I’ve long loved glassblowing, even though I have yet to actually try it myself (yes, it’s on my bucket list)! And when it comes to glassblowing, Dale Chihuly is one of the most renowned artists in the world. So when I heard the New York Botanical Garden was featuring his work, I planned a girl’s night!

You can see his art during the day, or you can visit during NYBG’s Chihuly Nights, which allows you to see the art in the daylight and then, after the sun sets, lit up at night. I definitely recommend going with the Chihuly Nights option, since this way you can see the glass in all different settings!

Plus Chihuly Nights has an array of performers and musicians scattered throughout the garden, which makes the evening feel that much more special.

Chihuly Nights begins at 6:30pm and we arrived right on time. I’m glad we did, since it was the perfect time to see the setting sun cast golden rays on the buildings and art.

We may have gone a bit picture crazy. Can you blame us?!

The gardens are already pretty, and they’re made that much more dynamic by the Chihuly glasswork arranged throughout.

As the sun set even lower in the sky the weather cooled, turning the day into a perfect summer night.

You’ll laugh when I tell you this, but after seeing the above, we wondered “is this it?” We liked the art, don’t get me wrong, but we had expected there would be more than just a few pieces.

It turns out we had missed an area of the garden entirely! Luckily we figured it out and headed over to the conservatory, where there are dozens of Chihuly works interspersed throughout both the outside and the inside of the building.

We made it to the back garden of the conservatory as the sun was making its final descent, painting the sky in stunning colors that were reflected in the water below.

We hung out there until it was fully dark, and the glass became brilliantly lit up against the night sky.

Then we finally decided to head home, making one last round through the gardens to see all of his artwork lit up at night.

Incredible, isn’t it?

Chihuly’s art will be at the New York Botanical Garden until October 29th, and you don’t want to miss it! So plan your own girls’ night, and get your tickets here.

If seeing Chihuly’s art in person doesn’t make you love glassblowing too, I don’t know what will!

~A