Longwood Gardens Launches Awesome Nighttime Light Show

Lights projected on a tree at Longwood Gardens. | Courtesy of Longwood Gardens

This summer Longwood Gardens introduces a nighttime installation spectacular enough to give visitors goosebumps. When the sun goes down, “Nightscape: A Light and Sound Experience comes out, taking guests on a surreal sound-and-light-show journey through nine site-specific locations: Rose Arbor, Large Lake, Flower Garden Walk, Topiary Garden, and  the Grand Conservatory within the Gardens.

While psychedelic displays flash across the landscape, a professional orchestra plays a musical score that correlates with the technicolor moving imagery. The orchestra, dubbed Soundscape, is led by composers Jon Barthmus of Sun Airway, and Pink Skull‘s Julian Grede and Justin Geller.

Each of the nine exhibits showcase a unique flair inspired by the surrounding foliage. During the day The Legacy Tree serves as one of the Gardens’ oldest attractions. When night falls, the tree takes on a phantom presence, projecting deep blue and violet lights that spider up the trunk and into its canopy (shown in the preview below). The Flower Garden Drive morphs into an oceanic display of blue and green waves, stagnant sculptures come to life when the sun goes down, and flower patches are sprinkled with thousands of fairy-like projections that play among the beds. It’s like the forests on Pandora in James Cameron’s Avatar—except it’s real life.

Nightscape was created by Klip Collective, an innovative visual arts shop known for using projection and lighting technology to tell stories and create compelling experiences. Klip Collective has done work for The Sundance Film Festival, NBC Sports, The Temple Made Campaign, Philadelphia Flower Show and many more. To see more of their projects click here.

In conjunction with “Nightscape,” Longwood Gardens will offer a string of activities guests can enjoy before, during or after the show. Live music, a speaker series, and a brand new beer garden featuring Victory Brewing Company are open to anyone with “Nightscape” tickets. The exhibit can be seen Wednesdays through Saturdays, July 1st through October 31st. Tickets are $27 for those ages 19 and up, $17 for those 5 to 18 and free for ages 4 and under. Purchase your tickets here.

Check out a preview of “Nightscape” below. We’ll see you there.