Do you love nature? Do you love Christmas lights? Then the Luminary walk at the Overland Park Arboretum is the perfect outing for you! Gather your family and friends and make a night of it!
The new LongHouse Visitor Center is where we began our journey. The lights reflecting off the water of the pond set the scene for how our night would be. We walked in to the warmth and handed the attendants our tickets. They had glow in the dark and light up accessories available for purchase. A fun way for you to be part of the lights. Jack Stack Catering and Storia Cater also have food and drinks available for purchase. All of this before we even stepped back outside to see the lights!
Once outside you are greeted with multiple reflecting pools that glisten with the lights and the sound of live instruments playing. Throughout your walk you will come across different stations with live music. Have a seat, warm up by the heaters and enjoy the music! Check the website to see the schedule for the live performances. You will also come across family picture set up scenes. Snag a selfie, or have one of the volunteers stationed there take a picture for you.
After you warm up, continue your walk to the train depot area. There is a lightcicle covered caboose you can climb onto and overlook the model train Christmas displays. There is another chance to purchase food and drink in this area as well.
Once you are back on the walking path you can warm up by a small fire, then run through the light tunnel! Careful, the height decreases as you go through. There are bathrooms located in this area. From there you follow the lights to a firepit filled with the sound of Christmas carols and the smell of Louisburg apple Cider. Enjoy complementary hot or cold cider served by local scouts while singing carols.
Since you no longer have a voice, head up to the scenic overlook to see the lights from above. Next comes the candle lit walk. You can take the bypass or the path that is ¼ mile. This was my favorite part! They ask that you are quiet on this path while walking through the woods by candle light with the snow glistening. Even the littles enjoyed that! This led us out by the old entrance. From here you can go look at the gnome and fairy villages, snap a picture with Santa (he heads back to the North Pole at 8:30) or walk around the lake to head back to the LongHouse Visitor Center. We loved this walk and want to go visit again!
You can enjoy this wonderful walk Dec 6th, 7th, 13th or 14th. They also have a week night walk through the electric gardens, but with no Santa, candlelit woods, musicians, cider, or trains. It opens at 5pm, last entrance is 8pm and the lights shut off at 9pm. Dress for the weather! Though there are many warming stations throughout, the majority of your time will be spent walking. We were there for 90 minutes and I don’t think that was long enough for our group. For tickets or FAQ visit https://www.showclix.com/tickets/luminarywalk2024
Halie Campain lives in Overland Park with her husband and 3 children. She enjoys trying new things to create lasting memories for her children. The Campain family wishes you all a Merry Christmas!