This Is Halloween
Immersive Nightmare Before Christmas light trail makes Austin debut

Jack and Sally are visiting Austin for 10 weeks this fall.
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is famous for its holiday lights, and they're getting a spooky fall extension. The Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail is coming to Texas for the first time to light up the Wildflower Center from September 25 to November 30.
The all-ages event, presented by Texas Performing Arts (TPA), will create an immersive environment where fans can experience the film's two iconic locales: Halloween Town and Christmas Town. A press release promises "captivating scenes, music, and video projections."
Austinites who enjoy experiences like the Trail of Lights or Pumpkin Nights will likely also enjoy this installation, which includes 3D-printed statues of characters like Jack Skellington, Zero, Sally, The Mayor of Halloween Town, and Oogie Boogie; fun images projected onto the trail; and a lot of atmospheric sounds.
The show covers 8,300 square feet and according to the website, takes 45 minutes to an hour to complete — although online reviews have widened this range from 10 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on how fast you move and whether or not you wait for pictures on a busy night.
Since the experience already debuted at the New York Botanical Garden last year, prospective ticket-buyers can check out walkthrough videos to decide if they want to go. (But beware of spoilers!)
The New York and Austin experiences are the only ones running this year.
They're designed by Adventurelive, a production company owned by Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller, in partnership with Letsgo, a Madrid-based creative team that makes other immersive experiences, including Tim Burton’s Labyrinth and Lights in Nature. They are also presented by special arrangement with Buena Vista Theatrical, which produces and licenses Disney theater productions.
“I want to make an experience that surprises people — that is both visually stunning and sonically cool," said Seller in the release. "This is going to be a thrilling new way to experience both Tim Burton’s story and it’s going to look amazing in The Wildflower Center."
TPA executive and artistic director Bob Bursey added, “We’re excited to offer Austin a new must-see fall experience by continuing our relationship with the producers of Hamilton after three remarkable productions at Bass Concert Hall, while working for the first time with our UT colleagues at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.”
The trail will be accompanied by merchandise by Broadway souvenirs brand Creative Goods Design & Supply, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, water bottles, bags, and more.
The Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail will be open Wednesdays through Sundays from "dusk" to 10:15 pm. Entry times will vary by week. Tickets (timed entry is $31 for children and $41 for adults, or flexible entry is $51) will be available starting August 15 at texasperformingarts.org. Texas Performing Arts’ Texas Inner Circle members and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center have pre-sale access as of August 11.

Austin Blues Festival 2026 lineup.Graphic courtesy of Austin Blues Festival