Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Lightscape Opens To The Public For 2025
This year's experience features over a dozen new works of light art plus returning favorites
Brooklyn Botanic Garden officially opened Lightscape, its mile-long illuminated trail, on Friday, November 21. Now in its fifth year, Lightscape has dazzled hundreds of thousands of visitors with luminous installations and light-splashed landscapes highlighting the beauty of the Garden in winter. An all-new experience awaits this year with a redesigned trail, a curated soundtrack, and special dining and drinking attractions. To celebrate opening night, BBG Interim Co-Director Kathryn Glass was joined by local elected officials to “flip the switch” on the dazzling light exhibitions, turning on tens of thousands of moving lights across Cherry Esplanade.
This year's Lightscape takes inspiration from the Garden's flora and fauna to create an enchanted forest experience in the heart of Brooklyn and features over a dozen new works of light art plus returning favorites. The Garden will offer expanded 21+ nights every Thursday in December, as well as curated festive food options at Lightscape Lodge and the Lightscape Bar.
About the Experience
Monumental and immersive light art installations delight Lightscape visitors as they travel a one-mile path through the Garden. This year's show features 19 distinct installations with new works including:
- U.S. Premiere! Fluxit by Vendel & de Wolf courtesy Light Art Collection: Hundreds of individually rigged LED tubes spark and glow, creating the effect of firelight in the Plant Family Collection.
- Forest Dancers, a fountain of flowing light, and more by Culture Creative and BBG horticulture staff: Magical works of winter woodland-inspired living art create an enchanting town square on Lily Pool Terrace.
- Flock by Geraldine Pilgrim and Culture Creative: Flock is made up of 175 translucent white birds in various states of flight, from the ground to perching in a tree in the Plant Family Collection.
- Bluebonnets by Mandylights: 3,000 bluebonnets fill the grass borders on either side of the path near Oak Circle, creating a stunning sea of luminescent flowers.
- Firefly Field by Studio Toer courtesy of Light Art Collection: 400 kinetic, illuminated fireflies move and mesmerize in the Osborne Garden.
- Returning and reimagined favorites include Winter Cathedral by Mandylights, a reimagined Sea of Light by ITHACA Studio on Cherry Esplanade, and a new fountain show in the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden by Sense Effects.
Every year, the Lightscape trail offers a variety of food and beverage options for visitors of all ages, from sit-down dining to grab-and-go treats. Dining highlights include:
- The return of Lightscape Lodge and the Lightscape Bar with curated food and drinks by the Garden's dining partners Union Square Events and Restaurant Associates in the Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, transformed for the season. The menu offers festive winter classics, specialty cocktails, a kids' menu, and don't-miss desserts.
- Trailside pop-ups offer warm beverages and sweet treats.
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KRAMER/FAUCI St. Ann's Warehouse (9/27-10/24) |
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Broadway Close Up: Broadway in the 50s Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center (12/07-12/07) |
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Broadway Close Up: Bound for Broadway Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center (11/16-11/16) |
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The Packaging Tree The Packaging Tree (8/25-8/25) |
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Arielle Dundas: Sexual Politics The Rat NYC (9/10-9/10) |
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Sunday brunch with Alejandro Meola Jazz On Main (9/06-9/06) |
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Still Life with Dowland and Britten Ascension Episcopal (10/16-10/16) |
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Return of the Buffalo: Tatanka Owe Akupi St. Ann's Warehouse (9/19-9/20) |
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Brit Floyd The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts (9/18-9/18) |
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Auld Acquaintances St. Paul's Episcopal Church (1/20-1/20) |