Have you visited Winter Lights at the NC Arboretum in Asheville, NC? While the Greenville area has its good share of fantastic Christmas light displays, a completely over-the-top experience at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville for their Winter Lights exhibit is worth the drive.
The Arboretum, which is adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway and part of the Pisgah National Forest, is set on over 434 acres of gorgeous gardens, biking trails, and streams, meticulously planned out and designed to deliver a top-notch experience for guests. As of November 2024, all trails are currently closed due to damage from Hurricane Helene but the Winter Lights display is happening.
Watch: Your Peek at Winter Lights
Make a day of the visit to North Carolina with The Kidding Around List of Ways To Celebrate Christmas In Asheville!
The Winter Lights at NC Arboretum
The Winter Lights exhibit is an amazing walk-through light display with nearly half a million LED lights, hot chocolate, treats, warm fires, and an array of dazzling displays.
Guests are greeted in the parking lot – the parking lot – with rows of huge lighted trees adorned with red, blue, green, and white lights, all leading to the entrance, a two-story lodge with kind staff and volunteers ready to send guests on their merry way into the gardens.
These trees are gorgeous with the lights and make for an incredible entrance. The staff at the Arboretum started putting up the lights in the early fall. That’s how expansive this exhibit is.
Guests will walk through the lodge, which has an awesome and unique gift shop, and head outside into the garden to begin their experience. Winter Lights happens from November 15th – December 31st, 2024 from 6-10 pm. Pro tip: get your tickets online as they are a lot cheaper than paying at the gate.
What To Expect: Beautiful Lights and Whimsical Decorations
Guests first exit the lodge onto a patio where they can choose to begin their walk through the lights or go straight to the Cocoa Shack, where they can purchase hot chocolate, hot cider, beer or wine.
Passing the Cocoa Shack, guests can meander under a lighted trellis where they will no doubt hear the joyful holiday music that this portion of the sparklers are synced to. Gaze to your left and you’ll be greeted with an enormous structure of string lights that look like a Christmas tree. Head to your right for the light display at the quilt garden and a light show that lights up in sync with captivating Christmas music.
Keep walking to the white lights strung up on trees that mimic snow falling off of branches. This year we found lots of mushroom and flower lights – think daisies, leaves, and big mushrooms all over the gardens. There are also several fire pits to warm up at or just sit and enjoy the lights.
There is a Polar Express train exhibit behind the Wishing Tree, which was fun to watch. We saw it atop the bridge that led to the big Christmas tree-like light display, but you can walk down below and see the trains up close as well. The trains are really cute and the little village is fun to see and pick out neat details.
The imagination can easily wander in this place.
The NC Arboretum Wishing Tree
On the left side of the gardens near the model train display is the Wishing Tree. Guests are invited to write their holiday wishes on little cards and hang them from the Wishing Tree.
This was honestly my favorite part. While people wrote all kinds of interesting wishes, there were some that left me feeling like I was peeking into someone’s heart, especially after the devastation of Helene. There were a lot of wishes for peace and happiness, that homes get rebuilt, that clean water comes back soon, and that people find their family members. Some were really sweet like “I hope she says yes” and “I wish to become a dragon.”
It was beautiful. I added my own wish, one that was very much in line with what a lot of other people wrote. Spend a few minutes here because it’s absolutely worth it. Your faith in humanity may be restored and gratitude will abound.
The Bent Creek Bistro and S’mores
The Bent Creek Bistro is located at the end of the Winter Lights display and it’s nice and cozy warm there! Here is the Bent Creek Bistro Menu for Winter Lights 2024. You can order soups, sandwiches, and hot chocolate as well as pick up a s’mores kit, which is exactly what we did.
There’s also a beautiful gift shop here with lots of ornaments, hats, gloves, and Christmas decor. I thought it would be warmer when we went so didn’t bring winter hats and gloves. I picked up some very warm gloves for my kids here so remedy our error.
We made s’mores with Santa outside amongst a roaring, cozy fire. The s’mores kits are either Hershey’s or Reese’s Peanut Butter cups and you can make two with each kit. We also sat outside in the same spot and drank our delicious hot chocolate. There is a small stage there set up for a band as well.
Need to Know for Winter Lights in Asheville
Here are a few things to know before you head off to Winter Lights, NC Arboretum Christmas Lights:
The NC Arboretum is just over an hour from Greenville. It’s a late night for little ones but depending on your child’s temperament and mood, they will probably love it.
It’s cold. The temperature in this part of Asheville is usually about 8-10 degrees cooler than Greenville so plan accordingly and bring hats, gloves, and a winter jacket.
There are nearby restaurants that are great for families if you want to eat before you go. I was given the recommendation to go Papas & Beer, which is five minutes from the Arboretum, and it was awesome.
This is an event for anyone and wheelchair accessible. There were a bunch of families, children, couples, and grandparents all enjoying the exhibit. One dad even had on a hiking backpack where he stowed his smaller child. Smart thinking.
To enjoy as much of the exhibit as possible, try to get there when it opens at 6 pm. You’ll have to show your tickets and park, which takes about 15 minutes, and then you have the rest of the time to wander around the exhibit and enjoy the magical experience.
No pets are allowed.
We spent about two hours there and took our time with photos, s’mores, drinking hot chocolate, shopping, and sitting by the fires.
Bathrooms are in the main lodge entrance building and in the building where the restaurant and gift shop is located.
2024 Winter Lights Ticket Info & FAQ
- DATES
November 15th, 2024 – December 31st, 2024 - HOURS
The gates open for the Winter Lights Display at 6 pm. Tickets are timed and guests may enter anytime between the time on their ticket and 9 pm. All guests must be off the property by 10 pm. Don’t not arrive early and block the gate. - TICKETS
Tickets for a standard passenger vehicle range in price from $40-$85 per car when purchased in advance. The cost will be higher if you purchase at the gate. Peak days will be priced at a premium. All the pricing details can be found on the NC Arboretum Winter Lights Ticket page If you have your ticket on your smartphone, take a screenshot before you arrive. Cell service is limited at the ticket gate. - North Carolina Arboretum Winter Lights -100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC | 828.665.2492
Do you recommend spending the day there and staying for the winter lights? Or is that too much? If I do that, do I pay for parking during the day as well as tickets for tickets for the Christmas lights?
There are other things to do in the area if you wanted to do a day trip. See our Asheville Christmas story. The Arboretum will close at 5pm and then reopen at 6pm for Winter Lights so your tickets would be separate.