This year, Winter WonderLights will be open beginning Nov. 23. The show will be open weekly on the following dates: Nov. 23, 25 and 27, Nov. 30-Dec.4, Dec. 7-11, Dec. 14-23, Dec. 26-30 and Jan. 2-8, 2023.

Timed entrances will be scheduled to enhance the visitor’s experience. The first guests will be admitted at 5:30 p.m. and continue in 30-minute increments, with the last admission at 9 p.m.

The 30-minute increments are for entry times only; guests can experience the show at their own pace. The trail is about one-half mile and should take about an hour to complete.

The Winter WonderLights show trail is fully ADA compliant. The trail is about one-half mile and should take about an hour to complete.

We will need volunteers each night to make the magic happen. Volunteer shifts are 4:30-7:45 p.m. and 7:15-10:30 p.m. Volunteer positions include entrance greeter, wayfinding and s’mores station monitors.

Sign up to volunteer here. Contact Andrea Fischer at sbgvol@uga.edu or 706-542-6195 with questions.

Winter WonderLights tickets are $15, plus taxes and vendor fees. Children ages 3 and younger will be admitted free of charge. Our Friends members will receive a 10 percent discount on ticket purchases. Groups of 20 people or more, who purchase tickets on the same night, will also receive a 10 percent discount.

There are no refunds or exchanges on tickets.

You can become a Friend of the State Botanical Garden by registering at this link. Friends members receive discounts on most events and programs offered at the garden and special invitations to advance plant sales, horticultural talks and trips to other regional attractions. The Friends’ newsletter provides additional information about upcoming garden events and features current articles by our knowledgeable garden staff.

Friends members looking for the discount code for Winter WonderLights can email Lynn Bryant at lpbryant@uga.edu.

Tickets will be available online beginning in September 2022. Visit our website, wonderlights.uga.edu, to purchase tickets.

Yes. Each timed entry has a limited capacity, and tickets will only be sold in advance through the online vendor.

You should arrive 20 minutes before your timed ticketed entrance. This will allow ample time to park and ride the shuttle to the State Botanical Garden.

Free off-site parking will be provided in two UGA lots on South Milledge Avenue. The primary lot will be the UGA Soccer/Softball Complex, located at 2330 S. Milledge Ave. Athens, Ga. 30605. UGA Transportation and Parking Services will provide free shuttle service from those lots to the State Botanical Garden. The first shuttle bus leaves the parking area at 5:25 p.m.

Accessibility parking will also be available for free at the garden but must be reserved when tickets are purchased. A limited number of nightly VIP passes for parking at the State Botanical Garden will be available for $25 but must be purchased when purchasing tickets to the event.

Winter WonderLights is presented rain or shine. In the event of severe weather that prevents the show from operating, ticket holders will be contacted to reschedule their visit on an alternate date.

Cookies, s’mores, hot chocolate and coffee, bottled water and other beverages will be available for purchase at specific locations along the light show trail. Cash and cards will be accepted for these items.

Photographs are allowed. Drones are not permitted at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia.

Staff may photograph and/or video record event participants and visitors at programs, events and other activities to advance the mission of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. By attending programs and events, you authorize the use and reproduction by the garden or anyone authorized by the garden to any photographs, audio or video taken while at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia or garden-sponsored event, without compensation.

Dogs are not allowed in the State Botanical Garden. Service animals are permitted.

The State Botanical Garden is located at 2450 S. Milledge Ave. in Athens, Ga. The entrance is roughly a mile from the Athens-10 Loop, exit 6. Click Here for a link to google maps

The State Botanical Garden and grounds will close at 4 p.m. on nights when Winter WonderLights is scheduled. Day visitors must exit the grounds before returning to the light show at their scheduled time.

Contact Anne Moser at amoser@uga.edu for more information on sponsorship packages and opportunities.