A trip to the Botanic Garden at night, to see the lights, was quite a delight

My family and I visited the Houston Botanic Garden on a recent Sunday evening for a lovely stroll through Radiant Nature, presented by Reliant. The lights inside the garden were some of the most brilliant displays I have ever seen, and the displays and interactive elements were unique. Without hesitation, I can say it was a wonderful spectacle.

Lily, me, and Analei among the lights. (Amanda Berger)

Upon entering the garden you follow a self-guided circuitous route, winding along brilliantly lit paths. The lights highlight nature, both plants as well as animals. It’s a fun and whimsical experience, with always something new to dazzle the eye as one goes along. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to take it all in, depending on how often you stop to take pictures. There are many opportunities for this.

What this exhibit is not is a traditional holiday lighting experience. You won’t find Santa Claus or Christmas trees or holiday presents. The theme this year is the Lunar New Year, with Chinese lanterns, temples, bamboo, pandas, and more. One of our family’s favorite activities was a silly panda game that was a digital version of whack-a-mole. It all flows together nicely.

False advertising: I’m no angel. (Amanda Berger)

There’s not much more to say as the experience is something to see rather than to read about. Suffice it to say our family—my kids are now 17 and 21 years old, so they’re not the easiest to please—had a wonderful evening together, immersed in a beautifully lit natural environment.

The details

Radiant Nature, presented by Reliant is open most evenings until 10 p.m. CT, and you can purchase timed entry tickets before coming to the garden. On-site parking can only be purchased online in
advance, otherwise you use their shuttle from a nearby park and ride. The exhibit lasts from now through February 23, and a full schedule can be found here. The Botanic Garden is located in southeast Houston, east of I-45 South on Park Place Blvd.

Our longtime partner, Reliant, is known for lighting up the holidays and worked with their friends at
Houston Botanic Garden to offer Space City Weather readers a discount code on Radiant Nature tickets.
For $2 off up to two tickets, use code “RNSCW.”

Click here for tickets through the remainder of 2024.

5 thoughts on “A trip to the Botanic Garden at night, to see the lights, was quite a delight”

  2. Glad the family enjoyed it. Be better if botanical gardens were in Sugarland or Katy or the woodlands. Wouldn’t step foot in that part of town

  3. Thanks for the tip on the Botanic Gardens – I have just got tickets for our family and another to check out the lights out – it’ll be our first visit to the Houston Botanical Garden as well, even though I’ve been meaning to visit all this year.

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