Looking for something unique to do in Paso Robles wine country? Love art and the outdoors? Well, you won’t want to skip Sensorio Field of Lights — an immersive art exhibit in the heart of California wine country. But wait, what is Sensorio Field of Lights? And why should we go? Those were the very first questions my husband Kevin asked me when I told him about it. I explained — we’d be walking through a farm field…in the middle of the night… while looking at twinkle lights. Perhaps, I need to work on my pitch? But after showing him a few photos, he was on board.
Sensorio Field of Lights has been on my bucket list ever since I read about it in The New York Times travel section earlier this year. The attraction was listed as no. 6 in its top “52 Places to Go” column — beating out such places as Sicily, Tokyo and Paris. Take that Eiffel Tower! In this coronavirus age, could outdoor, immersive art be the wave of the future? We think so. Follow our journey as we explore Sensorio Field of Lights, one of the most stunning art exhibits we’ve experienced anywhere in the world.
What is Sensorio Field of Lights?
British artist Bruce Munro has created quite a visual wonderland — displaying more than 58,800 fiber-optic lights along the rolling hills of Paso Robles. Powered by solar panels, the stemmed spheres subtly change colors while lighting up the hillside around you. Blink and you might miss the color changes. In fact, the only way we could see the colors switch was by watching the outer areas of the exhibit very closely.
Bruce Munro came up with the bright idea for the Field of Lights while visiting Australia’s Uluru, or Ayer’s Rock. He created the exhibit in Australia — later taking the concept to other parts of the world. However, Paso Robles is his largest field project to date. Interested in seeing how the field is created? We suggest heading to the gift shop to check out the behind-the-scenes photo book and DVD showing how each light fixture is placed by hand. It sort of reminded me of decorating my house at Christmas while growing up. Though the only difference is that I’d get tired and give up after hanging about 3 strings of lights. Okay, this is nothing like my family’s Christmas light display.
Experiencing the Best of Sensorio Field of Lights in Paso Robles Wine Country
We arrived at the Field of Lights at 6 PM and were thrilled to see that parking was easy and plentiful. You know we’re from LA when we get this excited about a free parking lot with ample spaces!
The organizers are taking all precautions with COVID, including timed entry, mandatory temperature checks, required face coverings, limited groups (with a maximum of 6 guests) and enforced social distancing. Not only that, but there are also 15 acres of land to wander — including one-way paths to cut down on guest interactions. After checking in, we were thrilled to see such a festive environment. There was live music as well as several food trucks offering everything from Mexican to Italian. And of course, this is wine country and there has to be some good wine on hand.
How Much Time Should I Spend at Sensorio Field of Lights? And is the VIP Ticket Worth it?
Without a doubt, the best way to see Sensorio Field of Lights is by doing the VIP experience ($79 per person in advance). The ticket includes access to the private VIP terrace area, private restrooms, an Airstream trailer bar as well as heat lamps and tables with fireplaces. But best of all? You get the best views overlooking the exhibition.
We arrived at Sensorio Field of Lights at 6 PM to fully enjoy the experience before sun down. This timing allowed us to walk the 1/2 mile loop around the Field of Lights in the daylight. The 1/2 mile loop took us about 15 minutes to complete. And we must say, it gave us such an appreciation of all the hard work in setting this up.
We made our way back towards the VIP section — stopping only to grab a few slices of pizza to snack on ($5 a slice for cheese and $6 for a slice with toppings). All this walking was making us hungry.
And of course, we had to hit up the VIP airstream trailer for some glasses of champagne and wine. It was a special night and we were ready to celebrate.
Sunset: The Moment to Enjoy Sensorio Field of Lights The Most
As the sky turned dark, the field began to glow below us. It was faint at first, but the colors grew brighter and brighter as the sun went down.
We suggest waiting in the VIP section at least 30 minutes after sunset. There isn’t any rush and the VIP area really has the best birds-eye view of the field. Also, after 30 minutes, the general admission crowd has mostly thinned out. And you’ll have the 1/2 mile walking path around the Field of Lights to yourself.
Kevin and I did 2 full loops at a leisurely pace — taking probably about 200 photos give or take! We just couldn’t help ourselves. Though, the scale of the exhibit just couldn’t be captured on camera. You’ll just have to experience the magic yourself. The exhibit will run until January 2021. And even after it wraps, the area will be turned into an art exhibit — with revolving exhibits dedicated to the cross section of art, technology and design. This is not to be missed!
Looking for other ideas in Paso Robles? Consider a visit to Daou Vineyards, one of Paso Robles most spectacular wineries. Have more time? Check out our top picks for a romantic getaway in Paso Robles and our 3-day itinerary in Paso Robles (on our sister blog Gourmet Globetrotter). And of course, if you are looking for more ideas to do during COVID, here are our top 5 fun ideas to do at home.
THE LOW DOWN:
- General admission for adults starts at $30 per person, $19 for children (or $9.50 during special family nights); children 3 to 12-years old are free.
- VIP admission is what we recommend. Tickets are $79 per person in advance. VIPs are the first to be allowed in and gives you access to the special VIP area.
- The exhibition is open Thursdays through Sundays from now through January 2021.
- Advanced tickets are highly recommended. Tickets can be purchased directly on the Sensorio Field of Lights website.