Field of Light Sensorio : An unforgettable experience

Under the dark sky and thousands of little spheres lit up in all different colors makes you feel like you are in a dreamworld. However you are not dreaming, its real and you can visit this at Sensorio Field of Light in Paso Robles, California! If you are nearby or visiting California, do keep this in your travel list, as you will not see anything like it anywhere else! I will share our experience of visiting the point of interest and some tips which will be helpful to you.

Field of Light, Sensorio

Inter­na­tion­al­ly acclaimed artist Bruce Munro designed the art installation . Fea­tured in The New York Times as #6 in ​“50 Places to Vis­it in 2020″ it is becoming really popular place to visit among tourists and locals. It is a 15 acre walk through experience and there are many paths within, you can take a short or the longest walk based on how you are feeling.

The artwork comprises of 58,800 stemmed spheres lit by fiber optics which changes colors casting a lovely hue as you walk through it. It is like walking in a floral garden, but in contrast its just lights.

In addition to that you can also see the Light Tow­ers which cel­e­brates Paso Rob­les’ exten­sive wine coun­try envi­rons, fea­tur­ing 69 tow­ers com­posed of more than 17,000 wine bot­tles, illu­mi­nat­ed with glow­ing optic fibers whose col­ors morph to an inspir­ing musi­cal score. 

Tickets and Price

For viewing you can either book your ticket online or get it there itself. We did not book ours as we went during Thanksgiving break and it was sold out online, but we were able to get the tickets once we reached there. However there was a queue for it and waiting time involved.

There are 3 types of tickets you can choose and with all the tickets, a Parking Fee of $2.00 per ticket is included in the service fee.

1. VIP Experience + VIP platter : INCLUDES VIP PLATTER OF YOUR CHOICE: (Charcuterie/Crudité – Each platter serves two people. Ticket value is per person. Price includes all applicable sales tax. ) In addition to that it includes exclusive access to Private VIP Terrace, Private Restrooms, Airstream Bar, Fire Tables, Seating and best views of the exhibition. Includes 1 Drink Ticket.

Price – $107.00+$7.34 Fee

Sale ends – Dec 31, 2021

2. VIP Experience : Includes exclusive access to Private VIP Terrace, Private Restrooms, Airstream Bar, Fire Tables, Seating and best views of the exhibition. Includes 1 Drink Ticket. Price includes all applicable sales tax.

Price – $81.00+$6.69 Fee

Sale ends – Dec 31, 2021

3. General Admission :

4.30pm – $38.50+$5.63 Fee

5.30pm – $31.50+$5.45 Fee

4. Children Admission :

$19.00+$5.14 Fee

Chil­dren ages 3 to 12 years must have tick­ets to enter the exhi­bi­tion. Chil­dren 2 years and under are free.

Food and Drinks

If you want to have your dinner there they have some picnic tables and patio heaters set outside and you get some food options there.

The kitchen at Sen­so­rio offers a good option of appe­tiz­ers, entrées, and desserts, includ­ing veg­e­tar­i­an options. And they have a local food truck Rick­y’s Tacos on ground as well for some yummy Mexican food.

Best time to see Sensorio, Field of Light

The best time to see Sensorio by most is just before sunset time, which is around 8.30pm in Summer and 5pm in Winter. You can still see the installation before it goes completely dark and twilight time it looks magical.

However I preferred to go when it was completely dark so we went at 6pm in November.

How long is the walk there

The walk within the Sensorio Field of light pathways will be around 1 mile. There are benches through out the area where you can sit and rest. And some paths are wheel chair friendly as you can see from the Path map below. You can take strollers through the path as well.

First you park your car and you will walk to the Security check point. Following which is the ticket counter, and upon entering you see the food court and you pass that finally to see the light displays.

Know before you go

1. They have wheel chair and stroller friendly paths.
2. Don’t use flash lighting during photography, it is prohibited.
3. Taking outside food or beverage is not allowed, and it includes water. You have to cross a security checkpoint where your bags will be checked.
4. If the tickets are sold out online, you still can get it after arriving there. You can get it on the spot based on availability.

Hotels near Sensorio Field of Light

If you plan to visit Sensorio most probably you will be there way after dark. And if you are not comfortable in driving back, you can stay in some of the hotels there for the night. Here are some standard hotel options :

1. La Quinta Inn and Suites by Wyndham Paso Robles
2. The Oaks Hotel & Suites, Ascend Hotel Collection
3. Holiday Inn Express & Suites Paso Robles ( we stayed here, we had a good experience, nice breakfast)
4. Courtyard by Mariott Paso Robles
5. Best Western Plus Black Oak

We stayed for 2 nights and explored the nearby areas. Paso Robles is famous for its winery you can check that out. And its pretty close to some beach towns like Cambria, Morro Bay and Pismo Beach which you can explore.

Getting there

• From US 101 Northbound

Exit High­way 46 East and turn right. Con­tin­ue for about 4 miles. The Sen­so­rio entrance is the sec­ond left, just past Eber­le Winery.

• From US 101 Southbound

Exit High­way 46 East and turn left. Con­tin­ue for about 4 miles. The Sen­so­rio entrance is the sec­ond left, just past Eber­le Winery.

• I‑5 Northbound/​Southbound

Take High­way 41 or 46 West­bound. The Sen­so­rio entrance is locat­ed just past the El Paso de Rob­les City Wel­come sign, on the right­hand side.

Do visit the magical place called Sensorio and have an amazing time with your loved ones. If you have recommendation of any other places you would like to visit while in Paso Robles, do share here.