winter attraction for both New Yorkers and out-of-town visitors?
Brooklyn Botanic Garden is transformed into an enchanted forest filled with art, sound, and seasonal magic. Visitors walk a one-mile trail featuring 19 monumental light installations that are either directly or indirectly inspired by local flora and fauna, set against our outstanding collection of trees. With music, cozy food and drink options, and a playful immersive environment, it’s an unforgettable holiday outing for local families and tourists from around the world.
What distinguishes Lightscape from other holiday light shows around the world?
Lightscape is rooted in the living landscape and is specifically designed to honor our iconic collections, which include bodies of water, exceptional buildings, and trees and flowering plant collections. Light artists from around the world contributed to this year’s show, making it feels organic and immersive, as well as high-spirited….and fun!
Are there specific elements of the experience designed with families or tourists in mind?
Lightscape is intentionally designed to be multigenerational, accessible, and full of visual “wow moments” that travelers and families love. Winter Cathedral is a perfect family photo moment, enveloping you in a dramatic archway of fairy lights, while the fountain light show Let the Magic Begin allows you a moment to sit and take in an orchestrated dance of water and spotlights. Spiced drinks and hot chocolate are found in our Beaux Arts Palm House amidst the Lily Pool Terrace, which is festooned this year to recreate a “town square” feeling that you enter by crossing a snowflake transom.
We also offer a variety of nights including 21+ Nights on Thursdays in December (except for Christmas) and, for visitors with disabilities or sensory sensitivity, we also offer Sensory-Friendly Early Entry nights to keep the trail less crowded and more relaxed.
How many individual light installations are part of this year’s Lightscape?
This year’s experience features 19 distinct installations from 18 artists, along with dozens of smaller lighting moments woven throughout the one-mile trail. There are 2 World Premiere installations and 5 U.S. Premieres, with each major installation acting as an artwork in its own right, created specifically to highlight the Garden’s winter landscape.
Can you share fun facts about the most popular or most technically ambitious installations?
There are many highlights this year.
Fluxit—making its U.S. debut—features hundreds of individually rigged LED tubes that flicker like firelight;
Bluebonnets by Mandylights immerses guests in a field of 3,000 glowing bluebonnet flowers;
Flock includes 175 translucent white birds in various stages of flight, transforming a tree canopy into a dynamic sculpture;
And Firefly Field delights visitors with 400 kinetic illuminated fireflies that twinkle across The Garden.
And then there’s most everyone’s favorite: Sea of Light which fills a football-sized field with biomorphic shapes and lights choreographed precisely to music that it seen both from on ground and then high above. Enchanting!
Are any installations new world premieres or pieces created specifically for Brooklyn Botanic Garden?
Yes. Several installations are new to Lightscape globally, including Light Orchestra by CCL and Filament that sees lights representing each member of the orchestra, tuning and brightening as they perform for their audience. We also have Leaf the Light On by Pyrite Creative with 12 falling leaves representing the changing seasons at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
There are also 5 U.S. Premieres, and even returning favorites have been reimagined in ways that respond uniquely to Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s spaces.
What are some of the biggest challenges of producing a light show within a historic living collection?
Installing a large-scale light experience inside a 52-acre living museum requires extraordinary care. Every element—from placing cables to positioning sculptures—must be done without disturbing root systems, soil structures, or delicate specimens that live here year-round, tended to by our expert horticulture staff. Weather is another challenge: winter brings unpredictable conditions, so all installations must be robust, safe, and able to withstand cold, moisture, and wind. Our horticulture team works closely with our technical and creative partners to ensure the show is visually stunning and environmentally responsible.
How long does the full Lightscape route take to walk, and what surprises can guests expect along the way?
Most guests spend 60 to 90 minutes exploring the one-mile trail, longer if visitors decide to enjoy festive dining experiences at the Lightscape Lodge and Lightscape Bar. And many do! Last year, visitors drank more than 1,500 gallons of hot cocoa, more than 600 gallons of hot cider and 14,000 extra shots were added on top of already spiked beverages. We also estimate more than 50 marriage proposals were made, almost one per night!