Illumination at The Morton Arboretum opens Nov. 14 with its boldest winter wonderland yet

—Reimagined 14th season features 22 dazzling displays, including four new large-scale installations, and family-friendly Pine Whistle Railroad add-on experience—

LISLE, Ill., Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Illumination, The Morton Arboretum's nationally acclaimed outdoor holiday lights exhibition, returns Saturday, Nov. 14, with its boldest, most captivating winter wonderland yet. Running through Saturday, Jan. 2, 2027, the 14th season invites guests to see trees in a different light along an immersive, one-mile, ADA-accessible walking trail featuring 22 dazzling displays, including four spectacular new large-scale installations, and the debut of Pine Whistle Railroad, a family-friendly model train display inside the Arboretum's Firefly Pavilion.

A one-of-a-kind exhibition, Illumination offers returning and first-time guests new ways to explore the Arboretum after dark, from a spectacular, 400-foot canopy inspired by the northern lights to an enchanted landscape of glowing orbs and illuminated mushrooms.

"This year's reimagined Illumination invites guests to see the Arboretum in a completely new light," said Amy Scott, the Arboretum's head of exhibitions. "From Northern Lights, our most ambitious installation ever, to the imaginative world of Pine Whistle Railroad, we've created new ways for guests to explore, discover and enjoy the wonder of trees and nature in the winter. Alongside refreshed favorites and interactive displays, this season will offer something new and surprising for returning visitors and first-time guests alike."

Four Brand-New Large-Scale Installations
This season, guests will encounter four new large-scale installations designed to transform the Arboretum's winter landscape.

• Northern Lights is a mesmerizing canopy inspired by the aurora borealis, with shifting colors and shimmering illuminated curtains stretching more than 400 feet overhead. DON'T MISS IT! This is Illumination's most ambitious installation ever and will be available to experience during this Illumination season only.
• Lightwave features an immersive, 165-foot tunnel with 64 moving illuminated spheres surrounded by 160 fixed chrome spheres of varying sizes, inspired by falling rain and dew drops.
• Cosmic Garden transforms a sweeping hillside into a glowing landscape of 25 orbs and shifting patterns inspired by meditative sand gardens.
• Fairy Forest creates an enchanted woodland of glowing orbs evoking floating fairies and giant fireflies, alongside illuminated mushrooms and otherworldly elements.

Enhanced Returning Favorites and Interactive Features
Along the one-mile trail, returning fan favorites, including Treemagination, Golden Glade and Symphony Woods, will feature refreshed enhancements. Interactive displays such as Celebration Circle and the beloved Hug-a-Tree installation will invite guests to engage with light, color and music. Four larger-than-life illuminated Vivid Creatures sculptures by artists Heather BeGaetz and Fez BeGaetz will once again accompany guests along the trail.

Pine Whistle Railroad: A New Family-Friendly Model Train Display 
New this year, Pine Whistle Railroad transforms the Firefly Pavilion into a fantastical woodland world, featuring nearly 1,000 feet of model train track winding through detailed miniature scenes with fairy and gnome houses, oversized mushrooms and illuminated elements. Trains travel both overhead and at eye level as guests walk through the imaginative attraction.

Pine Whistle Railroad will officially open during daytime hours starting Friday, Nov. 13 as a ticketed add-on to general Arboretum admission. During evening Illumination hours, it will be available as a ticketed add-on to an Illumination ticket starting Saturday, Nov. 14. Following the conclusion of Illumination on Jan. 2, the daytime Pine Whistle Railroad will continue through Monday, Feb. 15, 2027.

Special Event Nights and Seasonal Fun
The festivities kick off with IllumiBrew, a 21-and-older preview and beer-tasting event Friday, Nov. 13, from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Guests can sample seasonal beers, ciders and meads from popular Chicago-area breweries stationed along the trail while enjoying an early look at this year's exhibition. Tickets are $85 for members and $95 for nonmembers, with designated driver tickets available for $45 for members and $50 for nonmembers.

Illumination Sensory Night returns Tuesday, Nov. 17, offering a modified exhibition featuring static lights and lower-volume music in a limited-capacity, sensory-sensitive environment.

Dog Admission Nights return on four evenings this season—Dec. 2, 9, 16 and Jan. 1—inviting guests to enjoy Illumination alongside their canine companions. Dog Admission Nights require standard Illumination tickets for human admission and separate $10 admission tickets for dogs.

Cozy IllumiDomes and Seasonal Treats
Guests can enhance their visit with two-hour IllumiDome rentals, available beginning Friday, Nov. 27. The warm, enclosed, 13-foot see-through domes offer a cozy, private setting for groups of up to eight guests. Each rental includes a warm nonalcoholic beverage voucher and s'mores kit for each guest, along with a festive basket of holiday treats. An optional alcoholic beverage package is available for an additional cost.

New this year, guests can add a four-course, prix fixe dining package featuring family-style service, shareable appetizers, soup, hearty entrées and a festive chocolate fondue dessert. A special IllumiDome Proposal Package is also available.

For more information about IllumiDomes and how to rent one, visit mortonarb.org.

Along the trail, guests can warm up with seasonal concessions, including hot chocolate, snacks, alcoholic beverages and s'mores kits to enjoy around outdoor warming fires. This season's signature beverage, the Ultimate Blizzard Hot Cocoa, is served in a limited-edition Morton Arboretum logo mug and topped with whipped cream, a house-made cocoa marshmallow, a mini snowflake cookie and iridescent snow dust. The specialty beverage is available for purchase exclusively inside the concessions tent. Guests can also enjoy a hot meal inside the Ginkgo Restaurant overlooking the illuminated Meadow Lake finale.

Ticket Information and Discounts
Illumination runs Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, through Saturday, Jan. 2, 2027. Tickets are available online at mortonarb.org/illumination, by calling the ticket hotline at 630-725-2066 or in person at the Arboretum's Visitor Center during operating hours.

Ticket prices vary by date and time selected and generally start at $17.60 for adult members and $22 for adult nonmembers. Arboretum members receive a 20% discount on Illumination tickets and access to the lowest prices throughout the season. Children ages 3 and younger are admitted free.

Pine Whistle Railroad tickets are $7 for members and $9 for nonmembers and are available as an add-on to daytime Arboretum admission or an Illumination ticket. Children ages 3 and younger are admitted free.

In addition, deeply reduced Illumination ticket prices will be available on select nights for Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT/LINK) and WIC cardholders through the Museums for All program at $10 for adults and $5 for children.

Illumination sponsor ComEd is offering a $5 discount per ticket on a limited number of nonmember tickets by entering the code COMEDLIGHTS2026 during online checkout beginning Oct. 15, while supplies last. Offer is valid on all Illumination dates and is subject to availability. Offer not valid for IllumiBrew. The $5 discount applies to nonmember tickets only. Discount does not apply to tickets for dogs on Dog Admission Nights or for additional Illumination experiences like the Pine Whistle Railroad. A limit of four tickets can be purchased per transaction.

About the Exhibition
Illumination has delighted more than 2 million visitors since debuting in 2013, becoming a beloved holiday tradition for families throughout the Chicago region.

Illumination was custom-designed for the Arboretum in partnership with international media and exhibit designers Lightswitch and features energy-efficient LED lighting that celebrates the natural beauty of trees in winter.

More details and ticket information for Illumination are available at mortonarb.org/illumination.

Illumination is generously sponsored by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity's (DCEO) Office of Tourism and ComEd.

About The Morton Arboretum
The Morton Arboretum is an internationally recognized tree-focused botanical garden and research center near Chicago in Lisle, Illinois. Its 1,700 acres include specialty tree and plant collections, nine miles of roads and 16 miles of hiking trails, a central Grand Garden, Children's Garden, educational programs and a Visitor Center. Information about exhibitions, events and admission is available at mortonarb.org.

SOURCE Morton Arboretum