Illumination Morton Arboretum Tickets 2026: From $22

By Naperville Guide · Published October 20, 2026

Tickets for Illumination at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle opened to the general public on Thursday, Oct. 15, and they run on plan-ahead pricing: the date-and-time prices you see now are the lowest they will ever be for that night. Prices never decrease and may increase as attendance climbs, so the cheapest night of the season to buy is the one you book now.

Illumination ticket prices and how to pay less

• Standard: from $22 per adult for nonmembers, $17.60 for Arboretum members — prices vary by date and entry time, and the lowest-price member window (Oct. 1–14) is already over, so this is the floor for everyone now.
• Museums for All: $10 per adult and $5 per child on select nights (Nov. 18, 19, 22, 24, 29; Dec. 2, 3, 6, 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 27–31; Jan. 1, 2) with a valid EBT/LINK or WIC card, up to 10 tickets per purchase. Show the card at the gate.
• AnyDay tickets: a single-use ticket good for one adult or child (age 4+) at any entry time on any open night — the no-planning option if your holiday schedule is unpredictable.
• Rebooking: you can rebook a ticket up to the start time of your original reservation, with the full balance applied to the new night (extra payment if the new night costs more). No exchanges after the start time.

Pick a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday if the crowd matters to you: the Arboretum itself notes those are the lightest nights, and the one-mile path is far easier to navigate with a stroller or wheelchair without a crowd.

New this year: the Pine Whistle Railroad model train add-on

The big 2026 addition is a family-friendly model train exhibit inside the Firefly Pavilion — nearly 1,000 feet of track winding through a fantasy woodland, with trains running overhead and at eye level. It opens with IllumiBrew on Friday, Nov. 13 (daytime only that day, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.) and keeps running during Illumination evenings through Jan. 2, plus daytime visits afterward.

• Cost: $9 per person for the public, $7 for members — adult or child age 4 and up; infants 3 and younger are free.
• Rules: it is a separate add-on ticket on top of Illumination admission, and it is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Daytime last entry is 3 p.m.; during Illumination evenings the last train ticket time is 7:30 p.m.
• Why it matters for families: this is the built-in kid-magnet for an otherwise lights-only walk — budget the extra $9 per person when you book if trains are a household favorite.

The three special nights worth circling now

What to budget beyond the ticket

• Signature hot chocolate: this year's is the Ultimate Blizzard Hot Cocoa — milk chocolate, whipped cream, a large house-made cocoa marshmallow, and a mini snowflake cookie in a limited-edition Arboretum mug, from the concession tent on the trail. Prepurchasing at checkout locks it in before supplies run out.
• Premium Parking: $18 per vehicle in the Administration lot near the Illumination entrance, on most weekends and holidays — but availability is extremely limited.
• IllumiDomes: private see-through domes for up to 8 guests, Thursdays–Sundays from Nov. 27, with a warm beverage and s'mores kit per guest included; Illumination admission is not included in the rental. A dining dome (four-course dinner) runs $60 extra per guest.
• Dinner before the walk: the Ginkgo Restaurant stays open until 8 p.m. on every Illumination night — you can enter as early as your ticket time, so an early entry doubles as a warm dinner stop before Meadow Lake.

Our fall foliage guide covers the Arboretum in daylight if you want the daytime counterpoint, and the rest of the season lives on our Christmas in Naperville guide and Naperville events page.

Frequently asked questions