More than one million lights will illuminate Cheekwood’s gardens this holiday season. Inside the historic mansion, a handcrafted hot air balloon will hang above the Loggia.
And that is only the beginning of what’s planned.
Cheekwood’s Holiday LIGHTS returns November 20, 2026, bringing back its mile-long garden experience alongside an entirely new French-inspired mansion display.
Visitors can walk past candy-cane-themed trees, explore an illuminated miniature railway and stop for fireside s’mores. Then, with the right ticket, they can step inside rooms inspired by Versailles, French holiday banquets and winter gardens.
But there is one small booking detail worth catching before you buy.
The mansion costs just $3 more per adult or youth ticket. than the matching standard Gardens Only ticket. Without that upgrade, you’ll miss the biggest new addition of the season.
A Million Lights Across the Gardens
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens sits approximately eight miles southwest of downtown Nashville, beside Percy Warner Park.
During Holiday LIGHTS, visitors follow a self-guided outdoor route slightly longer than one mile through the illuminated grounds.
One of the largest displays is the 28-foot Pixel Pine in the Bradford Robertson Color Garden. Its custom three-dimensional light designs make it a natural stop along the route.
The Peppermint Path brings colorful, candy-cane-themed trees into the gardens. Across the mansion lawn, the Sparkling Serpentine stretches approximately 600 feet.
Returning displays also include the Star Field and Enchanted Esplanade.
This is an evening to spend on foot, with time to stop and look around. Comfortable shoes will earn their place in your holiday outfit.
The Mansion Is Getting a French Holiday Makeover
The new indoor installation is called Un Noël Enchanté, which Cheekwood translates as An Enchanted Noel.
Rather than repeat one decorating theme throughout the house, the planned display draws from different periods and settings in French history.
Visitors can expect jewel-toned rooms, greenery, ribbons, textiles, loaned French antiques and a formal holiday banquet scene.
The creative team includes Laura Dowling, Cheekwood’s Holiday Artistic Director and former White House Chief Floral Designer. Paris- and Dubai-based designer Mauricio Clavero Kozlowski is collaborating as a guest artistic advisor.
This will be Dowling’s third year creating Cheekwood’s seasonal mansion decorations.
For returning visitors, the new rooms offer a reason to look beyond the familiar garden lights.
A Hot Air Balloon Above the Loggia
How often does a holiday house tour include a suspended hot air balloon?
Cheekwood has commissioned Studio Cera Marie to handcraft one for the mansion’s Loggia. Its blue-and-white striped canopy takes inspiration from Belle Époque Paris.
Other planned settings draw from the grandeur of Versailles and Marie Antoinette’s rural hamlet. A winter orangerie will bring citrus plants and seasonal greenery into the display.
Cheekwood has also announced collaborations with French crystal house Baccarat and Paris hotel Le Meurice. Baccarat crystal and Arcadia tableware will help furnish the staged interiors.
The finished installation has not opened yet, so these are Cheekwood’s announced plans for the coming season. The balloon, banquet and winter garden are three details worth looking for when it does.
The House Has Its Own Holiday History
Long before visitors arrived for Christmas lights, Cheekwood was the home of Leslie and Mabel Cheek.
The family’s fortune was partly connected to the Cheek-Neal Coffee Company and the Maxwell House coffee brand. Construction of their home began in 1929 and finished in 1932.
The family moved in around Thanksgiving that year.
Today, the roughly 30,000-square-foot mansion stands on a 55-acre estate that opened to the public in 1960.
Its original design drew largely from English country estates. The French decorations are a new seasonal interpretation of those historic rooms, giving visitors another way to experience the house.
The Miniature Railway Has Something New, Too
Families will also find a fresh holiday treatment at TRAINS!, Cheekwood’s outdoor garden railway in the Turner Seasons Garden.
The 2026 theme is North Pole Butterfly Garden.
The permanent attraction includes miniature landscapes, bridges, tunnels, an Enchanted Express station and a children’s viewing tunnel.
For younger visitors, this could be a useful early stop before tackling the full light route.
Keep expectations clear: this is a miniature railway display, rather than a passenger train ride. Model train operation is weather-dependent, so continuous movement throughout every evening is not guaranteed.
Leave Time for S’mores and Hot Chocolate
Outdoor firepits at the Frist Learning Center terrace will give visitors a place to roast purchased s’mores kits.
Cheekwood also plans to offer hot chocolate, warm cider and seasonal cocktails. Named drinks include Candy Cane Cocoa and Red Hot Rudolph.
Perenn at Cheekwood will serve seasonal snacks and drinks, including baked cookies.
There is one timing detail to remember if food is part of your evening: Perenn’s published evening hours end at 8 p.m., while Holiday LIGHTS continues until 10 p.m.
Visitors booking an 8:30 p.m. entry should plan around that earlier café closing.
Food, drinks and s’mores are additional purchases unless your package specifically includes them.
What Tickets Actually Cost
For adult nonmembers, standard Gardens Only tickets cost $26 on non-peak dates and $29 on peak dates.
Gardens + Mansion admission costs $29 or $32, depending on the date.
For nonmember youth ages 3–17, Gardens Only admission is $20–$23. Gardens + Mansion admission is $23–$26.
Children 2 and younger enter free, but still need reservations.
The posted online service fee is $2 per ticket, and nonmember parking costs $5 per vehicle. Those extras matter when you’re adding up a family evening.
Members receive lower admission prices and complimentary parking for one vehicle.
If the French-inspired rooms are what caught your attention, choose Gardens + Mansion when booking. Every evening ticket does not include access to the house.
A Later Entry Can Lower the Price
Only interested in the outdoor displays?
Late Night LIGHTS costs $20 for nonmember adults and youth, with entry at 8:30 p.m. on selected Monday–Thursday evenings.
These tickets cover the gardens only. They also leave about 90 minutes before the 10 p.m. closing.
The offer is unavailable on peak Fridays, Saturdays and the week leading up to Christmas.
Eligible active-duty and retired military visitors have another option. Military Mondays are scheduled for November 23 and 30, and December 7 and 28.
With valid military identification, qualifying visitors can purchase half-price tickets for up to five people. Advance reservations are required.
Santa Visits Happen During the Day
Planning to combine the lights with a Santa photo? Pay close attention to the schedule.
Cheekwood’s announced Santa visits are daytime activities from December 12–24.
Visits take place Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the Historic Stable and Tack Room at the Frist Learning Center.
Children can also bring letters for Santa’s mailbox.
Daytime admission does not carry over into Holiday LIGHTS. Guests must leave at 3:30 p.m. and return with separate evening admission.
For families hoping to do both, that means planning two parts of the day.
What to Know Before You Go
Holiday LIGHTS runs November 20, 2026–January 3, 2027, from 4:30–10 p.m., with timed entry through 8:30 p.m.
Cheekwood will be closed on Thanksgiving, November 26, and Christmas Day, December 25.
Reserve your entry time through the official Holiday LIGHTS page. Cheekwood recommends arriving approximately 15 minutes early to allow for parking.
Allow roughly 90 minutes to two hours for an unhurried visit, especially if you want to see the mansion and stop for refreshments. That is a planning allowance rather than an official tour duration.
The outdoor light route is paved and barrier-free, though the grounds have slopes. Accessible parking is in Lot A during construction, and some parking locations require extra walking.
Inside the mansion, most public areas are wheelchair accessible, but the Library and Drawing Room are not wheelchair accessible because of stairs. Visitors who need access to specific rooms should contact Guest Services at 615-353-6965 before booking.
Strollers are not permitted inside the mansion. Food, flash photography, selfie sticks and large bags are also restricted there.
The event generally operates rain or shine, so bring warm layers and check the forecast before leaving. Tickets are generally nonrefundable; a one-time date transfer may be requested before the original visit for $5 per ticket, subject to availability and ticket rules.
