Morton Arboretum Unveils 14th Season of Illumination

LISLE, Ill., Oct. 1, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- The Morton Arboretum has unveiled its 14th season of the nationally acclaimed outdoor holiday lights exhibition, Illumination, which will run from Saturday, November 14, 2026, through Saturday, January 2, 2027. This year’s reimagined exhibition promises to be a spectacle of dazzling displays, with 22 new and returning installations designed exclusively for the Arboretum.

Among the new additions is the Northern Lights, a stunning 400-foot canopy inspired by the aurora borealis. This ambitious installation will stretch overhead, creating a mesmerizing, colorful display that is a first for the Arboretum. Other new installations include Lightwave, a 165-foot tunnel featuring 64 moving lit spheres surrounded by 160 fixed chrome spheres, and the Cosmic Garden, a sweeping hillside landscape of 25 glowing orbs and shifting patterns.

The exhibition also introduces the Pine Whistle Railroad, a new family-friendly model train add-on experience. This fantastical woodland world, located inside the Firefly Pavilion, will feature nearly 1,000 feet of model train track winding through detailed miniature scenes with fairy and gnome houses, large-scale mushrooms, and other illuminated elements. The Pine Whistle Railroad will be open during daytime hours as a ticketed add-on to general Arboretum admission and during evening Illumination hours as a ticketed add-on to an Illumination ticket.

Returning favorites and interactive features will also be on display, including Treemagination, Golden Glade, and Symphony Woods. These refreshed favorites will be accompanied by four larger-than-life Vivid Creatures sculptures by artists Heather BeGaetz and Fez BeGaetz, which will bring whimsy and wonder to the nighttime landscape.

The exhibition will kick off with the IllumiBrew event on Friday, November 13, from 5:30 to 10 p.m. This 21+ preview and beer-tasting event will offer seasonal beers, ciders, and meads from popular Chicago-area breweries along the trail. Tickets to IllumiBrew are $85 for members and $95 for nonmembers, with designated driver tickets priced at $45 for members and $50 for nonmembers.

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

Sensory Night will also return on Tuesday, November 17, offering a modified Illumination experience featuring static lights and lower-volume music in a limited-capacity, sensory-sensitive environment.

Guests can elevate their Illumination visit with two-hour IllumiDome rentals, available beginning Friday, November 27. The warm, enclosed, 13-foot see-through domes offer a cozy, more private setting for groups of up to eight guests. Each rental includes a warm nonalcoholic beverage voucher and s'more kit for each guest, plus a festive basket of holiday treats, including brownies and cookies. An optional alcoholic beverage package is available for an additional cost.

A special IllumiDome Proposal Package is also available, featuring a 90-minute private dome rental for up to eight guests, champagne with toasting flutes, an artisan cheese board, chocolate-covered strawberries, warm beverage vouchers, and a holiday treat basket.

For available IllumiDome rental dates, times, and prices, visit mortonarb.org. Illumination tickets must be purchased separately in advance for the same date and time as the IllumiDome reservation. Reservations may be requested through the Arboretum's Signature Events team at 630-719-2457 or by submitting an online inquiry form.

Tickets for Illumination, IllumiBrew, and Pine Whistle Railroad went on sale to the general public on October 15 at 9 a.m. CT. Tickets start at $17.60 for adult members and $22 for adult nonmembers, with prices varying by date and time selected. Members receive the lowest ticket prices all season with a 20% discount. The lowest Illumination ticket prices will be available exclusively to members from October 1 to 14.

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 October 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.