I have wanted to do Bellingraths Christmas since we moved here 7 years ago. The price always held me back before, but I saved up enough this year to be able to experience it so off we went! The price as of 2023 is $17pp for anyone over 12. It was free for kids under 4 and $12 for kids under 12. I have 3 teens. There was no student or senior discount. So it was a cool $100 with tax. But my, was it worth the price. I've seen lots of light displays. This one was one of the best. I loved the fact that it was one long continuous display that you walk through, that makes it much more immersive. It was romantic and lovely which makes it great for couples, but still welcoming for kids. We got there later around 7:30. Parking was free. There were no parking attendants that I saw and not designated handicapped section. Luckily my hubby as a professional driver and found a good spot up close. They took cards at the door and though the line was long we didn't wait too long. If you can, buy ahead online. That line was way shorter. Google coupons. I did see some online but they don't allow you to purchase tix the day of your visit, or at least when I tried which was only an hour before we went. One thing I wish I'd seen or had been notified of: there was a cell phone tour at the beginning and I missed it. I also wish they'd given me a map and showed me the QR code at the beginning. I feel like because of that omission, I missed some things (from looking at other peoples pictures.) But the lights! They're all done to the theme of botanical gardens. So they're mostly flowers and things you would see in a garden. Like beautiful swans. Lovely lily pads. A rose garden made of lights. Everything was tasteful and not gaudy. And Everything reflected in the pond was so beautiful. I think you definitely want to go at night. There are themed sections, like the Underwater Garden, a Mardi Gras section, and the Japanese garden. There was a Coca Cola section but they kept it small and tasteful. I appreciated the life-sized nativity scene. The flowers in some places were taller than my son who is taller than me now. I felt a little like Alice in Wonderland. I feel like my words can't do this place justice, just like my pictures can't, and I think that has to do with the scale of everything. There was just SO MUCH. and it was SO BIG. and around every corner, there seemed to be another nice surprise. Master decorators must have decked this place out. They did AMAZING job. Everything was tasteful too, just what you'd expect at a botanical gardens. Unfortunately I would have to say that it's not very wheelchair friendly. Probably not stroller either. There are steep hills and cobblestones and sharp turns. They did have wagons and wheelchairs for rent at the front. But I think if you are trying to push or pull a vehicle along those paths, you're going to have a hard time. If you bring a stroller, bring your heavy duty one. There were also not really enough benches for resting. There were places they could have put them but didn't. My daughter has Down syndrome and some leg issues and needs frequent rests. It was difficult for her the last leg of the journey. They had refreshment stands scattered around. Some had beer & wine. I drink seldom so I didn't check the price. Others had hot dogs For $4. We stopped for hot cocoa and s'mores. The cocoa was $4 a cup and was delicious. The s'mores looked good but were $6 a piece so we opted for sticks with a marshmallow for $1 and we toasted them on nearby fire pits where there were plenty of chairs to sit in and toast ourselves by the fire. Very nice touch. The service was pleasant when we encountered it. They did take cards, a plus. We started late so we finished late. We started at 8. The last tickets are available at 9. We left at 9:30 and the gift shop and cafe and Santa were closed. Just to give you a heads up - get to that portion, which is at the beginning, before 9. It did take us about 1.5 hours to walk through and we stopped several times. I am not in the best shape and I was tired afterwards. If you're in bad shape physically it might be too challenging for you. They need outdoor bathrooms by the gate. We couldn't find any when we left after hours because the gift shop was closed. A porta potty or two would do. Also they need more trash cans and benches like I already mentioned. When we finally came across a trash can it was overflowing with cocoa cups that people had been carrying for an hour through the park. There were also no attendants anywhere to be seen throughout the park except at the refreshment stands. The lights were romantic and I would definitely like to go again with just me and my husband. Worth the price all the way. In conclusion it was a beautiful sight and despite some bumps I still give it five stars. At least now you know what those bumps are! Merry Christmas everyone! read more

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When we arrived there were people guiding us into parking, which was free. As we were walking to the entrance, I noticed the director telling them that the people who were coming in were handicapped. They gave them a different parking spot and also had a little cart to go pick them up. They all had walkie-talkies to make it more efficient and the flow to be smooth. When we got to the entrance they had 2 separate lines. They both were for everyone. Once we got to the front and inside the entrance they directed you to go to one of multiple cashiers. They accept cash or cards. The staff were kind and courteous. The facility was clean, inviting, very appealing to the senses, and well maintained. There is a gift shop as well as a small cafe. They had down home meals for purchase. Peas, cornbread, chicken, Mac and cheese, cobbler, rolls and a few other things more suitable for little palates. Walking through the gardens was an adventure for the young and old. It gives you so many different feelings and emotions. There is definitely something for everyone. You should definitely take the time to stop by. I'm so very glad I got to experience this. Location 5 Cleanliness 5 Quality 5 Customer service 5 Price 5 25/5 = 5 read more

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What a magical night - First let me stress buy your tickets online before hand!!!!!! After you wait in the line of the traffic just to park there was another huge line that you have to wait in to buy tickets luckily I was guided to buy my tickets online first and it saves so much time and headaches- I was also told to find the nativity and don't leave until you've seen it it's beautiful and it is. There is a lot of walking brick bumpy paths so be careful if you have wheelchairs and strollers- if you go when it's very busy you feel bad stopping and taking photos and then making people wait but everyone is doing it my husband joked that the next time we come we're hiring a photographer just to take our photos so we don't have to stress with it. The gift shop has beautiful priced items a lot of Coca-Cola products even a Coca-Cola Christmas tree! Just can't believe I've lived in Mobile most of my life and this is the first time I've ever been to Bellingrath gardens magical Christmas lights! don't be like me don't put it off...GO NOW read more

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I hope that one day that we can have events like this again. When I wrote my review for Bellingrath Gardens I mentioned that I regretted never attending the Christmas light event. I have since corrected that problem and I loved this event. The gardens are wonderful but even if you've been dozens of times this event presents them in a whole new "light". The website says that they use over 3 million lights for the event. The gardens aren't small and so many parts are decorated. What I especially liked were the variety of displays. In some sections you're walking through ornately decorated trees. In the open grass area you see things stuck into the ground. They even had constructed light "tunnels" you could walk through. When we went it was crazy crowded. You can buy tickets ahead of time online. read more

Bellingrath's Gardens Christmas light display is absolutely the best we've ever seen. A very well light-guided tour that takes a minimum of an hour to see with almost every scene being custom-built by their team. If you're anywhere close, it's worth the $8 to walk through this display. Truly something we'll remember.... read more

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Fantastic walk thru for Christmas lights. Takes about an hour to walk all the way through it but definitely worth it. Was a long line to get tickets but honestly went very quickly. Kids enjoyed the hot chocolate at half way point. Only draw back is if you buy tickets ahead of time and weather gets bad they don't do rain checks or refunds. read more

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This was absolutely amazing! The Christmas light display at Bellingrath gardens is like nothing I've seen! My husband and I went with our kids and his parents to take the tour of the lights a couple of days before Christmas. The entire family loved this tour. It was well worth the time and money we spent. We got there about 30 mini ties after it opened and didn't have too long of a wait at the gate to get into the gardens. It did however take a very long time waiting in a lengthy line of cars to get into the parking lot. I also noticed that by the time we were leaving the line to get into the tour was enormous. I strongly recommend getting there right at opening time. read more

Bellingrath's Magic Christmas In Lights - Reflection of the train in the pond. - Festivals Near Me - Theodore, Alabama

This is a must see!! We drove 2 hours to see the gardens and the lights. We were amazed at every turn. The time and effort put into this property is mind blowing. The staff have their hands full guiding all the visitors to where they would like to go and yet are always pleasant and eager to answer your questions about the history of the beautiful property. A must see!! read more

The lights here were absolutely beautiful. It is a very easy walk and they have clearly marked the path so you will see everything. We arrived around 3:30 on a Thursday and it was a little busy but as we were leaving it was getting very busy. If you can arrive early it would definitely be a plus. We decided to tour the house first and as we came out it was getting dark it was perfect. We did have to back track a little because we walked down one of the paths in the light and I am sure glad we did because we would have missed some of the most spectacular lights that were at the beginning. I would absolutely suggest you go if you love Christmas lights!!!! They are very organized and everything is very well done! read more

Lights are incredible!!! I especially love the lake! They offer wheelchairs & wagons. Food truck and drinks on site. Tons of fun! Military discount on Mondays. Wish we would have went on a Monday, but still well worth it!! read more

I love Christmas! No, I don't put my tree up the day after Halloween. I always have live trees that would even make Clark Griswold envious, and I wouldn't want my fabulous tree to die before Christmas. Anyway, the day after Thanksgiving, I'm hollerin' "Bring on Christmas!" Bellingrath's mesmerizing Christmas light display starts the day after Thanksgiving (which is the appropriate time to start decorating for Christmas IMHO) and stays open until New Year's Eve (which is the appropriate day to take down Christmas decorations). It's closed on Christmas Day. One of my favorite things about Christmas on the Gulf Coast, besides usually picking my tree in shorts, is Bellingrath's Magic Christmas in Lights. We're talking over 3 million lights y'all! It's nothing short of spectacular! The gardens are full of magnificent light displays. There are lights in the trees, sidewalks, on the ponds, and they are very impressive! They have different themes set up. They have "Under the Sea" where you walk through a tunnel of lights with jellyfish, seahorses, and fish. They have alligators and swans on the ponds. All of the trees are draped in brilliant light displays. There's obviously a Coke display, complete with polar bears, but you probably already assumed that since Bellingrath is the gardens that Coke built. This isn't a guided tour. You can walk and look at the displays and spend as much time at each one as you like, and take all the photos you want to take. Although, pictures just don't do it justice; you really need to see it in person. Hint, it's a great spot for family Christmas card pictures. The home is also decorated for Christmas and they give guided tours of it as well, and the greenhouse is decked out with gorgeous Christmassy plants. There's a vendor set up outside the home selling snacks, hot cocoa, and of course, Cokes. This event was named as USA Today's Top 10 Christmas Light Displays In America. It's is not just for kids, not just for adults, but something the whole family will enjoy together. Ticket prices range from $7.50 for kids to $15 for adults, more if you want to enjoy the home as well. If you haven't toured Bellingrath before, I would recommend springing for the home tour as well. Whether you live here or are just traveling through, this is a must do Christmas activity! read more

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So I was skeptical about driving all the way out here to go see some Christmas lights. I mean, we have lights in our neighborhood so why drive and pay to see lights? Well, reality is that I didn't really know what to expect having never heard of this place. I have been to large displays that you drive past in your car, usually set to music on your car stereo. They are always kind of "meh" to me. So, needless to say, I wasn't overly enthused about driving and paying for another cheesy Christmas display. And I was completely wrong about this place. It is a walk through of some amazing botanical gardens that took us around an hour to tour (with small children.) The path is one way, and leads you through all of the displays so you don't miss anything. We lived in New England before coming down south, so getting to put on your heavy winter coat for an evening stroll has some Christmas magic to it in my opinion. If you don't want to lug your stroller there for the kids you can rent a big wagon for $5. My two little tikes preferred it to our double stroller. They have wheelchairs for rent as well as this is quite the walk. We got there early (like 3:30) because we heard the crowds were madness as the evening goes on. It worked out really well because for the price of admission, we got to walk the grounds in the daylight before the sun went down and saw all of the beautiful flowering plants with the Christmas lights on them. By the time we made our first trip through, the sun had set and the kids were excited to go through again in the dark. It was so different! The displays are all VERY well done. I heard that they had a retired Imagineer from Disney help come and create the displays. There are apparently over 3 million lights throughout the grounds and there are lots of different scenes which clearly took lots of planning to work into the gardens. It was simply amazing. One last note, if anybody is Active Duty Military out there, Mondays they discount admission for our servicemembers and families. Don't worry about kids 4 and under because they are free! So yes, this is actually a big deal and worth the drive out here! You should really come out and see it, bring the family as well! You won't regret it. read more

Simply amazing Christmas light show through the gardens. Lots of walking so wear comfortable shoes. read more

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My wife and I took my granddaughter to have dinner and visit the gardens last night. Here is some advise, don't purchase tickets early! There don't allow ticket exchanges or rain checks. The night was rainy and very foggy. We didn't want to take our three year old old in the mess. I went and explained my situation and was told that under no circumstances to they give ticket exchanges. I had always been leery of driving over an hour and last night probably has something solidified that we will not take the trip again. It was very disappointing to say the least. read more

We showed up at 6pm for the Christmas night lights on 23 December 2021 and it was bumper to bumper as far as you could see. I called the ticket office to find out if there was an accident or something going on they stated that the traffic was normal and we just needed to be patient. I shared my concern that according to my navigation, we would not make it before closing. Well the little old lady on the phone found that comical and disagreed with my navigation. She also found it comical that I expected a refund for my e-tickets. After more than 3 and a half hours in traffic, we still couldn't even see the park and turned around at 9:56pm for the two hour drive back home. We disputed the charge and Bellingrath had the nerve to dispute the dispute and state that "all goods were as described and received in good condition". DISGRACEFUL! This operation is shameful. If you can't handle 5k cars a night, you need to stop selling the tickets. Better yet, put money into your infrastructure so you can handle the cars wanting to visit the park. And last but not least, to sell someone $70 worth of tickets and say "sorry we don't do refunds". Really? read more

Great place to go and see Christmas lights. The price when i went was $15. I thought it would have been more, but hey thats fine with me. They did not charge to park either. They have different light themes as you walk on the grounds. I wish some of the walkways were wider because so many people are stopping to take group/family pics. read more

Went last night with family. Absolutely spectacular!! And fun ,popcorn, music!! Luv it . Definitely worth every penny.