Luminaria at Thanksgiving Point is an amazing light display This is a walk through light show through the Ashton Gardens, and it also has some interactive activities for families to enjoy. We are sharing our tips for visiting Luminaria, and a little bit of what this experience is like in our post.
Luminaria is set up throughout the Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point. During other seasons of the year, there are many paths to take and you are free to wander the gardens as you wish. During this event, there is a clear path to follow. There are volunteers along the way to direct you, and keep you headed in the right direction. The path is about a mile long, and there are ups and downs, but it is wheel friendly, so you can bring strollers or wheelchairs.
Timed Light Display
Luminaria begins with a look over the timed lights that are one of the main features. 1000s of lights are set in the grass and they make patterns including stars, trees, Santa, American Flags, and more. Later in the walk, you get to walk right through these lights, too. As you start down the path, you walk past the only indoor display. The greenhouse has some amazing gingerbread houses (and pirate ships) to view. There are also gingerbread treats for purchase here! Make sure you take a peek either on the way in or the way out.
Walk the Garden Path
After visiting the gingerbread houses, you will continue your walk through the gardens. The path is full of different colors and types of lights. There are purple and pink trees, a beautiful photo spot in the gazebo, and even a Christmas tree that you can walk through. The kids loved being able to walk under the lights. We also loved the flower lights in the spot that is normally full of tulips during the Tulip Festival. There are no rivers or streams right now because of the cold weather. Instead, each streambed is filled with blue lights to look like water. It is beautiful!
Reindeer Woods
About half way through the walk, you come to the Reindeer Woods. There are live reindeer, as well as fun games like ring toss onto the reindeer antlers, and bean bag toss. Make sure to talk with the ladies about the reindeer. We learned all sorts of interesting facts about reindeer and touched their fur and an antler. There are a few booths with food so you can buy a treat, too. We bought some mini donuts and shared them around. There are a few fires to warm yourself by as well.
The path continues and you are at the other end of the timed light display. It was fun to see it from the other side. Our boys tried to count the lights, but they had a hard time keeping track.
Light of the World
The Light of the World statues are the next stop. This area has life size statues of the Savior, Jesus Christ. There are soft Christmas lights throughout the area, and you can feel the reverence as everyone quietly walks through the statues. This is a great spot to contemplate the real meaning of Christmas. We talked with our boys about the different stories that the statues represent.
We were sad to see that the Secret Garden was closed because it’s one of our favorite spots in the summer, but they had the secret tunnel lit up. You can walk right through the lights, and they are also timed to music. This was one of our favorite spots along the Luminaria path.
More lights at Luminaria
After the secret tunnel, you come to one last gathering area. There are more food booths, and games. They have fire pits here, as well, for roasting s’mores, and a few for warming your cold fingers and toes. Watch for places to take fun photos along the walk through Luminaria.
As you make your way back to the front, there are a few more fun light displays. There is a large tunnel with lights that change and move to the music. There is a disco ball where the waterfall usually is, and some cool lanterns as you make your way back to the start. Every year Luminaria adds more and changes the light display, so that when you visit again it feels like a new experience.
Our final stop was back at the top of the timed lights. It’s fun that you can start and stop here. We stood and watched for twenty minutes and never heard a song repeat! This area is definitely a highlight.
We give Luminaria a huge thumbs up. We love going with friends and family, too. The kids enjoy exploring the lights with their cousins. There were so many fun things to see and do. Our kids thought all of the games, and being able to walk through the lights, was so neat. We usually spend over two hours and it is always freezing! We try to bundle up well, and we are always enjoying ourselves so much that we don’t notice the cold that much.
Ticket Cost
The cost for Luminaria is a little discouraging, but after going though, we felt it was worth the cost that we paid! The thing we enjoyed most is the uniqueness of the Luminaria. There are plenty of drive-thru Christmas lights, but Luminaria is the only walking show around. There was so much going on, and it was such a great way to see Christmas lights, we felt the cost was worth it. They do allow you to volunteer to help earn free tickets. We know that this event will be out of some people’s price range, so check out our list of Christmas events for other FREE activities.
Tips for Families
- Bundle up. You will be outside for this event, so come prepared for the weather. We wore a lot of layers! Take hand warmers. Anything to stay warm.
- Go early. We picked the first time (5:00), and we ran a little late, but we loved being able to take our time and still get home by bedtime. The lights do get better as it gets darker, though.
- Wear glowsticks. They were selling glow swords and necklaces, and we thought how easy it would have been to grab some glowsticks from the dollar store. It would have made the event a little more fun, and we would have been able to keep track of the kids easily. In the dark, everyone looks the same.
- Bring water. Our boys asked for water the entire time, and the drinking fountains are turned off for the season, so definitely bring snacks and water for little ones. Or plan on purchasing these items at Luminaria at Thanksgiving Point.
Are dogs on leashes alowed?
No. Dogs on leashed are not allowed at Thanksgiving Point. Service animals are allowed, but not pets.
Could you give more details about the food and drink, or what you remember of it. I did find info about their food punch cards but I was unsure about the sizes of food and drink items. I’m also unsure of what some items are, like reindeer chow. Any extra info you could give would be helpful. Thank you!
This is a hard question to answer and would be better directed toward Thanksgiving Point than us. The food is standard size–probably 10-12 oz for hot cocoa. We don’t usually buy a lot of food, just a warm drink. We did buy mini donuts one year, but I feel like the food is different every year, too. I would guess that reindeer chow is muddy buddies, or something similar. I wish that I could better answer your question. If you are planning on buying food, I would guess the punch card will definitely save you money.
Any ideas about reasonable pricing on this? It is so expensive with a family.
It can seem pricey, but there really isn’t a discounted price unless you have a Thanksgiving Point membership. Not every adventure is for every family!
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