Annmarie Garden in Lights 2026: Solomons MD Holiday Light Show & Getting There

Annmarie Garden in Lights returns November 27, 2026 through January 1, 2027, at the Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, 13470 Dowell Road, Solomons, MD 20688, with advance tickets required. The annual holiday light show transforms the garden's wooded paths and sculpture grounds into an illuminated walk-through experience on the Chesapeake Bay in Calvert County, about 60 miles south of Baltimore and 55 miles south of DC. This guide covers what to expect, the Southern Maryland drive, and why a two-lane drive home in the dark with tired children is the best reason to book a vehicle.

Event Details

What to Expect at Garden in Lights

The annual holiday light show transforms the garden's wooded paths and sculpture grounds into an illuminated walk-through experience: light installations, holiday decorations, and the natural beauty of a Chesapeake Bay-side arts center lit up for the season. Unlike a drive-through light show, this is a walk, which means visitors move at their own pace, stop to look at installations, and take photographs without a line of cars behind them. The sculpture garden setting adds a distinctive element, since the art and the lights share the same wooded grounds. Advance tickets are required, so plan to buy before you travel; the Annmarie Sculpture Garden website has the current ticketing process.

Because the experience is outdoors, dress for a December evening in Southern Maryland: warm layers, a hat and gloves, and comfortable shoes for paths that may be uneven or damp. Allow time to walk the full route rather than rushing, and bring a camera or phone that handles low light. Families with young children may want a stroller or wagon for tired legs, and grandparents may appreciate a slower pace, so build the schedule around the group's slowest walker. The Visit Maryland listing for Annmarie Garden in Lights carries additional details on the season.

Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center

Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center is a Calvert County arts destination on the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, with wooded paths and outdoor sculpture that visitors can enjoy year-round. In winter, the garden's quiet woodland setting makes the lighting more atmospheric: the lights appear against dark trees rather than a lit suburban background, and the installations feel closer to nature than a parking-lot display would. For families who have already visited the larger light displays in the Baltimore and Washington areas, the Solomons show offers a quieter, more contemplative alternative that feels like a distinctive part of Southern Maryland's holiday calendar.

The Southern Maryland Drive

Solomons is 55 to 60 miles south of Baltimore and DC, a drive that takes you through Southern Maryland's rural countryside along MD-2 and MD-4 (Solomons Island Road). The 60-to-75-minute drive is scenic but remote: two-lane highway for much of the route, with limited services in the final stretch.

The drive home is the part most families underestimate. After an evening walking through a light show, children are tired, adults are cold, and the road home is two-lane and dark in December. That is a poor combination for the driver, and it is the reason many families look for another way to make the trip.

Why Families and Groups Choose a Vehicle

For families and groups making the trip, a private group vehicle handles the evening rural drive, with warm seats, room for strollers, and a driver who knows the road. A multigenerational family can travel together instead of splitting across several cars, and the children can sleep on the ride home while the adults enjoy a quiet drive. For organized groups, such as clubs, congregations, or office parties, a shuttle service collects everyone from one or more pickup points and delivers them to the garden at their ticketed time.

Visitors arriving from out of town can combine the outing with airport transportation from BWI, which covers the longer drive south without a rental car. A family flying in for the holidays, for example, can land in the afternoon, check in at a Southern Maryland hotel, and be at the garden by dark. For anyone unfamiliar with the roads of Calvert County, a professional driver also removes the stress of navigating dark rural highways, and it lets the whole group enjoy the evening as a shared experience.

Making It a Southern Maryland Evening

Solomons is a waterfront town with restaurants along the Patuxent River and the Chesapeake, and a dinner before or after the lights makes the trip a complete evening. Plan an early dinner so the group arrives at the garden relaxed and on time, or save a meal for afterward and enjoy the lights first. Reservations are wise on weekends in December, and a driver can drop the group at the restaurant before continuing to the garden. The combination of a waterfront meal and a lit sculpture garden gives families a holiday outing that feels different from a trip to a mall or a downtown market.

Remember that tickets are required in advance and that visiting time slots may apply, so confirm your entry time and arrive a little early. Weeknights in early December are generally calmer than weekends and the final days before Christmas, and they leave more room for lingering at the installations. Wherever your group chooses to go, tell the driver the ticketed time, the dinner plan, and the preferred return time before the evening begins, so everything fits together.

Choosing the Right Night

With a run of more than five weeks, there is room to be strategic. Weeknights in early December tend to be calmer, which makes them a good choice for families with young children or grandparents who want a slower pace. Weekends and the days leading up to Christmas draw the biggest crowds, so tickets and dinner reservations go first. Opening weekend and the days after New Year's offer a different mood: the first has the excitement of the season beginning, while the last has the quiet of a tradition winding down. Pick the night that suits your group, buy tickets early, and confirm your entry time.

Planning for Children and Older Relatives

A walk-through light show works for all ages, but a few details make it easier. Children under six tire quickly, so keep the route short, bring a stroller or wagon, and plan a hot drink as a reward. Older relatives may prefer to walk part of the route and rest, so plan the schedule around them, not the fastest walker in the group. Wear warm layers, because the garden is open to the cold air off the Bay, and pack gloves and hats even if the afternoon is mild. If anyone in the group has mobility needs, call the garden ahead to ask about accessible paths and drop-off points, and pass those details to your driver.

Timing matters too. An early evening arrival lets the children see the lights before they are overtired, while a later slot suits adults and teenagers. Whichever you choose, aim to leave the garden with some energy left, since the ride home is part of the evening. With a driver, children can fall asleep in the vehicle, and parents can enjoy a quiet drive rather than a long one behind the wheel.

Winter Driving in Calvert County

Calvert County's main roads are well maintained, but they are rural. Much of the route to Solomons is two-lane highway with few streetlights and long stretches between services, and in December the sun is down by late afternoon. Fog, rain, and the occasional frost can make the drive slower than the posted distances suggest, and wildlife is common near the road after dark. For drivers who do not make the trip often, that is a lot to manage while keeping an eye on a car full of tired passengers. A professional driver who handles these roads regularly lets the family focus on the evening, and the extra margin of safety is worth considering for the return after a long, cold night.

What to Bring

Pack light but smart: warm layers, hats, gloves, and a charged phone for tickets and photos. A small thermos, a blanket for the ride, and a change of clothes for young children can turn a cold, late evening into a comfortable one. Keep tickets and the entry time handy, and share the schedule with everyone in the group so no one is surprised. Planning these few details ahead of time makes the evening smoother and keeps the focus on the lights.

If the group is large, appoint one person to hold the tickets and communicate with the driver, and share a single contact number with everyone. Decide in advance where the vehicle will meet you after the walk, since a clear pickup point avoids confusion on a dark, crowded evening. Small steps like these help a big family or a club outing move together.

Frequently Asked Questions