Winter Walk of Lights (Meadowlark)

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Winter Walk of Lights (Meadowlark)

Photo: DC Gardens · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

🎃 Seasonal · Vienna

1.5 hours · $$ · Reservation required

age fit
0–1 yr
★ 4.0
1–3 yrs
★ 5.0
3–5 yrs
★ 5.0
5–10 yrs
★ 5.0
  • 🚗
    About 30 min drive
    From Rockville · Parking: Free parking inside the gardens; admission about $15–20 per person (more on weekends), free under 2, timed tickets online
  • 🍼
    Stroller-friendly
    Flat surfaces — bring the stroller
  • 🌳
    Some shade
    Fine on cold days · Good on cool days
  • ⏱️
    Typical visit: 1.5 hours
    Best seasons: Winter

Northern Virginia's most popular walk-through light show: the half-mile paved loop at Meadowlark is wrapped in hundreds of thousands of lights, with reflections on the ponds, color-changing tunnels, and one giant light sculpture after another, plus cotton candy and hot chocolate stands. No stress for a stroller the whole way.

💡 Tips
Mid-November to early January; weekend tickets sell out early, and weekdays are cheaper and quieter. Allow 40–60 minutes and dress warm. The first slot at opening (around 5:30pm) is before full dark and the lights are underwhelming; after 7pm looks much better.

What this place offers

✓holiday lights
✓garden
✓half-mile paved loop
✓stroller friendly
✓hot chocolate
✓restrooms
✓pond reflections

Featured in these guides

This weekend's weather in Vienna

Forecast at the destination itself (coast and hills often differ from home)

🌧️
Sat 10/17
Rain · 45–62°F · 60% rain
☀️
Sun 10/18
Sunny · 40–60°F · 8% rain

Location

Vienna, Virginia

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