Montgomery Parks is preparing to welcome visitors back to one of the county’s most beloved holiday traditions. The annual Garden of Lights display at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton will open for the season on Friday, November 21, 2025, at 5 p.m. Tickets go on sale Monday, October 13, 2025, at 10 a.m., and will be available online only at GardenofLights.org.
The walk-through experience features more than one million twinkling lights arranged into dazzling displays of flowers, animals, and other natural elements throughout the gardens. The event will run through January 4, 2026, open nightly from 5 to 9 p.m. (closed November 24–27, December 24–25, and January 1). Visitors can enjoy hot drinks and light refreshments, and the Brookside Gardens Visitor Center and Gift Shop will remain open until 9 p.m. during event hours.
Tickets are available online only and are priced at $16.99 (including service fee) per person Friday through Saturday, and $13.99 Sunday through Thursday. Everyone age five and older requires a ticket. The event will be held rain or shine, and while tickets are nonrefundable, they can be transferred to an alternate date when available.
In addition to the light display, Brookside Gardens will also host the free Garden Railway exhibit during daytime Conservatory hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., November 29, 2025, through January 4, 2026 (closed December 25 and January 1). The model train display showcases seasonal G-scale trains weaving through miniature recreations of local Maryland landmarks. Note that the Garden Railway will be closed during Garden of Lights evening hours.
Brookside Gardens’ grounds and buildings will close to the public daily at 4 p.m. and reopen at 5 p.m. for the ticketed Garden of Lights event. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit GardenofLights.org.
