Through January, the mile-long “Lightscape” will bring art, color and music to the 55-acre garden in Golden Gate Park
A mile-long trail is bringing an immersive after-hours experience to the San Francisco Botanical Garden, where guests can take in art installations, sculptures, lights and music just in time for the holiday season .
“Lightscape,” a seasonal light display that tours botanical gardens throughout the world, opens Friday for the first time ever at the 55-acre Golden Gate Park complex. The illuminated path, which operates from 5 to 8:15 p.m. through Jan. 4, consists of 11 artworks that take the shapes of objects like peonies, trees and dragonflies. Water features, music, lighted archways and lanterns accompany the specially-designed pieces. Organizers say the exhibition is designed for visitors, who can also enjoy festive treats and beverages, to admire the beauty of nature combined with visual art. Stephanie Linder, the CEO for Gardens of Golden Gate Park, said the show is going to “shine a new light on our beloved Botanical Garden.” Linder’s organization also oversees the Conservatory of Flowers and the Japanese Tea Garden. Areas being transformed by “Lightscape” include the Botanical Garden’s Conifer Lawn, where Irish artist Brian Thunder has installed 300 bulbs that resemble flames and cover the area with a warm glow. Pools within the garden will have floating sculptures that resemble lilies as part of “Amazonica,” a collaboration between local lighting designer Erik Cutler and Jigantics, an English light art studio. Visitors will “thoroughly enjoy this immersive experience unlike anything San Francisco venues have offered before,” Linder said. “Lightscape” debuted in 2012 and has appeared in U.S. cities including San Diego, and Chicago. The show has also been staged in European and Australian cities. Tickets can be purchased online and range from $26 to $32 for adults and $16 to $20 for children between the ages of 5 and 17. Kids 4 years old and younger get in for free. Visitors are encouraged to dress in warm layers and comfortable footwear. Ex // Top Stories Michael Covarrubias is building the future of San Francisco Editor’s Note: Meet the 2025 San Franciscans of the Year. Read all of The Examiner’s profiles on the winners here. You can soon ride a Zoox for free Waymo’s closest competitor is allowing members of the public to participate in testing, but still can’t charge for service SF Public Defender’s office announces new reentry program partnership The Homecoming Project will serve as an alternative to group reentry housing, a model which has received criticism from the Public Defender’s office for being ‘restric… Participants should expect to spend at least 45 minutes walking the trail, which organizers say will operate rain or shine, barring extreme weather conditions. In total, “Lightscape” will fill the garden with over a million lights, according to organizers. San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg said “Lightscape” will be an “extraordinary show” that is going to turn the garden “into an otherworldly showcase of nature and art.” Other attractions include the “Winter Cathedral,” a tunnel of warm LED lights that is inspired by arched church windows. Organizers say that when viewed from a distance, the tunnel appears to be a single solid shape. There is also an inflatable moon that is 32 feet in diameter and surrounded by dozens of twinkling lights. Fiberoptic blades of light will move across the ground in waves as part of “Meadow of Light,” while nearly 100 custom-made special effects are going to be used on laser beams for “Cloud Forest,” which creates immersive light artworks by having the lasers cut through fog. Amid the spectacles, Ginsburg said the Botanical Garden remains “the real star” of The City’s seasonal exhibition. “It’s the beating heart of Golden Gate Park,” he said, and a “living treasure home to one of the most diverse and remarkable plant collections in the country.” Throughout the next two months, the Botanical Garden will be “an enchanting, festive, after-dark spectacle where family and friends celebrate and make memories,” Linder said. She added that she is “thrilled to launch and welcome locals and visitors to experience the wonder of ‘Lightscape.’”
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