Vermont

Vermont Landmark Flips Switch on ‘Winter Lights' for Holiday Season

Shelburne Museum decorates its large campus for the holidays 

NBC Universal, Inc.

A Vermont landmark is ready to flip the switch on its holiday celebration known as Winter Lights.

Fourteen buildings and gardens on the grounds of Shelburne Museum are decked out in what is estimated to be more than 250,000 LED bulbs. 

One of the highlights is the early 1900s Steamboat Ticonderoga, now permanently on dry land on the museum’s campus. Blue and white lights on the grass around the hull of the Ti, as it is known, even mimic the water of Lake Champlain — which the vessel used to navigate.

This is the second year of Winter Lights. Leslie Wright, the director of advancement for Shelburne Museum, said based on strong interest from families and companies that buy blocks of tickets for employees, it will remain an annual tradition.

“Winter Lights is a magical journey through Shelburne Museum’s campus, in a way you’ve never seen it before,” Wright told NECN & NBC10 Boston. “I think the amazing thing for us is there are so many options here at Shelburne Museum to do things differently — to imagine spaces. We have so many different places on the campus we can work with, so we’ll be able to keep it fresh and keep it different and keep it lively year after year after year, and that’s absolutely the plan.”

The number and scale of displays this year expanded over last year, Wright noted.

Winter Lights runs from 5 to 8 p.m. on the following dates:

  • Friday, November 25 - Sunday, November 27
  • Thursday, December 1 - Sunday, December 4
  • Thursday, December 8 - Sunday, December 11
  • Thursday, December 15 - Sunday, December 18
  • Thursday, December 22 & Friday, December 23
  • Monday, December 26 - Sunday, January 1

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for kids age 3-17, and are free for children under 3. However, the evening of December 8 is only for adults ages 21 and up, because it will feature ice bars stocked with local spirits, wine, and beer, as well as food. That evening also carries a premium ticket price, the museum noted.

If you have questions about accessibility accommodations, the museum encourages you to call 802-985-0831.

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