Griffin MSI Opens 50-Plus Trees Nov. 7, Grand Tree Lit at 11 A.M.

The exhibit began in 1942 as a single tree, redecorated every day for 12 days to stand for the countries fighting alongside America. It is now in its 84th season and fills the hall with more than 50 trees, each decorated by community volunteers to represent a different country. Displays for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali and other festivals of light stand among the trees.

Nov. 7 carries the festival program: local cultural organizations perform in the Rotunda from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and the countdown brings Santa and the four-story Grand Tree alight at 11 a.m. Stan's Donuts passes out seasonal samples, the Holiday Shop opens with ornaments and gifts, and snow falls in the North Court every half hour. Everything sits inside regular paid general admission, and the museum has no free-admission days left in 2026.

The Osaka Garden, a free Japanese garden on the wooded island about 10 minutes south on foot, opens 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday until Nov. 30 and closes Mondays. It is open-air and runs on a seasonal schedule; cold or wet weather can cut a garden visit short, and hours drop to weekends only in December before it closes January through March. Yoko Ono's SKYLANDING stands on the same island a short walk away. Museum hours on Nov. 7 run 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and the trees stay up through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027.