The holiday season is here, and that means longer and cooler nights. One way to spend the night is at Astra Lumina, the enchanted night walk amongst the stars. Located at the 87-acre South Coast Botanic Garden, it features 9 immersive areas filled with beautiful music and colorful light shows as guests walk through nature.
Here we have crafted a guide to make your Astra Lumina experience easier including details on parking, tickets, and the different thematic areas to check out.
Dates and Tickets
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Tickets for Astra Lumina are available via Fever starting at $36 with time slots every 15 minutes from 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. It’s best to experience the night walk after sunset, so estimate your arrival after 6 p.m.
Astra Lumina is now running at the South Coast Botanic Garden until December 31, 2023.
Parking
Depending on the night, parking can be busy, so it’s best to show up earlier for your appointed time. Since many cars will be entering the parking lot from the city and making a left from the center lanes, it would be easier and faster to enter from the southwest side as you head northeast.
Welcome Area
The welcome area is home to the merchandise booth and the snacks and drinks area. It’s also the start of the walking experience.
The merchandise booth features mugs, tumblers, gloves, t-shirts, baseball caps, beanies, hoodies, blankets, sherpa, pins, magnets, stickers, and tote bags with glow ink.
For snacks, your choices are the Pretzel Bites & Cheese, Nacho Cheese & Chips, and Galaxy Apple Pie.
Featured Astral Tequila Cocktails:
- Star Crossed Martini (Astral Blanco, Coffee Liqueur, Cold Brew)
- Cosmic Hot Chocolate (Astral Blanco, Coffee Liqueur, Hot Chocolate, House Mexican Spice Mix, Whipped Cream, Dusted Chocolate)
- MoonGlow Mule (Astral Blanco, Tamarind, Blood Orange Syrup, Lime, Ginger Beer)
The menu also includes signature drinks (Celestial Hot Cocoa, Classic Hot Chocolate), beer, wine, soda, water, and spirits (tequila, bourbon, rum, whiskey, gin, and more).
Astra Archway
The first immersive area is the Astra Archway, which features archways and fog lighting up the path with peaceful music in the background. The lights move to the sound effects.
Starlight Lanterns
The Starlight Lanterns have lanterns that emit light all over the area, making it feel intimate and cozy as you read inspiring messages from the different lanterns.
Falling Stars
Falling Stars is one of our favorite areas with its gigantic display and cool visuals. Giant rods with a circle above emulate the look of falling stars as epic music is played. It’s a hypnotic light show that includes benches for guests to sit down to enjoy the view.
Stardust Rays
Stardust Rays is a romantic spot where light rays shine through the trees, creating a fairy-tale atmosphere where nature and the stars meet.
Celestial Trail
Celestial Trail has plant-like lights popping from the ground. The lights and music flow across the landscape, painting a tranquil scene of frolicking in the woods.
Stellar Visions
Stellar Visions features a giant display with a circular see-through screen at the top. It follows the journey of stars as they discover their past.
Cosmic Choir
Cosmic Choir has floating orbs that represent fallen stars, creating a symphony all around guests.
Astral Genesis
Astral Genesis represents the regeneration of the stars, and it’s reminiscent of a giant disco ball rising from the ground.
Rise of the Stars
The epic finale belongs to Rise of the Stars, an area with giant rods rising from the ground, creating a pathway. You can walk through it, or you can stand and witness the beautiful light show and music, emulating a music visualizer.
Photobooth
Your journey at Astra Lumina comes to a close with the final area, the photo booth. It features metallic rods with the Astra Lumina sign posted at the top.
Astra Lumina is a beautiful experience with plenty of gorgeous areas, and it’s recommended to take in the sights to truly have the world envelope around you.
Astra Lumina is located at South Coast Botanic Garden and will end at the end of December 2023. Tickets are available on Fever.
