Growing up, one of our family activities this time of year was to ride around and look at Christmas lights. Most of the time we would just drive through neighborhoods without any plan, just trying to find nice displays. Occasionally we would go to a drive-thru park that had been set up with all sorts of lights. Once or twice, we made the trek to Longwood Gardens to see their fantastic display (and it is AMAZING). This year, as my parents were visiting for Thanksgiving in our new home, I thought we could go to nearby Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens for their light display. I had no idea what to expect, but it was quite nice!
Garden Lights
We actually arrive before the sunset at 5 PM, and am so glad we did because we found a great parking spot and not much of a crowd. We bought our tickets with no line to wait in, and immediately set out. We saw some interior decorations first, so when we came out the sun had set and we were starting to see the show.
Reflections of Trees
You walk around the entire park to view the lights, but it’s not very big so it wasn’t too bad in the chilly weather.
View of the Conservatory
I’m sure that little kids especially would find the whole place quite magical. There were places that were absolutely gorgeous. I highly recommend it!
Blue Trees
I also recommend going as early in the evening as you can, because by the time we left people were streaming into the building and parking looked like a nightmare (at 6 PM). So if you are in or around the Richmond area, and you love looking at Christmas lights, go!
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