Memphis Botanic Garden will flip the switch on its holiday light trail Nov. 27, and this year the glow stretches into new territory: the Herb Garden, where organizers are adding extra lights and what they're calling festive surprises. Holiday Wonders at the Garden runs on select evenings through Dec. 30, with returning favorites like Polar Passage, glowing trails and firetables back alongside the new expansion.
According to the Memphis Botanic Garden, the 2026 event description promises that “New for 2026, Holiday Wonders expands into the Herb Garden with even more lights and festive surprises to explore.” The display is presented by Memphis Light, Gas and Water, and proceeds from ticket sales support the Memphis Botanic Garden itself, per FOX13 Memphis.
Gina Harris, director of audience engagement at Memphis Botanic Garden, told the station the event has become a yearly tradition and that organizers are looking for fresh seasonal experiences while keeping the attractions guests already love in place. That balancing act shows up in this year's lineup: alongside the new Herb Garden stretch, the Garden is bringing back Polar Passage, seasonal drinks and the nightly glow that have defined the event in past seasons.
Themed Nights and Ticket Windows
The full run spans Nov. 27-28, Dec. 4-6, Dec. 10-23 and Dec. 26-30, the station reports. Themed evenings return throughout, including Santa Sundays, Paw-liday Wonders for pets, Let It Glow and Happy Hula-Days. Pets are only welcome on-site during Paw-liday Wonders on Dec. 10, while service animals remain permitted at all times, per the Memphis Botanic Garden's event listing.
Santa himself is scheduled to make several appearances, catching guests on opening night Nov. 27, during Paw-liday Wonders and again during Santa Sundays on Dec. 6, 13 and 20. A 21-and-older evening called Holi-Date Night is set for Dec. 3, giving adults a date-night version of the display.
Hours, Food Trucks and What to Expect
Doors open nightly at 5 p.m., with last entry at 7:30 p.m. and closing normally set for 8:30 p.m. From Dec. 18 through 23, the Garden will stay open later, with last entry at 8:30 p.m. and closing pushed to 9:30 p.m. Food trucks will be on-site every night of the run, the Garden says.
For comparison, last year's event was called Holiday Wonders at the Garden, with a Holiday After Glow stretch from Dec. 26-30, running 5 to 8:30 p.m. with last entry at 7:30 p.m. That 2025 event also introduced a mobile web app with an interactive GPS map, FAQs and festive surprises, building on the debut of Polar Passage in the Woodland section.
Ticket Prices and Sale Date
Tickets go on sale Nov. 6 at 10 a.m. Central time. Advance pricing is set at $15 for Memphis Botanic Garden members and $17 for non-members, while same-day tickets cost $20 per person. Children under age 2 get in free.
Entry is sold by specific date and time slot, and the Garden is warning that entry times will sell out, so advance purchases are recommended. Tickets and the full schedule are available at membg.org/wonders. An earlier announcement covering a prior season of the event, via a Tennessee Vacation press release, described three themed areas called Snowy Nights, Sculptures Bright and Trees Alight, with advance tickets then priced at $8 for members and $10 for non-members, and noted that reserved, timed entry was used to cut down on waiting and lines.
