Holiday Lights at Garvan Gardens
November 21 to December 31, 2026. Our lake house is about 20 minutes away, with a hot tub, a stone fireplace and room for the whole family.
Dates, hours and tickets
Garvan Woodland Gardens marks 25 years of Holiday Lights this season, with more than eight million lights across the gardens on the shore of Lake Hamilton.
- Open every night from Saturday, November 21 through Thursday, December 31, except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
- 5:00 to 9:30 pm, with last entry at 9:00. The gardens are closed during the day while the lights are up.
- Tickets are timed. You choose a date and a 5:00, 6:30 or 8:00 pm entry and buy online ahead. Many nights sell out.
- Adults are $22 online on most Sunday through Thursday nights, and $37 on Friday and Saturday nights, the night before Thanksgiving and December 20 to 26. Children 4 to 12 are $10, and 3 and under get in free. Tickets cost more at the gate.
- Park on site, and follow the event signs on the way in rather than your phone's directions.
- No pets, and no outside food or drink.
These are Garvan's posted 2026 details. Check garvangardens.org before you go.
A night at the lights, then home to the fire
Garvan is about 20 minutes from the house by car. Take an early entry and you're back with the evening still ahead of you: the hot tub at 102 degrees, a fire in the stone fireplace, or the fire pit at the water's edge.
The house has four bedrooms, each with its own bath, and sleeps 10 in real beds, so grandparents, cousins and kids can all come along. A full kitchen and a dining table for ten make it easy to cook a holiday dinner.
More to do the same weekend
- Oaklawn opens its live racing season on Friday, November 27, the day after Thanksgiving, and races most weekends after that. Gate entry is free. The track is about 15 minutes from the house.
- Downtown Hot Springs switches on its own holiday lights on Monday, November 23, the night of the Tom Daniel Chili Cook-Off.
- Bathhouse Row and Hot Springs National Park are open all winter, about 20 minutes from the house.
Holiday Lights weekends book up early
Winter has our lowest rates of the year, and booking here is 5% less than Airbnb every night. Weekend stays are two nights minimum, and Christmas week is four.
Holiday Lights questions
How far is the lake house from Garvan Woodland Gardens?
About 20 minutes by car, roughly 12 miles. Both are on Lake Hamilton.
Do Holiday Lights tickets sell out?
Many nights do, weekends especially. Tickets are sold online for a set date and entry time, so buy them before your trip.
When are Holiday Lights tickets cheapest?
Weeknights. Most Sunday through Thursday nights are $22 for adults online. Friday and Saturday nights, the night before Thanksgiving and December 20 to 26 are $37.