SENSORY FRIENDLY NIGHT LIGHTS HOURS 
Hosted in partnership with Autism Resource Center 

Thursday, December 3 & Tuesday, December 8, 2026 | 4–7 PM

Celebrate the wonder of the winter season with Night Lights during our Sensory Friendly Hours! Designed in partnership with Autism Resource Center, these hours welcome individuals and families with autism or other sensory sensitivities to enjoy a low-sensory, less crowded experience of this one-of-a-kind event. Magical moments await! 

View our Night Lights Social Narrative. 

  • Sensory Friendly Evening at Night Lights
  • The lawn garden lit up with multicolored lights during Night Lights
  • Bird house at Night Lights
  • Model Train

TICKETING INFORMATION 

 *Please note: Limited tickets are available for Sensory Friendly Hours. 

Card to Culture Discount: Individuals with a Massachusetts-issued EBT, WIC, or ConnectorCare card can reserve up to six Night Lights tickets at 50% off non-member prices. This cannot be combined with other discounts and is not available at the door. To receive this discount, call our Night Lights Hotline at 508-869-6745 and reserve your tickets. 

NON-MEMBER PRICING Sensory Friendly Hours Ticket Prices 
ADULTS $26
SENIORS (65+) $23
NON-MEMBER CHILD (4–12) MEMBER CHILD (4-18) $16
CHILD (3 and UNDER)  Free *Ticket required
Garden members save 25% off listed prices! Become a member today. 

If your Garden membership is set to expire before your desired Night Lights ticket date, you may receive an error message and will have to renew your membership to purchase tickets at the member discount rate.

FAQs

Our Sensory Friendly Hours feature the same light displays as all other evenings of Night Lights, but with a reduced ticket capacity between 4–7 p.m. to offer visitors a lower-sensory, less crowded experience. Beginning at 7 p.m., ticketed entry times will resume at their regular capacity. 

Visitors should expect a walking experience that is mostly outdoors. The displays extend through roughly 15 acres of formal gardens along accessible pathways. There are also light displays in certain areas of our Visitors Center including our two subtropical conservatories. Fire pits and concessions can be found in both The Ramble and the Winter Garden. Please note all woodland areas will be closed. View our Night Lights map here. 

There will be no flashing or strobing lights, and any music or ambient sounds will be played at a lower volume during these hours. The Reservoir Room will also be a designated quiet space during these hours. This space is a large, open, carpeted room and will be set up with tables, chairs, and sensory toys. 

For Sensory Friendly Hours, we will offer 500 tickets spread out over three hours, which is less than 1/3 of our normal capacity for Night Lights. Visitors will be staggered across different arrival times to prevent overcrowding and to make for a better visitor experience. 

The time on your ticket is the arrival window. We ask that you arrive as close to your selected arrival time as possible. 

When you select an arrival time, you are choosing what time you would like to arrive at the main entrance of the Visitors Center. The café, Garden Shop, and restrooms are not accessible before your arrival time. 

Sensory Friendly Hours run from 4-7 p.m. Once you are checked-in, you may stay until the event ends at 10 p.m. Please note that beginning at 7 p.m., ticketed entry times will resume at their regular capacity. The remaining timeslots between 7-8:30 p.m. will have a total of 840 tickets available. 

We have a large, well-lit parking lot on site. There is no charge for parking. 

Accessible parking is located closest to the building in the first parking lot on the right. You can learn more about accessibility at the Garden here. You may also choose to drop off members of your party halfway up the entry path by following signs for the drop-off area. 

If you choose to use Uber, Lyft, or another taxi service, please note that our entry gate on French Drive will close automatically for arriving vehicles at the end of the event. Please plan to be picked up before the event ends at 10 p.m. 

After parking your vehicle in our parking lots, proceed up the path into the Visitors Center. Please have your ticket/confirmation email printed or available to show on your phone for our front desk staff to check you in. 

Visitors who are unable to use the online ticketing system can reserve tickets by calling our Night Lights Hotline at 508-869-6745 daily 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. 

Most confirmation emails arrive within minutes, but if it has been over 24 hours and you have checked your spam folders, our Night Lights team is happy to assist you. Call 508-869-6745 daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 

The majority of this event takes place in our outdoor lighted gardens which are accessible in clear weather but may be challenging in rainy, icy, or snowy weather. Outdoor paths are made from concrete, brick, bluestone, asphalt, or wooden decking. The indoor portion of this event is fully accessible.

A limited number of manual wheelchairs are available to borrow on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests are welcome to bring their own mobility scooter.

All paths for Night Lights are accessible by stroller. Small strollers with large wheels work best on our paths. Large strollers and wagons are not recommended. Scooters and other wheeled devices, excluding those used for mobility assistance, are not permitted.

The majority of this event is outdoors, although visitors do need to pass through the Visitors Center to enter and access all areas of the event. You should dress warmly, including coats, snow boots, hats, and gloves as necessary. 

Because this is a rain, (star)shine, or snow event, we advise caution when navigating potentially icy outdoor spaces. All visitors should wear sturdy footwear and be dressed for the elements. 

No. All pets, including our Tails ‘n Trails members, should remain at home for this event. Service dogs are allowed throughout the gardens and buildings at all times. 

Visit the Farmer and the Fork café for hot cocoa, apple cider, cider donuts, winter cocktails, and savory, seasonal grilled cheeses. The café is open nightly until 9:30 p.m. View our menu here. Reserve a S’mores Kit when purchasing your admission tickets and skip the concession line! S’mores Kits include graham crackers, chocolate, and a marshmallow. $4.75 per package including tax. Sticks will be provided at each fire pit. 

Outside food is permitted, but seating is very limited during this event, and we do not recommend bringing a picnic dinner. Outside alcohol is not permitted at the Garden. 

Tickets for Night Lights are non-refundable and only valid for entry on the date and time listed on the confirmation email. If you are unable to attend at your selected time you do have a few options: 

  • If tickets are available for another evening of Night Lights, you can reschedule your tickets by calling 508-869-6745. There is a $10 transaction fee for all rescheduled tickets. Tickets may only be rescheduled by 5 p.m. the day before your ticket date and for as long as there are tickets available on a different date. Once we are sold out, tickets cannot be rescheduled. 
  • Give your tickets to someone else. Please note that individual tickets may only be redeemed for Night Lights tickets of equal or lesser value. For example: Four adults can redeem four adult tickets. Child tickets can also be upgraded to adult tickets for an additional cost. Refunds will not be issued for the difference in cost if a child redeems an adult ticket. If using gifted tickets, please call our Night Lights Hotline at 508-869-6745 in advance of your visit to make any necessary upgrades.   
  • Return your tickets to New England Botanic Garden as a donation to our nonprofit and receive a tax-deductible receipt in return. To take advantage of this offer, you must email development@nebg.org no later than the visit date listed on your confirmation email. 

Visit our general Night Lights FAQ page, or our Night Lights team is happy to assist you daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by phone or email. Call our Night Lights Hotline at 508-869-6745 or email visit@nebg.org.