If you've walked the Illumination trail at The Morton Arboretum more winters than you can count, what makes this one any different? It's mostly timing. The biggest new piece will be gone after this season. The sculptures added last year are making their final Illumination appearance. Ticket prices can only rise from here. In the past you could put off the trip until a free night in late December and lose nothing. This year, waiting costs you something.
The 14th season runs Saturday, November 14, 2026, through Saturday, January 2, 2027. Public tickets went on sale October 15, two weeks after members got first access on October 1.
The Canopy Built for One Winter
The headline installation is called Northern Lights. It's a canopy of shifting color, inspired by the aurora borealis, that stretches more than 400 feet overhead with shimmering illuminated curtains. In its press release announcing ticket sales, the Arboretum calls it Illumination's most ambitious installation ever and says it "will be available to experience during this Illumination season only." Patch reported the same one-season limit back in July.
NCTV17 talked with lighting designer John Featherstone, who described the piece as part lighting display and part art installation. Amy Scott, the Arboretum's head of exhibitions, called it among the most ambitious the show has attempted. Scott framed the whole season this way in the Arboretum's release:
"This year's Illumination invites guests to see the Arboretum in a completely new light. From our most ambitious installation yet, Northern Lights, to the imaginative world of Pine Whistle Railroad, we've created new ways for guests to explore, discover and enjoy the wonder of trees and nature."
Most displays on the trail come back in some form each year. This one has an end date, which makes it the main reason to go in 2026 and not some later winter.
What Changed Since Last November
Last season had 20 displays on the one-mile accessible trail, according to the Daily Herald's 2025 preview. This season has 22. Northern Lights is one of four new large-scale installations:
- Northern Lights, the 400-plus-foot aurora canopy, here for one season only
- Lightwave, a 165-foot tunnel with 64 moving lit spheres surrounded by 160 fixed chrome spheres, inspired by falling rain and dew drops
- Cosmic Garden, a hillside of 25 glowing orbs and shifting patterns modeled on meditative sand gardens
- Fairy Forest, glowing orbs meant to evoke floating fairies and giant fireflies, set among illuminated mushrooms
Treemagination, Golden Glade and Symphony Woods are back with refreshed enhancements, and Celebration Circle and Hug-a-Tree are back as interactive stops.
The second thing ending this year is the Vivid Creatures sculptures. Last November the four illuminated sculptures by Heather BeGaetz and Fez BeGaetz joined the trail for the first time. Their names are Scamp the squirrel, Generosity the buck, Cadence the crane and Nimbly the dragonfly. The Arboretum says this is the last chance to see them as part of Illumination. The broader Vivid Creatures exhibition runs through March 2027, so you can still see them by daylight for a while after the lights come down.
The Price Only Moves One Direction
Illumination tickets use plan-ahead pricing, and the Arboretum is unusually direct about how it works. Prices change daily based on remaining tickets, weather and the most popular times. They "will not go down from those listed at the time you check the website." Busy dates are priced higher and quieter dates lower.
According to the Arboretum's release, 2026–27 prices start at $22 for an adult nonmember and $17.60 for an adult member. Members get 20% off, and actual prices vary by date and time. Those are starting prices. A Saturday in mid-December will cost more than that, and its price only climbs as the date gets closer.
A few more details are worth knowing before you click buy:
- Tickets are nonrefundable. You can move to another date through the Arboretum's online rebooking tool if space is open, but you may owe the price difference.
- AnyDay tickets are single-use tickets for an adult or a child age 4 or older, good for any entry time on any public night. They're the flexible option if you'd like to lock in a price now and choose a night once the weather and your calendar are clearer.
- Museums for All tickets cost $10 per adult and $5 per child for guests with a state-issued EBT, P-EBT or LINK card, or a valid WIC card. They're sold on select dates only, in limited numbers.
Picking the Night
Price is only half of choosing a night. The Arboretum says crowds are generally lighter Tuesday through Thursday. That matters more this year, when a 400-foot canopy is the reason to go. The special nights cluster around those quieter weekdays:
| Night | Date | What's different |
|---|---|---|
| IllumiBrew | Friday, Nov. 13, 5:30–10 p.m. | 21+ preview the night before opening; $95 public, $85 members; ticket includes admission, 18 three-ounce tastings and a light-up glass |
| IllumiBrew designated driver | Friday, Nov. 13 | $50 public, $45 members; unlimited hot cocoa or cider |
| Sensory Night | Tuesday, Nov. 17 | Static lights, low-volume music, limited capacity |
| Dog Admission Nights | Wednesdays Dec. 2, 9 and 16, plus Friday, Jan. 1 | Standard human ticket plus a separate $10 dog ticket |
IllumiBrew is the earliest look anyone outside the Arboretum gets at Northern Lights, with tastings from Chicago-area breweries along the trail.
For a warmer night with a view, IllumiDomes are 13-foot see-through domes for groups of up to eight. Rentals start Friday, November 27, and run Thursday through Sunday, plus New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. New this season is a Dining Dome package: four courses served family-style for $60 per guest, limited to one reservation per evening. Rentals don't include admission, so you'll need Illumination tickets for the same date and time before you book.
Some smaller details that make for a smoother night:
- Parking. Premium Parking in the Administration Parking Lot near the entrance costs $18 per vehicle. It's available on most weekends and holidays, and the Arboretum calls availability "extremely limited." Overflow cars may be directed to lot P-21 by the Thornhill Education Center, where a shuttle runs to the Visitor Center.
- Food. The trailside concession tent is open 4:30 to 9 p.m. and sells this year's Ultimate Blizzard Hot Cocoa in a limited-edition mug. The Ginkgo Restaurant in the Visitor Center serves dinner until 8 p.m. on Illumination nights.
- Access. The trail is a one-mile paved, ADA-compliant path. It can't be seen from a car.
The Train You Can See in Daylight
The other big new addition, the Pine Whistle Railroad, runs on a longer schedule than Northern Lights. It fills the Firefly Pavilion with nearly 1,000 feet of model train track. Trains run overhead and at eye level through miniature woodland scenes with fairy and gnome houses and large-scale mushrooms. Tickets are $9 for the public and $7 for members, and children 3 and under get in free.
It opens for daytime visits on Friday, November 13, as an add-on to regular Arboretum admission. From November 14 it's also an add-on to evening Illumination tickets. On daytime visits, the last ticket time is 3 p.m. The pavilion closes at 4 p.m. to reset for the evening. Daytime visits continue after Illumination ends, into mid-February 2027, so the train is the one new feature that doesn't add pressure to your December. For a family with small kids and an early bedtime, an afternoon train visit and a separate weeknight for the lights may work better than squeezing both into one cold evening.
Around Lisle, Before and After Opening Night
The weeks around opening are busy in Lisle, and the village calendar lines up with Illumination's:
- Saturday, Oct. 31. The Arboretum's Howl-o-Ween runs 9 a.m. to noon, with trick-or-treating for dogs and kids, a dog parade and a costume contest. Village of Lisle trick-or-treat hours are 3 to 8 p.m. that afternoon.
- Saturday, Nov. 7. The free pumpkin-composting drop-off runs 9 a.m. to noon at Village Hall Parking Lot C, 925 Burlington Avenue.
- Friday, Nov. 13. IllumiBrew and the Pine Whistle Railroad's daytime opening.
- Saturday, Nov. 14. Illumination opens to the public.
- Sunday, Nov. 15. The Lisle Area Chamber of Commerce Turkey Trot Tune-up 5K starts at 9 a.m. at Lisle Community Park.
- Saturday, Dec. 5. Lights of Lisle brings the Santa Parade and tree lighting, according to Patch.
Northern Lights is on the trail only through Saturday, January 2, 2027, the last night of the season.
Holiday traditions like Illumination are a big part of why Lisle feels like home, and I love helping neighbors get the most out of them. If you're planning your season or just want to talk about what's happening in town, reach out to Stephanie Staneart. Schedule Your Free Consultation, and let's find a time to connect before the lights come on.
