Chicagoland is a big area, and there’s not shortage of holiday activities. In fact, it can be a bit overwhelming, especially when sharing custody of my daughter means even fewer weekends for fun and festive outings. We’ve gotten pretty good at prioritizing just what we want to do and one the favorites that ends up on all of our lists is Illumination: Tree Lights at Morton Arboretum.
We’ve been attending since the event first started in 2013, so the third time was a charm this year (but the other two times have been pretty great, too.) I love how it feels very different from year to year. While there are returning displays, their locations varying and there are new additions and even different paths to walk, which combines the best of both worlds – seeing old favorites but they feel fresh and new each year.
Here are some fun facts and beautiful photos of Illumination:
- Illumination has welcomed more than 210,000 visitors from 40 states since its 2013 debut season, as well as visitors from around the world, from countries including Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and China.
- The Illumination experience takes place on a one-mile path, covering 50 of the Arboretum’s 1,700 acres.
- Planning for Illumination takes more than a year and a team of 25 designers, technicians and crew work for over a month to install the lights.
- Illumination’s lights are connected and coordinated by 20 miles of cable. For comparison, that’s the distance from Lisle, where the Arboretum is located, to the city limits of Chicago!
My favorite displays this year were the Crystal Promenade, where 24 beautiful chandeliers of varying sizes light the forest. It’s a good reminder that a walk in the woods can do one a world of good, especially when the woods are beautifully lit up.
Ornament Hill, a new display flanking the Frost Hill walk, featuring giant lit orbs and a carpet of thousands of sparkling points of light.
You can understand why it was featured in Condé Nast Traveler and USA Today, right? Tinsel Harmony was awesome too – families or groups can sing together and watch lights glow and move to the sound of their voices, and the trees don’t shush me like my family does!
Other than that one moment of embarrassment, my 13 year-old daughter gets really into it, which delights me. It’s still fun, but a little more sophisticated. She’s graduated from zoolights, and this is the perfect place for us all to get our holiday on.
I love that it’s a walk. And though a mile in the dark may sound a bit much in the cold, it’s totally doable. There are a few places to sit around some fires to rest and warm yourself if you like.
Illumination: Tree Lights at The Morton Arboretum runs until January 2, 2016, so you still have time to catch them. Be sure to check the Arboretum’s website to see if they’re sold out for the night you’re thinking of going, and get tickets in advance if you can do so. Ticket prices range from $11 to $20 depending on the age of guest and night you want to visit. (Kids under 2 are free.)
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Prior Post: Free Zootopia Printables for the Holidays: Gift tags, New Year’s Eve Party Pack and Zoo Flakes!
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