Why you should see Lightscape at the Botanical Gardens
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Reflective water elements add a dimension of awe. Photo: Nadia Lopez/Axios
San Francisco's Botanical Garden is all dressed up for the holidays.
The big picture: This is the garden's first year featuring Lightscape, a mile-long trail with art installations and music woven through one of the city's most expansive natural spaces.
- The $2.8 million art display featuring more than a million lights takes months of planning, multiple crews, miles of electrical cables, three weeks of setup and hours of work to pull off.
Between the lines: What makes it beautiful isn't just the lights — it's how the installations reveal the garden's natural features, said Sarah Marsh, Chief Experience Officer at Gardens of Golden Gate Park.
- "When you look in the distance, it's a reminder that the gardens and our environment are really bigger than ourselves," she told Axios. "The scale and scope of the light display is something that is really unique to San Francisco."
Installations are designed to fit into the Botanical Gardens' natural environment. They include:
- Moon & Stars: a giant replica of the moon set against the backdrop of the trees with shimmering lights.
- A swarm of lighted dragonflies.
- A colored laser garden set against towering redwood trees.
- A prism of light you can walk through.
- Bands of light wrapping around a massive tree.
- Illuminated peonies.
How it works: The art installations are designed by British artist Zoe Bottrell and her company Culture Creative, which also designs light shows around the world.
- The soundtrack, created by Sony Music, includes songs from "Polar Express" and "Edward Scissorhands" to Sia, Lindsey Stirling and Van Morrison, giving the nighttime walk a cinematic, theme-park feel.
💠My thought bubble: It's a magical escape into an illuminated wonderland and a new, interesting way to experience the Botanical Garden after dark.
- It's hard to say which art installation was my favorite — each had distinct, stunning features. But if I had to choose, I'd say the moon installation and the twinkling peonies are a must-see.
Pro tip: Arrive on the earlier side to avoid the crowds.
- The show has been sold out nearly every night since debuting two weeks ago, with about 5,600 visitors per evening.
If you go: Lightscape runs through Jan. 4. Tickets start at $32.