Maymont’s Garden Glow opens Wednesday with a Firefly Field and a longer laser tunnel

Maymont’s Garden Glow opens today, Wednesday, Oct. 14, turning the historic Richmond estate into a nighttime walk of lit trees, light displays and installations, many of them synced to music. The event runs on select nights through Sunday, Nov. 8, with the entrance at the Robins Nature Center, 2201 Shields Lake Drive.

This is the ninth year for Garden Glow, which is presented by Kroger and is Maymont’s largest annual fundraiser. Money raised helps Maymont, which is marking its 100th year, care for its mansion, gardens and resident animals. About 62,000 people went in 2025, according to Maymont.

What’s new this year

The Glow Path, sponsored by Kinsale Capital Group, winds through lit trees and large displays. New for 2026 are a Firefly Field of soft light, a set of tall Light Ladders that change color in time with music, and a longer laser tunnel through the Japanese Garden.

The Glow Village has Glow Swings, a Shadow Wall, fire pits and s’mores kits, hot cocoa and seasonal treats. Food trucks rotate through the season, and the Glow Bars, sponsored by CoStar Group, sell beer and wine to guests 21 and older with ID. Outside food and drinks aren’t allowed, though water bottles are.

Tickets, times and parking

Tickets are $25 for adults and $21 for seniors 65 and older and children ages 1 to 16 on standard nights. On 15 value nights, prices drop to $20 for adults and $16 for seniors and children. Infants under 1 get in free. Maymont members pay less, and SNAP/EBT cardholders can get $3 tickets on value nights through Museums for All.

Tickets are sold for 30-minute arrival windows, and guests can stay until closing once they’re in. The last entry is 9 p.m., the Japanese Garden’s last entry is 9:30 p.m., and the event closes at 10 p.m. Most visits take about 90 minutes. Garden Glow goes on rain or shine, and tickets are nonrefundable.

Parking is cashless and first come, first served: $15 at the Robins Nature Center, $10 at the lot at 1700 Hampton St. and $5 at the overflow farm lot at 1001 Spottswood Road. Free ADA spaces are in each lot. Hampton Street is closed at Colorado Avenue, with a detour to Meadow Street.

Special nights

The Richmond Symphony plays on the Carriage House Lawn at 6:45 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. Seniors can get $10 tickets on Tuesday, Oct. 20, as can first responders, health care workers, military members and veterans on Monday, Oct. 26, and educators on Monday, Nov. 2, while supplies last. Thursday, Oct. 29, is Latin Night, with DJs and Latin food vendors. Halloween night, Saturday, Oct. 31, is adults only. Bandits Troupe performs aerial acts every half hour on Thursday, Nov. 5.

Tickets and the full nightly calendar are at maymont.org.