Wisconsin Botanical Gardens Light Up For The Season

It seems like holiday light displays in Wisconsin just keep getting bigger, better and brighter. This year is no exception, and some that really shine are located in botanical gardens throughout the state.

Like the Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) Garden of Lights at the Green Bay Botanical Gardens, which has been around since 1997. This year, the magic starts Friday, Nov. 29.

Dave Barkow, facilities and maintenance coordinator, is in charge of setting up the display every year. He said they start setting up the first week in October and it takes about seven weeks to finish. He alone puts in about 500 hours of work a year getting the display ready. He also has a couple of coworkers who help out, and a great group of volunteers who he says he depends on.

The display is botanical garden-themed.

“We try to bring what you would see at the gardens in the summertime and bring that into lights,” said Barkow. “For example, a few years back we had koi fish donated, which visitors love. So we now have a light display called ‘Under the Pond,’ with large koi fish, seaweed, a turtle and water flowing through. People absolutely love it.”

And how’s the electric bill? The display is 99 percent LED lights now, according to Barkow, so the electric bill isn’t that bad compared to what it was 10 years ago with incandescent lights.

But there are other challenges, particularly mother nature.

“In Green Bay, we’ve had over 12 inches of snow in October and November. And it’s been very cold, with temperatures in the single digits in the morning,” said Barkow.

This year, Barkow is most excited about a new display called “Butterflies in Motion.”

“It’s a spinoff from a display this summer, where people could walk through a butterfly house. So we created a miniature greenhouse, with chrysalis and mechanical wings for the butterflies,” said Barkow.

Lights aside, visitors can enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides every night, Santa Claus, a railroad display and food and refreshments.

Other botanical garden holiday light displays include:

• The Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville — also starting Friday, Nov. 29.
• The Boerner Botanical Gardens in Whitnall Park offers a drive-through light display in Milwaukee.