Winter Wonders at the RBG: Magical Holiday Lights in Burlington & Hamilton

Winter Wonders is a magical annual event at the Royal Botanical Gardens. There's a trail of beautiful Christmas lights and decorations through the gardens. Celebrate the holiday season while admiring twinkling lights, embracing photo opportunities, playing at the interactive installations, and warming up with a festive beverage.

This is one of my favourite places to see Christmas lights in Toronto and the GTA. In addition, it's one of the best Christmas trails in Ontario. Winter Wonders has a main outdoor component where you'll follow the pathway of sparkling and colourful lights. Then, there's an indoor component with their Botanical Train installation, illuminated Mediterranean garden and poinsettia display and more.

It's time for a winter walk at Canada's largest botanical garden! This isn't any ordinary walk at the park. Winter Wonders at the Royal Botanical Gardens offers a unique outdoor experience with sparkling lights set to holiday music.

Upon entry, you'll walk through the main RBG building and down to the tunnel that leads out into Hendrie Park. From there, it's really easy to make your way along these picturesque pathways. There is a map posted at the beginning of this Christmas trail, though I don't think you'll need it.

Simply follow the signs with arrows on them that will always point you in the right direction. That way, you won't miss any of the magic. As you walk along the path, you'll be able to take in the spectacular light installations and wintery displays.

You'll see snowflakes, lanterns, reindeer, stars, snowmen, and twinkling lights hanging from the trees. I visited Winter Wonders at the RBG with my best friend, Sarah. Sarah and I loved the unique rainbow lights that flooded the pathways. It was really fun taking selfies here as the colourful light hit us in random ways! Walking through the lights was really fun, too.

There are many photo opportunities along the way. We couldn't resist asking someone to take our picture inside the giant snowman frame. In this area, there are giant transparent igloos featuring winter critters and stockings by a fireplace.

In one interactive installation, there's a microphone set up. The sign asks you to sing into the microphone, so we sang a Christmas carol. This activates the lights and causes them to glow brighter. Soon, we realized that yelling "woo!" near the microphone did the same trick. I'm not sure what was more annoying: our bad singing voices or our woo-ing, but it's all in good fun!

At Winter Wonders, there are also jugglers on stilts, a tented area to warm up and enjoy some Christmas cartoons, and a food trailer to grab some snacks and warm beverages. All in all, I would have been perfectly satisfied if Winter Wonders started and ended with the magnificent lights display, but...there's more!

Winter Wonders: RBG's Botanical Train Display

Winter Wonders continues back indoors as you walk towards their souvenir shop and the Mediterranean garden. First, there's an elaborate botanical train display featuring Thomas the Tank Engine and his train buddies. The model trains chug along seven different tracks both down below and up above

For the train display, there are massive wooden planters made from 700kg of cedar, filled with 2500 plants. The trains also journey past scale models of famous Canadian landmarks created out of natural materials.

Winter Wonders: Mediterranean Garden

As you walk towards the Mediterranean Garden, you'll first wander through a room full of poinsettias. There are red, pink, and cream coloured poinsettias in a central display and scattered all around the room. It's quite the sight!

Then, you'll visit the Mediterranean Gardens like never before. It's a little bit dark walking through the greenhouses, but many of the plants are illuminated in shades of deep blue and white. You'll see cacti, olive trees, flowering plants and many more, all by nightfall.

Plan Your Visit

This year, Winter Wonders at the Royal Botanical Gardens takes place from the beginning of December to the first week of January on Thursdays through Sundays. You must purchase your ticket in advance as these are timed-entry tickets. It happens from 5:00pm to 10:00pm.

I'd give yourself at least an hour or two to enjoy the festivities. The event takes place at Hendrie Park. Park at the main parking lot for the RBG and walk through the main entrance to start your journey.

Tickets are non-refundable and final sale. However, there is a weather policy in effect. The RBG reserves the right to cancel the event due to inclement weather and ticket holders will be contacted via email if this happens. You will receive a credit and can apply that credit to tickets on a future date.

In addition to the beautiful winter light displays, you can purchase food and drink on site. There is a food truck outdoors towards the end of the trail where you can buy alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as some light snacks.

Missed this event? If you're seeing this article in February or March, check out the Alice in Bloomland event at the RBG!