I Went to the ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ Light Trail and It’s a Magical Must-Do for New Yorkers

Before we even reached the trail itself, we were welcomed by swirls of Burton-esque lighting illuminating our path, and it only got better as we went deeper into the park. Set against the grand trees and greenery of the iconic Botanical Garden, the life-sized sculptures, dramatic installations and fun extras like fog machine bubbles created a truly transportive scene that had us spellbound from the get-go. Honestly, it was hard to believe that we were still in New York City and not actually in Halloween Town.

Don’t be fooled by the ooky-spooky after-dark vibes—there are no costumed monsters popping out to inspire any screams. Although I was accompanied by my BF on my traipse through the trail, we were surrounded by a ton of families. I noticed that the littles at first seemed wary of approaching the sculptures for fear of a jump scare, but then felt so much more relaxed and excited when they realized that this wasn’t that sort of Halloween experience. No ghouls hiding in the shadows, just lights, tunes and renderings of their favorite characters from the movie.

From the lighting to the setup, this event is meant to be captured—you won’t run into anyone telling you you can’t take photos. And since there’s nothing worse than someone in your party having to sit out the group photo just so that they can snap it, something I really appreciated was that there were staff members posted up at all the major character sculptures, ready and willing to take pictures for us. No extra costs or special VIP photo package required; we just handed over our phones, struck a few poses and went on our way. It made capturing those notable moments so easy and stress-free—and, as a credit to those staffers, our pics came out fantastic. I might even use one for our Christmas card.

Just note that drones, tripods, selfie sticks and professional photo equipment are prohibited, so keep it to personal cameras and smartphones. 

We can argue for hours about whether The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Halloween movie or a holiday one, but I think it’s safe to say that it makes for appropriate viewing at any point from October through December. And since Christmas is right there in its name (not to mention a major plot point driving the film), you can rest assured that this experience does not neglect the holiday themes. As we continued on towards the end of the trail, the pumpkins, witches and gravestones gave way to lit-up presents and Christmas trees, plus, of course, a life-sized sculpture of Jack Skellington doing his best Santa “Claws” impression.

All of that is to say that if you miss the experience in October, it still serves as a fun, family-friendly leadup to Christmas if you catch it in November. 

First things first, this is a walking experience, so you should come prepared with comfy shoes, strollers and any mobility aids you may need. The trail is paved, though, and was very easy to stroll on. It took us roughly an hour to get through it all (content breaks included), but you can go as fast or as slow through the trail as you wish. There are also two snack stands on the route that serve light bites and refreshments if you need to refuel.

The light trail runs Wednesdays through Sundays in October and Thursdays through Sundays in November, from dusk ‘til 10 p.m., with some special extra showings in between. 

Tickets start at $28 for children ages 2 to 12 and $38 for adults, and are tied to certain time slots, but you can also spring for $47 Flex tickets to gain unlimited access to the trail on the date of your event. It’s what my boyfriend and I did, and it made the experience so much more laid-back since we could take our time walking through the garden beforehand and not have to worry about getting to the trail at an exact time. 

There is parking available for $22 on a first-come, first-served basis at the Garden’s Main Entrance (2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx) and at the NYBG Parking Garage (401 Bedford Park Blvd, Bronx), but the New York Botanical Garden is also easily accessible by bus, subway and the Metro-North railroad.

As a The Nightmare Before Christmas obsessive, I had a blast frolicking through the Tim Burton-ified Botanical Garden that brought my favorite movie to life—and I’m a full-on grownup. Considering just how kid friendly the experience is, I’d say it’s totally worth it for a family visit, especially since tickets are less than $50 each (a rarity for any sort of event in New York City, but especially one of this scale).

Sure, I’ve had the “This is Halloween” song stuck in my head for days now, but would I go back with my friends and their children five more times before it closes up shop for the season? Um, is Jack Skellington the one and only Pumpkin King? Yes and yes.