If you’re looking for fun ways to celebrate the holidays in Hampton Roads, Virginia, the Million Bulb Walk at Norfolk Botanical Garden should be at the top of your list!
Each year, Norfolk Botanical Garden dresses out several of its gardens in a spectacular array of holiday lights. In years past, guests were able to walk or drive the route. However, due to construction on the Cobblestone Bridge, the 2021 event is walking only.
I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it, but the Million Bulb Walk was nothing short of magical! And if you don’t want to take my word for it, USA Today has awarded this yearly event multiple times as one of the 10 Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest winners for Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights.
2021’s light display has a brand new route with new lighting features. So even if you’ve been before, this is a great year to visit again! Keep reading for more details and a sneak-peek at the event!
What to Know About the Million Bulb Walk
Cost: Non-members, $18-$25 per adult, depending on the night. Kids cost $12-$15 each. Military members receive special discounts.
Reservation Required: No, but walk-up tickets cost an extra $5.
Time: Approximately 40 minutes.
Route Distance: About 1 mile
Pet-Friendly: Only on certain nights.
Location: Norfolk Botanical Garden
Hours: Nightly from 5 PM to 9:30 PM
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Sneak Peek at the Million Bulb Walk
The fun starts as soon as you enter Norfolk Botanical Gardens, with light displays lining the road to the main entrance. You’ll see gingerbread villages, sparkling snowflakes, and more before you even step foot inside the gardens! I especially loved the two tall nutcrackers guarding the main hall.
Once you enter the gardens, you’ll follow a defined path lit by white lights that leads you through multiple gardens. Other trails and sidewalks are accessible, but there’s nothing to see in the dark, and all the light displays face the main thoroughfare.
As you progress through the gardens, you’ll see hundreds of different displays ranging from brightly lit, tree-lined avenues to immersive arrays that surround you from ground to sky. Each section has a theme, which makes each area even more immersive.
These sections don’t have given names (at least that we saw), so I’m giving them my own descriptions below.
The North Pole
This first area is filled with critters from the North Pole, playful elves peeping out from behind trees, and colorfully-lit shrubs and trees wrapped in lights from root to tip!
Rainbow Bridge & Festive Path
After this, you’ll cross a bridge adorned in a rainbow of holiday colors that overlooks the river flowing through the gardens. The path will immediately guide you to a tree-lined avenue covered in white lights!
The Wall of Light
One of the event’s new additions is the Wall of Light, highlighting the NATO Tower. This fun wall changes colors and patterns constantly, creating a festive montage of lights! From here, you can also see some “bouncing” lights across the river and the entire length of the tree-lined avenue you just passed through.
Rainbow Forest
Next up is an area completely covered in a rainbow of lights! Trees, shrubs, and flowers beds are all alight in every color, and even the ground glows with thousands of lights! Some of the trees even have color-changing spotlights instead of string lights. One of the trees is hung with dozens of star-filled globes that look positively magical. And the final touch is the transitional pathway, where a projector sends a scattering of red, green, and blue lights dancing across the path.
Starry Sky
Next up, you’ll walk through a wonderland of blue lights hanging from the sky. Personally, this was one of the most magical parts of the event because this shimmering blue aura surrounds you! Beyond the hanging lights stands a towering tree with a glittering star on top. It spans the width of the pathway, creating an enchanting tunnel for you to walk through!
Christmas in Holland
Once you emerge from the tree tunnel, you’ll find an array of Dutch-themed displays. The pathway is lined with tulips, girls in aprons watering flowers, and even a cute little windmill! The trees are also lit in a vibrant rainbow of colors, making the whole area bright and cheery.
Celebration of Autumn
The following section is filled with fall-themed decorations and displays, from pumpkins to spiders crawling in purple and orange trees! There’s even a spooky owl perched on blue-lit branches.
The Butterfly Garden
The area around the Butterfly House is suitably decked out in butterflies, flowers, hummingbirds, and mushrooms. The field just beyond this also features Santa’s sleigh ascending into the night sky and a friendly, fire-breathing monster in a Santa hat!
After the butterfly garden, there are a few small, non-thematic displays, like this row of lighted arches in the field and a small section of trees with stars hanging from the branches. While they’re not part of a grander scheme, they are still charming!
Under the Sea
After walking under the stars, you’ll find yourself in a glittering underwater world of lights! Blue lights cross overhead, mimicking ocean waves, while dolphins jump just above. On either side of the path, you’ll see glowing algae, fish, coral, and even an octopus!
This is one of the most immersive areas because the lights extend 180-degrees around you!
Celebration Garden
After re-crossing the Rainbow Bridge, you’ll find yourself in the last section of the event. The Rose Gardens and hedges are covered in color-changing lights and celebratory displays. One of my favorites was a cannon shooting out little fireworks.
When you reach the end of the pathway, you’ll be conveniently back in the parking lot to head home.
Closing Thoughts
The Million Bulb Walk was absolutely gorgeous, and I’m so glad we chose to go this year! The event didn’t take quite as long as I expected, but we both felt it was the perfect length. It wasn’t so long that we were tired and freezing, but not too short to get our money’s worth either. I highly recommend this holiday event for a date night or family outing–you’ll all have a blast!
If you’re looking for more holiday activities in Hampton Roads, Virginia, be sure to check out my other blogs on local events!
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Thanks for reading, and I wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year! See you in 2022!
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