Your 2024 Guide to the Awesome Rock City Christmas: Enchanted Garden of Lights

Rock City is the perfect place to celebrate the holiday season with family and friends. Located on Lookout Mountain, right on the northwest Georgia-Tennessee line, Rock City is a magical place to visit anytime of the year — but is especially amazing during the Christmas holidays.

See Rock City decked out in thousands of Christmas lights, meet fun characters, grab a hot chocolate, and see Santa Claus too!

Ready to learn more about the Rock City Christmas event? Here’s everything you need to know about Rock City’s Enchanted Garden of Lights.

ROCK CITY CHRISTMAS: THE FACTS

This year, Rock City’s Enchanted Garden of Lights will be held from Nov. 15, 2024 – Jan. 4, 2025. (It will be closed on December 24.) Located just a quick drive away from Chattanooga, TN, this event has become a holiday favorite!

When we visited a couple years ago, my favorite thing about this Christmas adventure was that it felt like there was so much to do, but it wasn’t overwhelming at all.

The Enchanted Garden of Lights is a walk-through lights experience with several different realms to walk through and visit — each offering their own special adventures.

All guests must reserve an entry time in advance online, and tickets cannot be purchased at the door. Annual Passholders do not need reservations. Pricing for the Enchanted Garden of Lights is based on the date of your visit, and range anywhere from $31 to $35 for adults, and $21-$25 for kids 3-12.

Read More: See Rock City: Still Awesome After 90 Years

THE ROCK CITY CHRISTMAS ENCHANTED REALMS

The Enchanted Garden of Lights features five distinct trails, each one offering something new and different.

• Grand Corridor Trail. Experience the nostalgia and grandeur of the first Enchanted Garden of Lights as you discover the original Rock City peace doves, the nativity scene, and Toyland.

• Swing-a-Long Bridge Trail. Adventure through a wintry wonderland and across the famous swing-a-long bridge, open during the Enchanted Garden of Lights for the first time, and take in the breathtaking nighttime view at Lovers Leap. If you’re not feeling the moving bridge, Stone Bridge will also be open as an alternate route.

• Hall of the Mountain King Trail. Wander through a magical mixture of gardens, rocks, and fantasy as you weave through the Hall of the Mountain King and discover what Rock City’s gnomes have always been up to.

• Fairyland Caverns Trail. Explore the wonder of stories while you venture through a throwback to Rock City’s history of artistic innovation with Fairyland Caverns and Mother Goose Village.

• Carter Cliffs Trail. Travel down Christmas Tree Lane and step back in time to a 1930s holiday at Carter Cliffs, the original Rock City home, where Santa and his workshop await.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES AT ENCHANTED GARDEN OF LIGHTS

• Visit Santa. Be immersed in an all-new Santa experience for the 30th anniversary of the Enchanted Garden of Lights. Carter Cliffs, the original home of Rock City’s founders Garnet and Frieda Carter, will be opened to the public for the first time – where guests can walk through a festival of trees to visit with Santa in his living room. Guests will also be able to visit Santa’s Workshop.

• GingerGnome Decorating. Stop by Hearth at the Pavilion to decorate your own GingerGnome cookies! These cookies are house made using Clumpies secret Gingerbread recipe

FOOD AND SNACKS AT ROCK CITY

During your enchanted walk, make sure to stop by their food and drink stops including Big Rock Grill, Cafe 7, and Hearth at the Pavilion to warm up and take in the beautiful lights all around you! In addition to their main food stops, there will be warm cider, hot chocolate and other sweets at Perch, Starbucks and the Fudge Kitchen.

• Big Rock Grill is where you’ll find items like giant turkey legs and broccoli soup in a bread bowl.

• Hearth at the Pavilion will offer giant chocolate chip cookies and giant Bavarian pretzels.

• Cafe 7 is where you’ll want to go when you want it all. Cafe 7 Sliders, sweet potato waffle fries, tater bombs, and giant turkey legs are the most popular items here.

TIPS FOR VISITING THE ROCK CITY ENCHANTED LIGHTS

Overall, I thought the Rock City Enchanted Garden of Lights was really well done, and we loved visiting Rock City at night. It was chilly the night we were there, but I felt like there were plenty of indoor areas to take a break from the cold.

We went on a weekday right at 6 p.m., and I felt like that was a good time to be there with our young ones. We were able to see everything we wanted to, and we spent a good amount of time there, but I could see it getting busier by the time we left around 8 p.m.

This year, they have timed entry and limited capacity per night, so they anticipate crowds to be more evenly divided among most days. Tickets are only available online and they recommend purchasing your tickets early for best availability.

This year the Enchanted Garden of Lights will be open from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., and open until 10 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.

Rock City Gardens is a natural wonder, with lots of different levels. You are walking established paths, but they are often uneven. Due to this, the attraction is not stroller friendly, so if you have little ones be sure to bring a backpack or front carrier, or be prepared to hold your little one when they are done walking.

If you live in the area, you might want to consider a VIP annual pass which gives you unlimited entry to Rock City Gardens, as well as the Rock City Christmas Lights.

WHERE TO STAY NEAR ROCK CITY

MORE INFORMATION FOR HOLIDAY FUN IN GEORGIA

• CHRISTMAS TRAIN RIDES: 23 Spectacular Train Rides in Georgia and the Southeast
• CHRISTMAS EVENTS: Your Guide To Only The Very Best Christmas Events In Atlanta
• CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: 27+ Sparkling Christmas Light Displays in Atlanta
• CHRISTMAS TREES: 17+ Unforgettable Christmas Tree Farms in Atlanta You’ll Adore
• ICE SKATING: Avalon Ice Skating Rink: Festive Holiday Skating in Alpharetta
• RUBY FALLS: A Breathtaking Natural Wonder In Chattanooga You’ve Got To See