Callaway Gardens’ Fantasy in Lights Runs Along a Seven-Mile Drive. Here’s How to Plan a Visit for the 2026 Season

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Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens, in Pine Mountain, Georgia, is one of the largest holiday light shows in the South. The display runs along a seven-mile drive through the gardens, with more than 10 million lights and 18 scenes. For many families in Georgia and Alabama, a Fantasy in Lights Callaway visit is a holiday tradition.

Here is how to plan a visit for the 2026 season: the show runs from November 13, 2026, to January 3, 2027. Tickets are timed, so book online for a specific night and arrival window. Visitors can drive their own cars through the display or ride the Jolly Trolley. The Christmas Village opens daily at 5 p.m., and each ticket includes same-day admission to Callaway Gardens, a $25 value, according to the Callaway Gardens website. Prices vary by date.

How to Plan a Visit for the 2026 Season

Pick Your Date

The 2026 season runs November 13 to January 3. Weekends, Thanksgiving week, and the days around Christmas are the busiest. Weeknights earlier in the season are usually less crowded.

Book Timed Tickets

Callaway Gardens sells tickets online for specific arrival times. Prices vary by date, with weekends and holidays typically costing more. Children under 3 are free. Tickets are nonrefundable for weather, so check the forecast before you book if you can.

Choose Drive-Through or Trolley

Most visitors drive their own cars through the display, but the Jolly Trolley offers a guided ride. Trolley tickets are sold separately and can sell out quickly, so book early if you want that option.

Plan for Time

Callaway Gardens says the drive takes at least 45 minutes, and it can take longer on busy nights. Add time for the Christmas Village, where you can shop, eat, and visit with Santa.

What You Will See at Fantasy in Lights Callaway Gardens

The seven-mile drive passes 18 scenes, each with its own theme. Highlights include a towering Christmas tree, holiday characters, and light displays that seem to move. A new scene for 2026, Song of the Trees, adds to the show.

The lights are synchronized with music in some areas, and you can tune your car radio to a holiday music station during the drive.

The Christmas Village

The Christmas Village opens daily at 5 p.m. during the season. It has shops, food vendors, and holiday activities. Kids can visit with Santa and see holiday decorations. It is a good place to warm up with hot chocolate before or after the drive.

Special Events

Callaway Gardens hosts several special events during the season:

• Breakfast with Santa on November 28 and December 5, 12, and 19.
• Bike Nights on November 13 and 14, when cyclists can ride the route before cars.
• A 5K night run on December 4.

Check the Callaway Gardens website for details, tickets, and updates.

Using Your Gardens Admission

Each Fantasy in Lights ticket includes same-day admission to Callaway Gardens. That means you can spend the day exploring the gardens before the lights come on. Highlights include the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center, the Discovery Center, and miles of trails and gardens.

Getting There

Callaway Gardens is in Pine Mountain, Georgia, about 80 miles southwest of Atlanta. From Interstate 185, take exit 34 or exit 30 and follow signs about 15 minutes to the gardens. Columbus, Georgia, is about 30 miles south.

Where to Stay

Callaway Gardens has on-site lodging, including the Lodge and Spa at Callaway Gardens and cottages. Pine Mountain has inns and vacation rentals. Columbus and LaGrange offer more hotel options.

Tips for First-Time Visitors

• Book tickets early, especially for weekends and holidays.
• Arrive at the start of your time slot to avoid long lines.
• Bring snacks and drinks for the drive.
• Dress warmly if you plan to visit the Christmas Village.
• Turn off headlights when instructed, to see the lights better.

Driving Your Own Car vs. Riding the Jolly Trolley

Both ways of seeing the lights follow the same seven-mile route, but the experience differs.

Driving your own car gives you privacy and control. You can play your own holiday music or tune to the show’s radio station, keep the heat on, and bring snacks for kids. Families with young children or small babies often prefer this option, since they can stay in car seats and keep a routine. The trade-off is that the driver watches the road more than the lights, and on busy nights the line of cars can move slowly.

The Jolly Trolley lets everyone in your group look at the lights instead of the road. Trolleys are open to many riders at once, which adds a social, festive feel. Trolley rides are popular and sell out on peak nights, so book as early as you can. Dress warmly if the trolley has open sides, and check the ticket page for what is included.

Best Nights to Go

Crowds and prices tend to follow the calendar. Early-season weeknights in mid- to late November are usually the least crowded. Thanksgiving week, Friday and Saturday nights in December, and the days between Christmas and New Year’s are typically the busiest. If your schedule is flexible, a Monday through Thursday night in early December can be a good balance of holiday mood and manageable traffic.

Weather matters too. Clear, cold nights make the lights look sharp, while rain can fog windows and dim the view. Because tickets are nonrefundable for weather, check the forecast before you buy if you can wait a few days.

Making a Day of It at Callaway Gardens

Because each Fantasy in Lights ticket includes same-day Gardens admission, it is worth arriving in the afternoon. Callaway Gardens was founded in the 1950s by Cason and Virginia Callaway and covers thousands of acres of gardens, woods, and lakes. In late fall and winter, highlights include:

• The Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center, a glass-enclosed conservatory where tropical butterflies fly year-round.
• Walking and biking trails through the woods and around the lakes.
• The Discovery Center, a good first stop for maps and information.
• Garden areas that show off winter blooms and evergreen plantings.

Plan to leave the gardens with enough time to eat dinner and reach your Fantasy in Lights time slot.

Nearby Stops in Pine Mountain and Warm Springs

The area around Callaway Gardens has more to see. The small town of Pine Mountain has shops and restaurants near the gardens. F.D. Roosevelt State Park, Georgia’s largest state park, lies along Pine Mountain ridge with hiking trails and overlooks. In nearby Warm Springs, Roosevelt’s Little White House State Historic Site preserves the cottage where President Franklin D. Roosevelt stayed during visits to the area’s warm springs, and where he died in 1945. These stops make good daytime additions to an evening at the lights.

Tips for Families With Kids

• Pick an early time slot for young children, so the drive ends before bedtime.
• Let kids wear pajamas in the car and bring blankets.
• Pack snacks and drinks, since the drive can run longer than 45 minutes on busy nights.
• Use the restroom at the Christmas Village or before you enter the route.
• Book Breakfast with Santa early, since those dates are limited.

How Fantasy in Lights Tickets Work

Fantasy in Lights uses timed tickets, which assign you a specific night and an arrival window. Arrive within your window to enter the route; arriving very early or late may mean waiting or being turned away, depending on the night’s crowds. Prices vary by date and ticket type, and they tend to be higher on weekends and holidays. Because pricing changes through the season, the Callaway Gardens ticket page is the only reliable source for the cost of a given night.

Each ticket includes same-day admission to Callaway Gardens, which the gardens list as a $25 value. Children under 3 ride free. Since tickets are nonrefundable for weather, buy closer to your date if you are worried about rain. Keep your confirmation handy on your phone for scanning at the entrance, and make sure you know whether your ticket is for a personal vehicle or the Jolly Trolley.

Lodging Near the Lights

Staying overnight close to the gardens avoids a long drive home after dark. On-site lodging puts you minutes from the start of the route. Pine Mountain also has inns, cabins, and vacation rentals, while LaGrange and Columbus offer larger chain hotels about 30 minutes away. Rooms near the gardens can fill on December weekends, so book early.

What to Pack for the Night

A few small items make the evening easier. Bring a phone charger for the car, since you may use your phone for tickets and photos. Pack a thermos of hot chocolate or coffee, blankets for the back seat, and a small bag for trash. If you plan to walk through the Christmas Village, wear warm shoes and gloves, since late-fall evenings in west Georgia can drop near freezing.

Why Fantasy in Lights Is Worth the Trip

Fantasy in Lights offers a festive, family-friendly way to celebrate the holidays. The combination of the seven-mile drive, the Christmas Village, and the gardens makes it a full day or evening of fun.