When: 12th – 29th October 2017, dusk until 8:30pm
Where: Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Buller’s Way, Abbotsbury, Near Weymouth, Dorset, DT3 4LA
£: Tickets cost £12.50 for adults, £9.50 for children (5-15 years). There is a discount for tickets bought online in advance. There is an extra charge for the fright night events
What is it?
Light up the dark evenings with a walk through Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens from Thursday 12th to Sunday 29th October. The Enchanted Illuminations will offer visitors a chance to see the gardens in a different light.
Visitors will be able to wander along the pathways, taking in the Pavilion and the lily ponds, as they are lit by colourful floodlights, casting a magical atmosphere on the gardens. The wonderful autumn colours of the plants and trees will be enhanced by the glow from the special lighting.
In addition to the Enchanted Illuminations event, there will be Family Fright Nights, running from Thursday 26th to Saturday 28th October to celebrate Halloween. Children will be encouraged to visit the gardens in fancy dress for the evenings and there will be free fearsome face-painting to enjoy. There will also be a bug show, a giant spider, a disco and a tunnel of terror, for the brave souls.
The walk around the gardens will take around 45 minutes to complete, with a wheelchair accessible route also available. Visitors are advised to bring warm clothing, sensible footwear and a torch.
Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens were first established in 1765 by the first Countess of Ilchester as a kitchen garden for her nearby castle. Today the gardens contain a mixture of formal and informal flowers, with Camellia groves and magnolias, and many exotic and unusual flowers.
More info: abbotsbury-tourism.co.uk/gardens/events and www.facebook.com/AbbotsburySubtropicalGardens