Why Boothbay's Gardens Aglow in Maine Is A Must-See This Holiday

Picture this: It’s a few days after Thanksgiving, and the Christmas cheer has officially awakened in you and your family. You’re trying to think of something festive to do, something that gets you outside in the cold, brisk air, maybe even in the season’s first snowfall.

You grab a hot chocolate, or maybe a local wine or beer, from the Gardens Aglow Cafe and begin walking through the beautiful botanical gardens, now glowing with more Christmas lights than you’ve ever seen before.

As you wander in awe, you take in the tall trees lit up in bright colors. You notice landscapes and classic Maine scenes illuminated in creative ways.

You walk through a tunnel of lights, feeling as if you’ve stepped into a spaceship.

Suddenly, the Christmas spirit fills you completely, because what an amazing experience it is to witness the gardens in their winter transformation, so different from the lush green displays of summer.

This year’s Gardens Aglow theme is “Nature in Motion.” The theme brings the gardens to life after dark. Visitors can expect a variety of new surprises and displays that enhance the magical experience.

According to their website, Gardens Aglow is lit by more than 750,000 energy-efficient LED bulbs, totaling roughly 65 miles of lights. And although you won’t catch all of the trolls this season, both Roskva and her baby sister, Lilja, will join the festivities.

So don’t worry, you can still take pictures with the giant trolls, now surrounded by stunning, colorful lights. You won’t want to miss Roskva holding onto the tree filled with lights. It is picture perfect and so cool.

Not only do the gardens hold an amazing 4.9 out of 5 stars on TripAdvisor and rank as the #1 thing to do in Boothbay, but Gardens Aglow’s reviews are glowing as well.

One visitor shared, “We just had a completely magical experience at Gardens Aglow. I can’t even begin to explain how beautiful it was!” Another simply stated, “It’s beautiful! Very festive!”
From most of the reviews I read, one word appears again and again: magical.

This is the perfect place to bring the kids or to enjoy a fun date night during the Christmas season. What better way to entertain the family than by walking through a stunning, light-filled garden? Or to have a great conversation while taking in the glowing displays?

There aren’t many places like this in Maine, and the effort it takes to create such an impressive showcase of lights is truly fascinating, and it brings the Christmas spirit to life.