Gardens Aglow

Gardens Aglow opens in:

November 14–January 2, Thursday–Sunday, plus select dates from 4–9 p.m.
(Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years Day)

Join us for New England’s favorite light show, with “Gathered In Maine,” a glowing journey through the seasonal traditions, landscapes, and natural connections that bring us together. Discover everything from maple tapping and mushroom foraging, to seed-dispersing ants, pollinators, and coastal ways of life.

Get Your Glow On

Members must be signed in to access their discount.

VIP Upgrade Add-On

Enhance your evening with our Gardens Aglow VIP Upgrade that comes with unlimited free exchanges, flexible arrival times, a special fire pit experience* with s’mores, and exclusive Gardens Aglow swag.

The VIP upgrade is a separate, additional per-ticket item that you can add at the time of purchase. Add it into your cart with your tickets to unlock exclusive extras this Gardens Aglow season. Passes are limited and will sell out.

*The fire pit will be available to VIP guests every night it is safe to do so. We reserve the right to close due to high winds or torrential rain.

Park & Ride to Gardens Aglow

The Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce provides shuttles from downtown Boothbay Harbor to the Gardens on weekend nights during Gardens Aglow! Shuttles run continuously from 3:45 to 9 p.m. from the Boothbay Harbor Town Office right to the doors of Gardens Aglow.

Need a Jump Start on Holiday Shopping?

Gardenshop online has hundreds of items to peruse and add to your shopping cart.

Our curated collection of items make great gifts for family and friends of all ages, and every purchase in our store is powerful: each sale directly supports our mission to inspire meaningful connections among people, plants and nature.

Shop Online

Grab a bite to eat in the Cafe during Gardens Aglow

During Gardens Aglow, warm up in our Cafe with comfort food favorites and hearty warm bowls. Grab a hot cocoa, coffee, or quick snack, and end on a sweet note with freshly baked cookies or gluten-free brownies.

Stop by the Snack Shack for warm hot cocoa (add a splash of Bailey’s or Schnapps), freshly brewed coffee, or a local beer or wine. Enjoy tasty grab-and-go snacks like popcorn, donuts, Bixby Bars, and cookies—a perfect way to fuel up for your Gardens Aglow adventure!

FAQs

Discover the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about Gardens Aglow. Questions specific to members can be found below.

2026 Tickets:	Family Value	Standard	Premium
GA Adult	$20	$24	$28
GA Senior & Veteran	$18	$22	$26
GA Child	$10	$14	$18

Members save 20% on listed prices.

Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, September 8 at 10 a.m. Members get early access starting on Tuesday, September 1 at 10 a.m. Tickets should be purchased online or over the phone, (207) 633-8000.

No; tickets must be purchased in advance, and you will be unable to buy tickets onsite. Non-ticketholders will be turned away.

No, tickets will not be mailed. An email will be sent to the email address you provide when purchasing your ticket, and there will be printable tickets included in that email.

We recommend printing your tickets and having them in-hand when you arrive. We can also scan your tickets directly from your mobile phone, just ensure that you have the ticket PDF open on your device with the barcodes visible, and turn your screen brightness all the way up.

Gardens Aglow is an outdoor, walking event. Keep in mind that weather conditions vary greatly along the Maine coast in the winter and Gardens Aglow is primarily an outdoor event. Dress in layers and be aware of the risks of snowy and icy weather—wear warm, sturdy shoes for the outdoor trek.

Parking is free on-site. To ease parking congestion and facilitate your group’s entry, we strongly encourage you to consider carpooling or ride the shuttle to the Gardens – it’s more fun that way, too! Make the most of a visit to the region by exploring Boothbay Harbor’s beautiful downtown, shopping, or eating in a local restaurant, and then take the convenient shuttle to the Gardens for Gardens Aglow. All guests riding the shuttle must have tickets for Gardens Aglow.

Bringing outside alcohol onto Gardens‘ grounds is strictly prohibited. Those who tailgate or bring in flasks will be asked to leave the grounds, and entry will be forfeited.

For the safety and security of all visitors, we ID all visitors wishing to buy alcohol. Please bring a federally recognized form of ID. Please note that no vertical IDs will be accepted. There is a two-drink-per-person limit.

Our bathrooms and other facilities will be available when the Visitor Center opens at 3:45 p.m. Unfortunately, restrooms are not accessible before that time, so we recommend planning your visit accordingly. Once the event begins, you’ll find restrooms and trash cans located in the Visitor Center, Café, and in the Education Building.

The Gardens Aglow route is approximately 1 mile of beautifully lighted pathways through our central garden areas, and we find that most guests spend around two hours at Gardens Aglow. Extend your visit to the region by exploring the Boothbay Region during Boothbay Lights

We’re open rain or (moon)shine! If it’s raining, our displays showcase an extra sparkle. As a general rule, we only close during major, unsafe weather events (see the next FAQ).

We’ll post on our website and our Facebook page by 1 p.m. on the day of the event if we need to close because of the weather, and it will be on local news closure lists. If you had purchased tickets for a night that we close, we will email you at the email address used during checkout with news of the closure. Tickets will be refunded.

With the exception of official Garden’s Affiliates (typically local inns, hotels, or other businesses), resale of Gardens Aglow tickets is not permitted. Please call us at if you have questions or concerns. We see many scam sales around the holidays. Tickets sold online go against our policy and will be at the buyer’s own risk.

We are closed on some major holidays, including Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years Day. Otherwise, we’re open Thursday-Sunday, plus some additional days at the end of December.

No. The Gardens is closed for safety reasons before and after the event. Please come within 15 minutes of your ticketed time. The Visitor Center opens at 3:45 p.m., and we close promptly at 9 p.m.

We have a limited number of wheelchairs and scooters available to borrow. We recommend coming earlier in the season as the snow and ice may prevent scooters and wheelchairs from navigating the gardens easily. Please note that there is a small area of the Gardens that is not accessible by wheelchair or scooter and will be indicated on the map.

Gardens Aglow is illuminated by more than 750,000 energy-efficient LED bulbs—that’s roughly 65 miles of lights!

Every year, our Guardians of the Seeds trolls hibernate from October 31 – May 1. For Gardens Aglow, both Roskva and her baby sister, Lilja, will join the festivities.

Enjoy hot options inside our warm Cafe and sweet treats from food trucks along the way. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will also be available to purchase. The last orders for food in the Cafe will be at 8:30 p.m. Check out our social channels for all the latest details. For options before or after your visit, go to BoothbayLights.com for more information on where to eat in the region.

Check out the Boothbay Lights website or Facebook page to see a full listing of what restaurants, hotels and shops are open, as well as what other events are happening around town during the Boothbay Lights celebration.

Yes! Our Gardenshop will be open on the same days and time as Gardens Aglow. You are more than welcome to stop by before or after your visit in our Visitor Center, but please note that Gardenshop closes promptly at 9 p.m.You can always shop online at shop.mainegardens.org. Our online shop has great gifts for loved ones from artisans, local makers, and environmentally conscious merchants.

We love our four-legged friends, but only service animals, as protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act, are allowed at the Gardens. While service animals are always welcome at the Gardens, we ask handlers to help ensure a safe and positive experience for everyone.
Control: Service animals must remain under control on a 6′ fixed leash at all times.
Behavior: Animals should not bark, growl, or act aggressively or disruptively toward people or other service animals.
Cleanup: Handlers are responsible for cleaning up after their animals.
If a service animal behaves disruptively, we reserve the right to ask the handler to remove the animal from the premises. In such cases, no refund will be offered.

Please send an email to info@mainegardens.org so that we can check out lost and found items.

We have a limited number of EV chargers available during Gardens Aglow, and they are first-come, first-served.

Member FAQ

Yes, members do need to buy tickets for Gardens Aglow. The Gardens close for the regular season in October, and Gardens Aglow is a special ticketed event. Tickets for members are 20% off of the normal rate. Members have the special opportunity to buy tickets during the member presale week, ahead of the general public, starting September 1 at 10 am.

During presale week, starting at 10 a.m. on September 1, only members can access tickets. Members will need to log in using their member email address to unlock these tickets on our website.

No, Gardens Aglow is a special event outside of the Garden’s regular operating hours. Guest passes may not be used for any special events outside of regular hours.

No. Memberships are nontransferable and are valid only for the person whose name appears on the card.

Yes, you will still receive a 10% member discount in Gardenshop during the event.