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Astra Lumina Lights Up Queens Botanical Garden with After-Dark Walk-Thru

12/18/23 - By Jody Mercier

It's not hard to find an after-dark holiday light installation in NYC this winter. From the Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo to Lightscape at Brooklyn Botanic Garden and a ton of Christmas light drive-thrus in the suburbs, there are plenty of options, but none are quite like Astra Lumina at the Queens Botanical Garden.

Astra Lumina is QBG's first after-dark installation, and it lights up a mile-long trail in an awe-inspiring display that transports visitors to a whole new galaxy with an eye-popping display of lights, projections, and soundscapes.

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A collaboration with the multimedia art company Moment Factory, AstraLumina takes visitors on an enchanting after-dark walk past nine different light and sound installations, and each is seemingly more awe-inspiring than the last.

Astra Lumina at the Queens Botanical Garden: Falling Stars installation
Walk through larger-than-life luminarias during your visit to Astra Lumina at the Queens Botanical Garden.

All together, Astra Lumina invites visitors to explore the energy of fallen stars. Each glittering display illustrates the stars' journey to regeneration and blasting back off into the galaxy. While it may be a stretch for visitors to follow the story—particularly little ones—you can't help but be wowed by the audio-visual effects.

Though a completely new-in-NYC experience, Astra Lumina at the Queens Botanical Garden is acutally the 19th in a series of Astra Lumina installations, though each is customized to its canvas.

The winding path gives you glimpses of each installation before you're fully immersed in it, and excitement builds as you get closer and are completely surrounded by each glowing display. Visitors can plan to spend about an hour enjoying the displays, which each play on a several-minute-long loop letting you linger as long as you want to enjoy each sight.

RELATED: Brooklyn Botanic Garden Shines Brightly with Lightscape


Astra Lumina is an eye-popping light and sound installation that transports visitors to a starry night right in the midst of downtown Flushing.

Know Before You Go to Astra Lumina

  • Astra Lumina has just been extended and runs through Sunday, February 11, 2024.
  • Timed-entry tickets are required and should be booked online in advance.
  • At this after-hours experience, only a very limited section of the Queens Botanical Garden is open.
  • Astra Lumina is an all-outdoor experience, so bundle up accordingly!
  • There are trailer port-a-potties located at the entrance to Astra Lumina, plus a snack bar with a selection of cozy eats and treats.
  • Take note: It's very dark, particularly between installations, and the paths can be bumpy. Keep little ones close!

All photos by author

Places featured in this article:

Queens Botanical Garden