Each of the twelve gazebos at the Dallas Arboretum is a 21-foot cube. That size was chosen so each one fits inside a 24-foot truck. The roofs and columns are painted plywood and foam, and inside are chandeliers and automated figures. KERA described all of this when the gazebos debuted in 2014. Like stage scenery, the gazebos are packed up, trucked in and put back together every year.
Stage sets have a run, and this one ends January 3, 2027. Holiday at the Arboretum opened on Wednesday, November 11, and the Arboretum calls this season "One Final Chorus" for the gazebos. If you live in Forest Hills or Old Lake Highlands, the useful part is the ticket schedule. Its cheapest options are short windows, late windows and holiday dates, and those suit someone a few minutes up Garland Road much better than a family driving in from across the metroplex.
An opera designer's set with a five-year plan
In 2012, benefactors Phyllis and Tom McCasland proposed a large holiday installation based on the English carol, and they paid for it. The Dallas Morning News retold the story from the Arboretum's Bloom magazine. Tommy Bourgeois, production designer for the Dallas Opera, designed the scenes. He brought in Greg Blackburn and Dallas Stage Scenery to build them. Design, engineering and fabrication took almost two years.
KERA reported in 2014 that the project cost $2 million and was planned as a five-year attraction. Spread over five seasons, that budget makes sense for a temporary show. Twelve seasons is more than double that, and each one depended on a lot of labor. Off-duty Dallas Fire-Rescue firefighters haul, assemble and install the gazebos every year starting in August. They also build the Neuhoff Family Christmas Village, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Why the curtain comes down now
The Arboretum's reason is mechanical. The gazebos were designed for a five-year lifespan, and after twelve years their animatronics are aging and showing wear. Marshall Detwiler, the Arboretum's vice president of marketing and guest experience, explained the decision to The Dallas Morning News: "Rather than allow the guest experience to diminish, the Arboretum made the deliberate decision to retire the gazebos with the dignity they deserve."
President and CEO Sabina Carr told WFAA that the gazebos "more than doubled their intended lifespan because the love Dallas showed them made it impossible to let go any sooner."
The rest of the season stays as it was. Detwiler said the millions of lights, the Christmas Village and the other Holiday at the Arboretum traditions will continue. Starting in 2027, The Art of HYBYCOZO takes the gazebos' place. It is an outdoor exhibition of large, glowing geometric sculptures made specifically for the Arboretum. WFAA reports that a completely new holiday experience is planned for 2028. If you want the full history, the Arboretum's Fall 2026 issue of Bloom has the twelve-year story.
The ticket windows that favor living close
For a family coming from Frisco or Fort Worth, the trip is already a big commitment, so a full evening ticket is the obvious choice. If you live off Garland Road, the cheaper windows on the Arboretum's holiday page are worth a look:
| Window | Hours | General | Members |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. | $21.95 to $25.95 adults, $17.95 to $21.95 ages 3 to 12 | Free |
| Holiday at Night | 5 to 10 p.m. | $35 to $40, ages 3 and up | $20 to $25 |
| Night Owl | 8:30 to 10 p.m. | $15 | $15 |
| Holiday Cheer | 5 to 10 p.m. | $12 | $12 |
Children under 3 get in free in every window. Prices change by date, and you see the exact price when you pick one. Holiday at Night costs $4 more if you buy at the gate.
Night Owl is the best deal for a short visit. It costs $15, less than half the lowest full-evening price. You get the gazebos lit up for the last ninety minutes of the night, and members pay the same rate. WFAA reports a nightly sing-along at 8 p.m. in the Christmas Village, which starts half an hour before Night Owl entry. If you want to sing along, you'll need a regular Holiday at Night ticket.
Holiday Cheer pricing covers the full 5-to-10 window for $12, but only on five dates:
- Thursday, November 26, Thanksgiving
- Thursday, December 24, Christmas Eve
- Friday, December 25, Christmas Day
- Thursday, December 31, New Year's Eve
- Friday, January 1
These are the nights you're most likely to have relatives in town. Five people on a Holiday Cheer night pay $60 together, less than two tickets at the $35 low end of a regular Holiday at Night evening. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve are also among the gazebos' last nights before the January 3 close.
Parking, and the streets the Arboretum is protecting
Parking costs $15 per vehicle, plus tax and fees. Members park free in up to two vehicles, but only if those vehicles are registered in advance. Otherwise the standard fee applies. Guests coming through Museums for All park free. A Night Owl ticket costs the same as a parking spot, so it's worth registering your car before a short visit.
The Arboretum's parking page lists three ways in:
- Entry 1, Main Entrance, 8525 Garland Road, closest to the DeGolyer House, A Tasteful Place and the Hoffman Family Gift Shop
- Entry 3, 8657 Garland Road, in front of the Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden and near the Concert Lawn
- Entry 4, the parking garage, 8720 Garland Road, across the road from the children's garden, with a secure, accessible underground walkway into the grounds
The same page asks visitors to use designated parking and stay off the residential streets nearby, and tow-away signs are posted throughout the area. Those signs are on the blocks next to Garland Road, which means Forest Hills and Old Lake Highlands streets during the busiest stretch of the year.
What's on the calendar before January 3
The Arboretum has scheduled events that give you more reasons to stop in before the gazebos leave. These are listed on its holiday page:
| Date | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Nov. 14 | Yule Log with La Casita Bakeshop | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Saturday, Nov. 21 | 3 Melts of Christmas, at A Tasteful Place | 10 a.m. to noon |
| Sunday, Nov. 29 | Floral Candles Workshop with POUR'd, in the Green Classroom | Noon to 2 p.m. |
| Saturday, Dec. 5 | Holiday Gingerbread House | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Wednesday, Dec. 16 | The Art of Holiday Wreath Design | 3 to 5 p.m. |
| Thursday, Dec. 31 | Noon Year's Eve Celebration | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
December 31 is a full day. The Noon Year's Eve celebration runs in the morning, and that evening is also a $12 Holiday Cheer night. You could see the gazebos by daylight in the morning, go home, and come back after dark.
Each of these is a short daytime event, so they fit the same pattern as Night Owl. You don't need to plan a whole day around the Arboretum to catch the gazebos one more time.
Pizza on the way home
For an early dinner before a Night Owl entry, Salisbury's Pizza opened August 18 at 9540 Garland Road in Casa Linda. It's in the former Be Home Soon space near North Buckner Boulevard. At opening, The Dallas Morning News reported dine-in and takeout Tuesday through Saturday, 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. Under those hours, you could eat at 7:30, drive a short way up Garland Road, park in the Entry 4 garage and be at the gazebos when Night Owl entry opens at 8:30.
If the gazebos' last season brings family to town and they start asking what life near the Arboretum is like, we're always happy to talk about Forest Hills and Old Lake Highlands. The TX Collective Group can also put together a valuation of your home if you're curious what it's worth.
