USA TODAY 10Best
Readers vote A Longwood Christmas as best in the U.S.
Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights (2020)
During the winter season, a different kind of color lights up botanical gardens across the United States. Instead of spring flowers, visitors find twinkling holiday lights, often accompanied by a range of other holiday activities and events.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights are as follows:
- River of Lights - ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden - Albuquerque
- Garden Glow - Missouri Botanical Garden - St. Louis
- Magic Christmas in Lights - Bellingrath Gardens - Theodore, Alabama
- Dominion Energy Garden of Lights - Norfolk Botanical Garden - Norfolk, Virginia
- Illuminations - Botanica - Wichita, Kansas
- Winter Lights - The N.C. Arboretum - Asheville, North Carolina
- Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights - Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden - Richmond, Virginia
- Gardens Aglow - Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - Boothbay, Maine
- Galaxy of Lights - Huntsville Botanical Garden - Huntsville, Alabama
- A Longwood Christmas - Longwood Gardens - Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
Photo courtesy of Visit Albuquerque
No. 10:
New Mexico’s largest walk-through light show, River of Lights at the ABQ BioPark Botanical Garden, features more than 600 displays made up of millions of lights. Other highlights of the event include a holiday-themed Garden Railroad model train exhibit, holiday nature crafts in the education building and visits with Santa aboard the Polar Bear Express.
Photo courtesy of Missouri Botanical Garden
No. 9:
The 2020 Garden Glow at Missouri Botanical Garden features more than a million lights and concessions selling s’mores, hot chocolate and traditional holiday treats.
Photo courtesy of Bellingrath Gardens
No. 8:
Just outside of Mobile, Alabama, Bellingrath Gardens celebrates the holidays with Magic Christmas in Lights. Over three million lights illuminate 16 scenes arranged throughout the 65-acre historic garden. Nightly choral performances and holiday finery inside the Bellingrath home add to the holiday cheer.
Photo courtesy of Norfolk Botanical Garden
No. 7:
Visitors to Norfolk Botanical Garden can see more than a million dazzling LED lights during the 26th anniversary of this annual holiday event. Visitors can experience the lights from the comfort of their car during expanded Dominion Garden of Lights drive-through nights
No. 6:
Illuminations at Botanica in Wichita features nights illuminated with some two million twinkling bulbs, paired with thousands of luminaries to light the way. Carolers and live music set the scene each night, and Santa is on-site for visits with young visitors. The 2020 event will offer walk-thru and drive-thru options.
Photo courtesy of Cami Calnan / The N.C. Arboretum
No. 5:
During Winter Lights at the North Carolina Arboretum, guests can take a drive through an illuminated enchanted forest of lights. Proceeds from the event support the Arboretum’s programming throughout the year.
Photo courtesy of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
No. 4:
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond lights up with thousands and thousands of LED bulbs during the Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights, a holiday tradition kicking off Thanksgiving Weekend. All displays for the 2020 event are outdoors with safety measures in place.
Photo courtesy of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
No. 3:
Gardens Aglow at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay ranks among the biggest and brightest lights displays in New England, with more than 650,000 bulbs. The 2020 event has been transformed into a driving tour, so visitors can take in the holiday cheer safely.
Photo courtesy of Huntsville Botanical Garden
No. 2:
The 2020 edition of Galaxy of Lights at Huntsville Botanical Garden will feature both walk-thru and drive-thru experiences with more than 2.5 miles of lights displays. Visitors can bring their four-legged friends on special dog-walking nights.
Photo courtesy of Longwood Gardens
No. 1:
During A Longwood Christmas, Longwood Gardens celebrates the nostalgic traditions of the season. The outdoor gardens are sheer magic with more than half a million lights by way of illuminated trees to glowing orbs to dancing fountains. Outdoor fire pits and music add a note of holiday cheer. Inside, the celebration continues with elegantly adorned spaces featuring thousands of colorful poinsettias, living wreaths, and towering trees inspired by the horticultural grandeur of Longwood.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations to all these winning holiday lights displays!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer... Read More
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer who has visited more than 60 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer who has visited more than 60 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel... Read More
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Joanne and Tony DiBona
Joanne and Tony DiBona know a thing or two about... Read More
Joanne and Tony DiBona know a thing or two about creating photo galleries to share their personal travel experiences around the world with their readers. Their articles have been featured on 10Best for the past decade, as well as in national and international print and online media. Their awards for photography and journalism fill up an entire wall in their office, the most recent being a top national award for their US and international galleries published on 10Best. Follow their travel adventures on their scenic photography website and travel blog. Have a question about travel? Contact them on their Instagram and Facebook pages.
Joanne and Tony DiBona
Joanne and Tony DiBona know a thing or two about creating photo galleries to share their personal travel experiences around the world with their readers. Their articles have been featured on 10Best for the past decade, as well as in national and international print and online media. Their awards for photography and journalism fill up an entire wall in their office, the most recent being a top national award for their US and international galleries published on 10Best. Follow their travel adventures on their scenic photography website and travel blog. Have a question about travel? Contact them on their Instagram and Facebook pages.
Marla Cimini
Marla is an award-winning writer with a passion... Read More
Marla is an award-winning writer with a passion for travel, music, surfing and culinary adventures! An avid globetrotter and guidebook writer, she has covered topics such as the Hawaiian islands (including food trends and luxury beachfront resorts), as well as European getaways and global destinations. Her articles have appeared in many publications worldwide, including USA Today. Marla lives in New Jersey (Philadelphia area) and is a frequent visitor to Hawaii and Southern California, and often covers those destinations. Her travel website is: www.marlacimini.com
Marla Cimini
Marla is an award-winning writer with a passion for travel, music, surfing and culinary adventures! An avid globetrotter and guidebook writer, she has covered topics such as the Hawaiian islands (including food trends and luxury beachfront resorts), as well as European getaways and global destinations. Her articles have appeared in many publications worldwide, including USA Today. Marla lives in New Jersey (Philadelphia area) and is a frequent visitor to Hawaii and Southern California, and often covers those destinations. Her travel website is: www.marlacimini.com
Melanie Reffes
Melanie is an island girl at heart . Born in... Read More
Melanie is an island girl at heart . Born in Manhattan, she now lives on the sunny island of Montreal and covers the Caribbean for a variety of publications including USA TODAY 10Best, CaribbeanTravel.com and MarryCaribbean.com. A journalist with a boatload of writer awards under her belt, Melanie's affection for the Caribbean started young when her family vacationed in Puerto Rico. An avid fan of spicy food, Melanie enjoys the diversity of Montreal - especially during the warmer months -when she's not en route to the Caribbean. She holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Toronto.
Melanie Reffes
Melanie is an island girl at heart . Born in Manhattan, she now lives on the sunny island of Montreal and covers the Caribbean for a variety of publications including USA TODAY 10Best, CaribbeanTravel.com and MarryCaribbean.com. A journalist with a boatload of writer awards under her belt, Melanie's affection for the Caribbean started young when her family vacationed in Puerto Rico. An avid fan of spicy food, Melanie enjoys the diversity of Montreal - especially during the warmer months -when she's not en route to the Caribbean. She holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Toronto.
