Newfields' Winterlights is marking a decade of holiday lights in The Garden at Newfields this year, and the 10th-anniversary season is bringing some of its biggest additions yet. The walk-through light display returns to the Indianapolis museum campus from Nov. 20, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027, with a new shadow-theater installation, a redesigned centerpiece tree and two nights of discounted admission built into the schedule.
The anniversary lineup includes moonGARDEN by Lucion, a custom shadow theater show inspired by the plants of the Madeline F. Elder Greenhouse, according to Newfields. As reported by Destination Indy, the season's new additions also include Starfall and a redesigned Marquee Maple. Those debuts join Winterlights favorites, including Playtime in Indy, a tree sculpture made entirely of colorful toys by artist Karl Unnasch that has returned every year since the event's first season, per Newfields.
A Decade of Garden Glow
Winterlights debuted in 2017 and is now in its 10th season, according to Visit Indy. Sources differ on exactly how many bulbs make up the display: Newfields' own event page describes nearly two million lights, while both Visit Indy and Destination Indy put the figure at more than three million lights spread across nearly 52 acres. Either way, the event has become an annual tradition for many Indianapolis families, as WISH-TV reports.
The holiday atmosphere extends indoors, too. Guests can walk through the historic Lilly House, decorated for the season with themed rooms as part of an exhibit Newfields calls Styled for the Season, according to the museum's event page. That same indoor display was part of last year's Winterlights as well, when Destination Indy described it as presented by LINNEA inside the historic mansion.
Tickets, Discount Nights and Family Logistics
Winterlights tickets start at $25 this season, with a $2 processing fee applied per ticket, Newfields' event page notes. That's down slightly from last year, when Destination Indy reported prices started at $26 for the 2025 run. Children ages five and younger get in free, a policy that has carried over from the prior season.
Families looking for a cheaper night out have two options this year: Destination Indy reports that Winterlights will offer $10 admission on Nov. 23 and Nov. 30. The event is billed as an outdoor walking experience on an accessible path, and Newfields says guests spend about 90 minutes there on average, with wagons and strollers allowed along the route.
Newfields describes Winterlights as a rain-or-shine event, though the museum says inclement weather could still force a closure, with guests notified by email and online updates. Outside food and alcoholic beverages, grills, pets, knives, guns and weapons are all prohibited, according to Newfields.
A Chanukah Celebration Joins the Calendar
New this season is Latkes and Lights, a Chanukah celebration Newfields is hosting at Winterlights together with the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis, per the museum's event listing. The partnership adds a cultural touchstone to a schedule that, in years past, has also featured programming like Indy Pride Night and a Home Alone anniversary screening, according to Destination Indy's coverage of the 2025 season.
Whether this year's season ultimately lands closer to two million lights or more than three million, Newfields is framing its 10th Winterlights as a milestone worth marking — one built on a tradition that, by Visit Indy's count, has drawn thousands of guests to The Garden at Newfields since 2017.
