Winterlights opens at the Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate on Friday, November 27, and runs through Saturday, January 2. That's just over two weeks from now. This year The Trustees split the discounts into two schedules. Discounted adult tickets come early in the season, and free children's tickets come in the final week.
So the cheapest night depends on who's going. Two adults on their own should go early in December. A family with children ages 3 to 15 should wait for the last week of the year. And on three nights, December 28, 29 and 30, both discounts apply.
Two discounts at opposite ends of the season
Standard pricing at the Bradley Estate is $32 for adults who aren't Trustees members and $27 for members. Children ages 3 to 15 are $15, or $10 for members. Children 2 and under are free.
The Trustees added two kinds of discounted nights this year:
- Value Nights lower the adult price, for guests 16 and older, to $25 for nonmembers and $20 for members. They fall on Wednesdays and Thursdays through December 17, plus Monday through Wednesday, December 28 to 30.
- Family Value Nights make every child 15 and under free. They run from Monday, December 28, through Saturday, January 2, at both Winterlights locations.
You don't need a code for either one. According to the Winterlights FAQ, the ticketing system adjusts the price automatically when you pick one of those nights.
Each discount covers a different ticket. The adult discount does nothing for children's tickets, and free children's tickets do nothing for adults. That's why the two schedules point different households to different weeks.
The season, night by night
The Bradley Estate runs Winterlights Wednesdays through Sundays, 4:30 to 9 p.m. It's closed December 24 and 25, open on New Year's Day, and adds extra Monday and Tuesday dates on December 21 and 22 and on December 28 and 29. Here's how those dates line up with the two price schedules:
| Dates | Adult ticket, nonmember / member | Child 3–15 ticket, nonmember / member |
|---|---|---|
| Fri.–Sun., Nov. 27–29 | $32 / $27 | $15 / $10 |
| Wed.–Thu., Dec. 2–3, 9–10, 16–17 | $25 / $20 | $15 / $10 |
| Fri.–Sun. weekends through Dec. 20 | $32 / $27 | $15 / $10 |
| Mon.–Wed., Dec. 21–23 | $32 / $27 | $15 / $10 |
| Thu.–Fri., Dec. 24–25 | Closed | Closed |
| Sat.–Sun., Dec. 26–27 | $32 / $27 | $15 / $10 |
| Mon.–Wed., Dec. 28–30 | $25 / $20 | Free |
| Thu., Dec. 31–Sat., Jan. 2 | $32 / $27 | Free |
That leaves six discounted adult nights before Christmas, all on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday before the holiday is full price, and so is the run of extra pre-Christmas dates from December 21 to 23. The free children's tickets cover the last six nights of the season. The three nights where both discounts overlap, December 28 to 30, are the cheapest nights for any household.
What a carload pays
The gaps get bigger once you add up a whole car. These totals use the published prices:
- Two adults, nonmembers: $64 on a full-price night and $50 on any Value Night. Early-December weeknights and the December 28–30 stretch cost the same.
- Two adults and two children ages 3 to 15, nonmembers: $94 on a full-price night, $80 on an early-December Value Night, $64 from December 31 to January 2, and $50 on December 28, 29 or 30.
- The same family, as Trustees members: $74 on a full-price night, $60 on an early Value Night, $54 from December 31 to January 2, and $40 on December 28, 29 or 30.
For two adults, a Wednesday or Thursday in early December saves as much as anything later in the season, and it comes before the holiday crowds. For a family, the early Value Night saves $14. Waiting for December 28 to 30 saves $44 at nonmember prices.
Member pricing is a separate question. Trustees members get the lower prices above and 10% off in the Winterlights gift shop. Members also park free during regular daytime visits to the Bradley Estate, where nonmembers pay $7.
Why the date you pick is the date you keep
The cheapest nights are also the fewest, and a Winterlights ticket can't be moved. Tickets are timed, sold only in advance, and never sold at the gate. The Trustees can't change a date or time once it's booked, and tickets are nonrefundable and can't be moved to another date. Guests are asked to check in within 15 minutes of their time slot. Anyone who arrives early or late may have to wait while guests with the correct time go in first.
Weather is the one exception to those rules. Winterlights goes ahead rain or shine, but heavy snow or unsafe conditions cancel that night's event. Ticket holders are notified by email and get information about a refund or rebooking where applicable.
So a family aiming for December 28, 29 or 30 has three dates to choose from, picks one, and keeps it. If that week fills up or doesn't fit, the next-best option for a family is December 31 through January 2. Children are still free those nights, and the adults pay full price.
Sundays at 3:30 for a quieter walk
The Bradley Estate also has a fourth kind of ticket. On Sundays from December 6 to 27, The Trustees sell a limited number of sensory-friendly tickets for 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., an hour before regular entry begins. These are for guests who may do better in a quieter setting. Those four Sundays all fall before the free children's week, so standard children's prices apply in the table above.
The same 90 acres, after dark
Winterlights takes place on grounds many Canton residents already know in daylight. The Bradley Estate is a 90-acre property at 2468B Washington Street, on Route 138. It's open daily from sunrise to sunset, with a working farm, 15 acres of open fields, and nearly three miles of cart paths through more than 60 acres of woods and wetlands.
The formal center of the estate dates to 1902. That year Dr. Arthur Tracy Cabot hired architect Charles Platt to design the house, and Platt's Italianate walled garden with latticework was the centerpiece of his design. Cabot's niece, Eleanor Cabot Bradley, and her husband, Ralph Bradley, acquired the estate in 1945. They added ponds, a sunken camellia garden and an art studio while keeping up the formal gardens. The Trustees' history of the estate has more detail on the families.
The house usually opens only for special events, and Winterlights is one of them. The first floor is part of the walking route, though there are no guided tours. Plan on about an hour. The route runs on unpaved paths through woods and gardens and may be muddy or icy, so The Trustees recommend sturdy boots. The Trustees also say many routes aren't wheelchair or stroller accessible, with stairs, slopes steeper than 5 degrees, and uneven ground along the way. They take accessibility questions at [email protected].
Other rules for the night:
- Dogs aren't allowed, to protect the gardens.
- Tailgating isn't allowed.
- Restrooms, food and drink stands, and a gift shop are on site.
- Groups of more than 10 book directly with The Trustees.
Getting there is easy for most of Canton, but the turn is easy to miss. From Route 128/I-93, take Exit 2A onto Route 138 South toward Stoughton. The estate's driveway is the first one on the right, just past the bridge if you're coming from 128 North, or right at the bottom of the ramp from 128 South. The Trustees' own directions warn that it "comes up fast." For regular visits, signs point to a 75-car parking area, and the drives on the property are one-way.
Bradley Estate tickets are sold through The Trustees' Winterlights ticket page. The three nights where both discounts apply are Monday, December 28; Tuesday, December 29; and Wednesday, December 30.
If you're thinking about selling your Canton home in the new year, Bell Property Partners can show you what it's worth before the spring market starts. Request a complimentary home valuation, and we'll put a careful, data-driven number on the house you'll be driving home to.
