Holiday at the Arboretum
Featuring the 12 Days of Christmas and Christmas Village.
About
Holiday at the Arboretum returns with a garden transformed for the magic of the season including the return of our beloved Christmas Village, the 12 Days of Christmas and our Dazzling Musical Tree! We also invite you to visit our historic DeGolyer House, elaborately decorated by renowned designer Michael Hamilton, with a NEW exhibit, The Artistry of Faith & Culture, that celebrates the diversity of the holiday season in our city. This new seasonal exhibit, open each day, and every Monday–Wednesday evening, beginning November 10, prominently features the three world holidays celebrated during the run of our festival: Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanzaa. We invite you to explore the artistry of these traditions in our historic home!

A Winter Celebration Featuring:
- Over One Million Lights
- Our Renowned Christmas Village
- Cooking Demos
- Children’s Activities
- Music & Entertainment
- + More!
Texas’ Best Christmas Event
– Southern Living Magazine
More Details
We kick off the season November 9 with a members-only Marilyn and Ben Weber Family Christmas Pyramid lighting event from 6-9pm in the crowd-favorite Christmas Village. This event is your first chance to see the entire Holiday at the Arboretum experience this year.
Our Pauline and Austin Neuhoff Family Christmas Village is an attraction unparalleled in the city. Santa Claus has his own house and a sleigh for photo opportunities. He is with us select nights in November and then after Thanksgiving he will be here every night and Saturday and Sunday afternoons. In addition, we’re offering exclusive private photo opportunities with Santa for the entire family throughout the festival with Ivey Photography.
Our German-built authentic Christmas Pyramid includes animation on every level and returns along with our tavern for festive food and drinks with our biergarten and performance area featuring live entertainment and special events throughout the season.
Then, on Thursday, November 10, Holiday at the Arboretum kicks off during the day and at night continuing throughout the season for everyone. In addition, we’ll officially open the Artistry of Faith & Culture display in the DeGolyer House this evening with special guests and the community members that helped bring our exhibit to life.
Holiday at the Arboretum also features the return of our Dazzling Musical Tree, a fifty-foot-tall tree animated with over 42 thousand lights and merry holiday tunes, presented on the hour, each half hour of the day and evening on the Martin Rutchik Concert Stage.
The Dazzling Musical Tree is joined by our much loved 12 Days of Christmas gazebos, which include updated characters as well. Stroll the entire main garden with the entire family, as the beloved holiday song is brought to life by our spectacular Victorian-style, animated exhibit.
The gazebos come to life at night, daily beginning November 9 from 6-9pm, except for Thanksgiving Day (closed) and December 24 (open daytime only). We invite you to enjoy our holiday tradition, featuring over a million lights throughout the Arboretum, trimming the historic homes and our 30-foot-tall spruce tree in the center of the garden.
Daytime Admission
November 10–December 31
Includes admission to Holiday at the Arboretum and our Christmas Village. Both members and non-members are required to reserve tickets in advance.

Admission Price |
|
Adult (13-64) | $20 |
Senior (65+) | $16 |
Child (2-12) | $12 |
Members | Free |
Nighttime Admission
November 10–December 30

Includes admission to Holiday at the Arboretum at Night and our Christmas Village. Both members and non-members are required to reserve tickets in advance.
Sunday—Tuesday | 6–9pm
Admission Price |
|
Member Adult (13-64) | $12 |
Member Child/Senior (2-12, 65+) | $10 |
Non-Member Adult (13-64) | $15 |
Non-Member Child (2-12) | $13 |
Non-Member Senior (65+) | $15 |
Wednesday—Thursday | 6–9pm
Admission Price |
|
Member Adult (13-64) | $13 |
Member Child/Senior (2-12, 65+) | $11 |
Non-Member Adult (13-64) | $25 |
Non-Member Child (2-12) | $13 |
Non-Member Senior (65+) | $18 |
Friday—Saturday | 6–9pm
Admission Price |
|
Member Adult (13-64) | $15 |
Member Child/Senior (2-12, 65+) | $11 |
Non-Member Adult (13-64) | $35 |
Non-Member Child (2-12) | $15 |
Non-Member Senior (65+) | $18 |
Event Overview

Daily Programming
With beautiful sights and free and repeating activities happening daily, the Dallas Arboretum is your home this winter.
Holiday Tea
Daily 11am & 2pm
November 7–December 31
Bring your family and friends together and create an annual tradition—Holiday Tea at Restaurant DeGolyer, lavishly decorated for the season. Reservations required.
The Artistry of Faith & Culture Exhibit
November 10–December 31
Sunday–Saturday | 10am–4pm; Monday–Wednesday Evenings | 6–9pm
Explore the artistry of the season’s holidays. The DeGolyer House is transformed to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah and Shabbat, and Kwanzaa in a collaborative community-sourced exhibit. We will also feature a display celebrating Diwali, the Indian festival of lights.
CC Young Senior Living Thursdays
November–December
9am–5pm
Seniors 65 and older get in for $1 off general garden admission and always receive a 20% discount in the Hoffman Family Gift Store.
Demonstration Cooking & Expert Talks in A Tasteful Place
Dallas College Cooks
Every Monday at 11am
A Tasteful Place
Dallas College alum Chef Chastity Alexander takes a break from her daily duties at Hardwood’s Dolce Riviera, to create healthy and delicious seasonal dishes your family will love again and again!
December: Potato and Leek Soup and Brussels Sprout salad with charred scallion vinaigrette
Tasteful Tuesdays Floral Demos
Every Tuesday at 11am
A Tasteful Place
Local floral experts provide how to demos, hands on tips and tricks and design inspiration with seasonal color.
Daily Tastings Demo with Chef Isabel
Every Tuesday at 1 pm
A Tasteful Place
Resident Chef Isabel Snetsinger shows you how she creates the seasonal recipes you enjoy each week at the Ruthie Pack Tasting Plaza.
Learn to Grow Fridays
Every Friday at 11am
A Tasteful Place
Presented by the Dallas County Master Gardeners, the Dallas Arboretum Horticultural Staff, and local experts. Enjoy special tips and presentations on summer plants and gardening topics.

Seasonal Programming
Come to one of our many seasonal activities happening this holiday season!
Santa Experience with Chris Ivey Photography
Enjoy an experience with Santa in this exclusive encounter in his North Pole workshop! Choose from two different experiences ranging from a 15 to 30 minutes with Santa. Each one with more time to find your name on the nice list or help him in his workshop.
All Santa Visits include our professional, real beard Santa, professional photography, hand-finished digital art, and an online ordering gallery.
2022 Sponsors








12 Days of Christmas Sponsors
Day 1: Partridge in a Pear Tree
The Pear Tree has gold branches sprinkled with rhinestones, green mirrored leaves, and gold, rhinestone encrusted pears. The partridge sits “center stage,” intricately painted and adorned with rhinestones. The tree revolves with the partridge in it.
Day 2: Two Turtle Doves
The Two Turtle Doves cuddles on an arrow that pierces a heart-shaped cage suspended from the roof of the gazebo. The feather-tailed turtle doves are intricately painted and covered with rhinestones. The outer cage of crystal beading is decorated with fleur de lis banding on top and bottom.
Day 3: Three French Hens
Day three reflects the native countryside of the Three French Hens. White and gold oval French mirrors bolster Victorian perches for the hens, and this base turns. The hens, black-and-white with red accents,sits in gold straw nests.
Day 4: Four Calling Birds
The Four Calling Birds sit on filigreed, jeweled, Victorian hanging bird perches within an inner oval cage made of iridescent bead strands. The calling birds are multi-colored, with feather plumes and long tails.
Day 5: Five Golden Rings
The Five Golden Rings feature a Victorian circus with a ceiling draped in red and white fabric to mimic a circus tent. The center circus ring has a pedestal with oval mirrors on which a white bear wearing a vest and collar balancing a spinning gold ring on his nose. The bear is surrounded by four seals wearing ruffled collars that are seated and balancing spinning bedazzled gold rings on their noses.
Day 6: Six Geese A-Laying
The Six Geese A-Laying is set in a snow-covered forest. Snow-flocked trees of varying sizes sit on a mirrored floor that turns. Snow and rhinestone “rocks” are piled high around the edges of the gazebo. Two geese are sitting on nests, two are standing in their nests to reveal golden eggs, and two are nested in the trees. The geese have feathered and rhinestones heads and necks, and feathered bodies.
Day 7: Seven Swans A-Swimming
The seven swans float in a snowy, ice crystal palace. The gazebo feature a pond with a tiered fountain and frozen water and icicles in the center of a mirror, or “frozen” pond. The swans, six white and one with black feathers with small crowns on their heads, are around the fountain.
Day 8: Eight Maids-A-Milking
This gazebo feature a truly spectacular English barn divided into four wedge-shaped stalls. There are four intricately painted cows and four beautifully costumed maids sitting on stools while milking. Four other maids are carrying pails.
Day 9: Nine Ladies Dancing
Nine Ladies Dancing feature a Victorian ballroom. The ladies are costumed in beautiful Victorian beaded gowns and have elegant period hair styles. All of them move around the gazebo, and four make complete turns.
Day 10: Ten Lords A-Leaping
This gazebo features ten ice-skating lords. The mirrored floor is a frozen pond. The lords are dressed in Victorian outerwear and ice skates, and all will be skating.
Day 11: Eleven Pipers Piping
The pipers are dressed as Scottish bagpipe players in red and green tartan plaid. Each piper plays bagpipes. The ceiling is draped in green and red tartan to match the pipers’ kilts, and a circle of horns adorned with roping and tassels will suspend from the ceiling over the pipe major. The pipers also move in this gazebo.
Day 12: Twelve Drummers Drumming
This gazebo is a spectacular choice to the exhibit. The drummers are dressed in white pants with red and gold piping, red jackets and red hats with gold trim. They move in concentric circles, with one set moving clockwise and another set moving counterclockwise.