Photo credit: Troy B. Thompson Photography
Whether you call it apple season, spooky season, or pumpkin spice latté season, there is nothing as quintessentially New England as watching the leaves change to their brilliant autumn hues. A sense of wonder rises as temperatures fall and days get shorter. While summer blooms are fading, opportunities to enjoy the magic of the fall season are plentiful at New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill.
Spread across nearly 200 acres in Boylston, MA, New England Botanic Garden offers a year-round destination for plant enthusiasts and nature lovers of all kinds. Visitors discover an irreplaceable collection of plants threaded throughout 18 distinct garden spaces, including two subtropical conservatories. They also enjoy a garden shop offering nature-inspired gifts, a café serving daily lunch, expansive views of the Wachusett Reservoir, and a peaceful network of wooded walking trails.
Photo credit: Troy B. Thompson Photography
A Leaf Peepers’ Paradise
From intimate garden spaces to sweeping meadow vistas, picture-perfect moments amid stunning autumn foliage await. Plants offering exquisite seasonal interest can be found around every corner. Discover Pliny’s Allée where rows of fothergilla, oakleaf hydrangea, witch hazel, and towering oaks put on a dramatic show. Or get lost in The Ramble, a family-friendly garden designed to inspire play among the fiery fall foliage of the smokebush.
Photo credit: Troy B. Thompson Photography
Unique Events and Experiences
The Garden embraces the inherent sense of mystery and wonder that autumn brings with seasonal exhibitions and special events.
- Now through November 2: Experience Stranger Plants, an exhibition that brings to life sculptures of imaginary plant species with bizarre, otherworldly traits. The experience becomes even more captivating by night during Glowing Wild.
- October 11 – 13: Weekend of Wonder features an array of enchanted entertainment for families.
- October 18 & 19: The American Craft Fair includes opportunities to shop from some of the region’s top artisans and crafters displaying their wares.
- November 2, 15 & 16: New educational programs explore New England’s most iconic fall crops—apples and American chestnuts.
Photo credit: Mala Lam
Get Ready to Be Dazzled
Fall at New England Botanic Garden also marks the start of Night Lights. With half a million lights and festive experiences for the whole family, the Garden’s winter light show is a celebration of nature like no other—an immersive experience full of dazzling landscapes, color, and light to inspire warm memories that will last all winter.
Night Lights helps fund the Garden’s year-round operations and its mission to connect people and plants. It kicks off November 22 and continues through January 4, 2026. Tickets go on sale to Garden members on October 15 and the public on October 22.
Learn more about these exciting opportunities and more at nebg.org and plan a visit today!
