HOUSTON — If you’ve only ever seen the Houston Botanic Garden by day, now's your chance to check it out by Lightscape.
"We think Lightscape is a really unique way to celebrate the holidays," said Justin Lacey, the garden's director of communications.
Once the sun sets, the garden is transformed.
"It’s so hard to describe, but we just know when people come out and see it with their own eyes, they get it," Lacey said.
This is not your traditional holiday light display. Is it the holidays? Yes. Are there lights? Yes. But the lights throughout the garden are art installations.
"You think you’re coming for one thing, but you’re going to get to see the garden – it sounds so cheesy, but – in a new light," said Lacey.
The experience starts by winding you through the Global Collection Garden.
"You’re going to walk under a bunch of bananas, you’re going to walk surrounded by bamboo and there’s going to be all this dramatic, theatrical lighting up on it," Lacey described.
One of the first installations you experience beyond the Global Collection Garden is a field of 2,000 LED bluebonnets accompanied by George Strait music.
"They twinkle and you walk right down the middle of the path," said Lacey. "The artists behind them are based in the UK and Australia, but they have created something that is resonating with Texans. You can hear it as people come up to them."
From there, the trail leads you to and through a number of pieces.
"Each installation’s going to have its own playlist and music so there’s very much an atmospheric nature to it as well," Lacey said.
Add a festive nature by opting for the s’mores near the end of the trail, which you can roast over an open fire right next to the fire garden.
"The vast majority of people buying tickets for Lightscape have never been to the garden before, so it is a great introduction," said Lacey. "Our key now is to follow up and make sure they come back to see it in the day because it is a very different experience in the day than it is at night."
One more detail: you will want to buy your tickets in advance due to the timed entry, as well as to reserve parking. You can do that here.