The Dominion Energy Garden of Lights at Norfolk Botanical Garden runs nightly Nov. 6 to Jan. 3. Ticket prices, Value Nights, dog nights, free parking, shuttle.

Last checked Oct. 31, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Facts come from Norfolk Botanical Garden’s Garden of Lights page and the City of Norfolk’s Oct. 19 release. Check the garden’s page before you go; prices and sold-out nights change.

Yes, the Garden of Lights is on this year. The Dominion Energy Garden of Lights opens Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, and runs every evening through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, at Norfolk Botanical Garden, 6700 Azalea Garden Road, the garden says. It is open on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Tickets are sold online for a set arrival time, and parking is free.

Who to call

  • Tickets, rescheduling, Mobility Shuttle: Norfolk Botanical Garden Visitor Services, 757-441-5830
  • Severe weather closings: posted on the garden’s website and Facebook page
  • City services: Norfolk Cares, 757-664-6510

What it is

A walk-through holiday light show on a one-mile loop through the garden. The route is one-way and ends where you parked, so you do not need a map. Highlights the garden and the city list this year include:

  • the Twinkling Tunnel and the walk-through Mega Tree
  • the NATO Tower covered in lights and the Conifer Garden
  • the Dancing Pixel Forest, laser lights and the Neon Fusion of Lights
  • food trucks along the route and a holiday pop-up from the Reeds Bistro after the ticket scan

More than 100,000 people came in 2025 and many nights sold out, the city’s release said. The show is the garden’s largest fundraiser of the year.

Tickets and prices

Everyone 3 and older needs a ticket. Buy online, where you pick a date and arrival time; nightly capacity is limited, and walk-up tickets, when there are any, cost $5 more. The prices the garden lists:

Ticket Value Nights Popular Nights
Adult, not a member $24 $30
Child 3 to 12, not a member $15 $18
Military, not a member $22 not listed
Adult member $18 $24
Child member $12 $15
  • City admission tax is added, and the garden adds a 3% surcharge on credit card payments.
  • The garden’s price table is still headed with last season’s dates, so check the total at checkout.
  • Discounts: the military price is online on Value Nights only. Every night, the garden gives an in-person discount through Museums for All and Norfolk PowerUp! to visitors who show a SNAP, EBT, WIC or Medicaid card with an ID. There are no group discounts.
  • Anytime tickets, good on any night including sold-out ones, are sold as gifts on the garden’s page.
  • Tickets are non-refundable. To move to another night, contact Visitor Services at least 48 hours ahead: 757-441-5830 or VS_Supervisors@nbgs.org.
  • One ticket is one walk; you cannot go around twice.

Special nights

  • Barks and Bulbs: dogs welcome every Wednesday and Sunday evening.
  • Meet the Elves: Tuesdays, 6 to 8 p.m., two elves walk the route and pose for photos.
  • Pride at the Lights: Monday, Nov. 16, with local vendors.
  • Holiday pajama nights: Thursday, Nov. 12, and Monday, Dec. 7.
  • Holiday sweater nights: Thursday, Nov. 19, and Monday, Dec. 14.

Parking and getting there

  • Parking is free but limited. The garden asks visitors to carpool. Turn off Azalea Garden Road at the tollbooth, where the arm will be up, and staff direct you to a space.
  • If traffic or parking makes you late, staff will honor a ticket for a slightly earlier or later time, the garden says.
  • You cannot walk in from the main entrance road.
  • Tickets are scanned at the back of Baker Hall, which also has the gift shop and restrooms. The gift shop is open until 8:15 p.m. on Value Nights and 9:15 p.m. on Popular Nights.
  • The garden had published no road closures for the show. For other work on the roads, see our road construction and closures page, and for the rest of the city, our getting around guide.

Accessibility

  • The loop takes strollers, wagons and wheelchairs, but parts are packed gravel with slopes, including the road from Baker Hall to the Rose Garden. Double strollers must fold to pass through Baker Hall’s doors.
  • Mobility Shuttle: once a night for guests with limited mobility and their group. Arrive by 4:45 p.m.; boarding is 5 p.m. and it leaves at 5:15 p.m. Reserve through the garden’s page.
  • Wheelchairs: a few electric wheelchairs rent for $35, or $30 for members, with a photo ID and a waiver. Manual wheelchairs are free from 5:30 p.m., first come, first served, with a photo ID.
  • Some displays flash or blink quickly; the garden warns visitors with light-sensitive medical conditions.

Rules

  • Rain or shine. Severe weather closings go on the garden’s website and Facebook page.
  • No outside food or drink, and no tailgating in the parking lot.
  • The garden is nicotine-free.
  • Monopods and selfie sticks are allowed with care.

What this means for you

  • Book early for Friday and Saturday nights in December; Value Nights cost less.
  • Dog owners: plan for a Wednesday or Sunday.
  • If someone in your group cannot walk a mile, book the 5:15 p.m. shuttle.

The other big light show downtown is Winterfest on the Wisconsin at Nauticus, from Nov. 13. Santa visits, markets and holiday concerts are in our holiday lights and Christmas events guide, and the parade is on our Christmas parade and tree lighting page.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Garden of Lights in Norfolk in 2026?

Every evening from Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, Norfolk Botanical Garden says.

How much are Garden of Lights tickets?

On the garden’s price list, adults who are not members pay $24 on Value Nights and $30 on Popular Nights, and children 3 to 12 pay $15 or $18. Military pay $22 on Value Nights. Members pay less. City admission tax is added, and walk-up tickets cost $5 more.

Can I drive through the Garden of Lights?

No. It is a walking-only event on a one-mile loop. Guests who cannot walk the route can book the nightly Mobility Shuttle, which leaves at 5:15 p.m.

Can I bring my dog to the Garden of Lights?

Yes, on Wednesday and Sunday evenings, the garden’s Barks and Bulbs nights. Service animals are welcome every night.

Is parking free at the Garden of Lights?

Yes, parking is free but limited, so the garden asks visitors to carpool. If traffic holds you up, staff will honor a ticket for a slightly earlier or later time.