Astra Lumina

Elaborate light displays have come on strong lately, especially around the holidays. Businesses saw all those houses drawing crowds with brilliant light shows and decided to up the stakes. So now we have experiences like Zoo Lights at the LA Zoo, Enchanted at Descanso Gardens, and even Holiday at the Park at Six Flags, which showcases elaborate colorful displays alongside the roller coasters. The newest entry into the field is Astra Lumina, in Palos Verdes.

You Light Up My Life

Although colored lights are associated with holidays, nothing says they have to be. In fact, the only real requirement is…darkness, which means winter. And since we’ve got another 2 months of it, I think it’s smart to have an entirely non-denominational experience. Astra Lumina avoids all trappings of any holiday color scheme or music, instead opting for a vaguely astronomical theme, with a dash of mysticism thrown in. All of the lights are set along a path in a botanical garden, providing a backdrop of fresh air, nature, and plants.

The setup seems to have taken a cue from theme parks. There’s a map of the “land” at the front, along with names for each display–equivalent to rides in a park. Each display also runs on a loop. So you can walk through at your own pace, and if you miss the beginning of a display, no problem! Just stay there, and you can see the entire sequence from start to finish. As with real theme parks, some rides/displays are more popular than others, creating a couple of bottlenecks. This brings up an interesting contradiction.

Rainbow Connection

The light displays are a joy to walk through, yet many people are holding their phones aloft to take photos. It’s a bit of mental whiplash, being in a garden, yet lured there by technology. I imagine the garden itself is thrilled to suddenly have thousands of visitors during a time when the garden would otherwise be closed. Yet how many of them will come back in the daylight, when the only draw is the trees and cacti? Hopefully some will. Regardless, it sure seems like a win/win. The nature trail gets much more use and appreciation than typical, and people get to enjoy being out of the house, not watching a screen…even if they can’t bear to leave their phones in their pockets.

Philosophy aside, the various light shows are all enjoyable, at different levels. Our favorite was in a low-hanging grove of trees, surrounding viewers with a spiderweb of light, highlighting leaves and clothing alike when they interrupted the beams. Adding to the effect was a mist (some manufactured, some natural) that made the lights especially visible in the air, like those laser grids in heist movies. We lingered longest here, as did most other people, judging by the crowd in this area.

Another highlight was a pulsing field of color that rippled as you watched it. The sheer quantity of separate light sources made for cool patterns on the forest floor. Two major installations both had programmed pillars of light bouncing up and down. They acted out Astra Lumina’s story of stars that fall to earth, only to be reborn back into the sky. Despite a similar concept, they were easily distinct from each other. Perhaps more impressively, the light patterns effectively conveyed the story–one with stars crashing to earth, the other with new stars rising up. Imagine the Bellagio fountains with color instead of water, and you have a good idea of one of them.

The Sound (but not the Fury)

Astra Lumina accompanies the visuals with an original soundtrack of orchestral, “space-y” music. It works well in conjunction with the lights but didn’t stand out as something I would listen to on its own. The last stop on the light path is the requisite photo opportunity, and yes, I indulged! There is also a bar with drinks and snacks for purchase. Alcohol has to stay in the courtyard, but you can also get hot chocolate to take with you as you stroll along the path. Restrooms and a merchandise booth round out the entry/exit pavilion.

Astra Lumina recommends at least 45 minutes for the experience, and I’d suggest even longer. I think it took us about an hour and 15 minutes. We were going at a leisurely pace, and watched a couple exhibits go through their cycle multiple times. So you CAN go faster…but what’s the rush? Enjoy your evening! But be aware it closes at 10:00, so 9:00 is the last ticket time.

As mentioned earlier, this is not themed to any holiday, so it runs through February 19th. Nights will be dark, but it’s in Los Angeles, so it’s probably not going to be cold. If you’ve ever driven to the “good neighborhood” to see the light displays, you’ll enjoy this. It’s a bit of a drive to Palos Verdes, but some things are worth the effort. Tickets range from $24 for weekday children to $38 for weekend adults, with a range of options in between. There is offsite parking with a shuttle, or premium parking onsite for an extra fee. Information and tickets are all at their website: https://astraluminalosangeles.com