Golden Gate Park’s “Winter Lights” Glowing Forest Ends February 1st

Most good things come to an end. Some of the winter lights that have been up since December 2nd are coming to an end on February 1, 2022. “Winter Lights,” a full acre of trees lit up near 6th Ave will both be saying goodbye after two months of lighting up the park.

Please note this light installation is different from Entwined in Peacock Meadow which has been extended until March 5, 2022.

What is “Winter Lights?”

The Woodlands of Golden Gate Park are transformed into illuminated sculptures that glow with the movement of colorful ambient light. Hundreds of individually controlled LED flood lights create dynamic patterns that are programmed to flow across a full acre of the park. Located by the 6th Avenue SkatePark, designer Joshua Hubert invites you to skate and dance long after the sun goes down among the trees at Winter Lights. Learn More.

Winter Lights Golden Gate park is part of the expanded growth of Phosforests. Nestled on a forgotten lake deep in the woods of Maine, sits a home among this glowing forest that comes alive when the sun goes down, and the Phosphorest awakens. An illuminated energy flows over the land dancing to the aural chorus of the night. Every sound, every step, it hears everything.

Phosphorest reacts to ambient sound through built in microphones and over a thousand LEDs spread across an acre of forest.

Explore Golden Gate Park from sundown to 10 p.m. each night to experience an illuminated journey to delight the whole family.

Winter Lights
December 1, 2021 to February 1, 2022
Nightly from sundown to 10pm
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
FREE

 

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Ending February 1, 2022

Winter Lights (Last Night, Feb. 1, 2022)

The woodlands of Golden Gate Park are transformed into illuminated sculptures that glow with the movement of colorful ambient light to become the Phosforest. Hundreds of individually controlled LED flood lights create dynamic patterns that are programmed to flow across a full acre of the park. Located by the 6th Avenue SkatePark, designer Joshua Hubert invites you to skate and dance long after the sun goes down among the trees at Winter Lights. JoshuaHubert.com

Extended to March 5, 2022

Entwined by Charles Gadeken (Extended to March 5, 2022)

The popular lighted exhibit will again transform Peacock Meadow into an enchanted forest of otherworldly shapes and ever-changing light that allows visitors to explore twisting paths, sit under colorful trees, and admire nature-inspired sculptures that flower with light. This year, Entwined returns bigger and more interactive, allowing viewers to manipulate the sequences of changing lights and peer through portals. Event Website

End Dates Unclear

Uncle John’s Tree (Already Taken Down)

Get into the holiday spirit by visiting the iconic Monterey cypress tree in front of McLaren Lodge (501 Stanyan Street). Adorned with hundreds of lights and accompanied by a charming holiday train display, the site is the perfect spot for holiday photos and good cheer. The annual lighting of the tree, known as Uncle John’s Tree in honor of Golden Gate Park’s designer and first park superintendent John McLaren, is a San Francisco holiday tradition that began in 1929, when the giant cypress was first illuminated with 800 bulbs on McLaren’s 84th birthday.

Nightly: Conservatory of Flowers, Psychedelic Photosynthesis, light installation (End Date UNCLEAR)

Developed in partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, this colorful illuminated moving projection harkens back to the Summer of Love in San Francisco. A joyous, psychedelic installation complimenting the endless parade of rare and unusual flowers on display inside the Conservatory of Flowers. Enjoy the lights, and return (or arrive early) for a visit to this historic San Francisco institution. Hours are 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.  conservatoryofflowers.org.

Daily: The SkyStar Wheel (Ongoing)

Standing 150 feet tall in Golden Gate Park’s Music Concourse, the illuminated SkyStar Wheel boasts unparalleled views from downtown San Francisco to the Pacific Ocean. Installed in 2020 as part of Golden Gate Park’s 150th-anniversary celebration. This is the first time an observation wheel of this scale has operated in San Francisco since Golden Gate Park hosted the Midwinter International Exposition of 1894, where the first Wheel stood at 120 feet tall. Tickets are available at skystarwheel.com.