FAQs and Maps

Before contacting us, please check to see if the answer you are looking for is below.
If you cannot find the information you are looking for, please email solstice@mountauburn.org

Event Map - coming soon

 Ticketing & Admission

  • Friends of Mount Auburn members will receive a 10% discount on two Adult tickets. FOMAC members should have received an email with the discount code in September. If you are a new member, please reach out to friends@mountauburn.org to receive the discount code. Youths between the ages of 2 and 12 are $10 each, and children under 2 are free and don’t need to register. All youth must be accompanied by an adult. Learn more about becoming a FOMAC member.

  • No, we cannot accommodate exchanges. Please ensure that you have carefully selected your preferred date and time before completing your transaction.

  • Tickets are non-refundable. Orders will only be refunded if Mount Auburn Cemetery decides to cancel the event due to weather.

  • SOLSTICE is a self-guided experience, but there will be Event Staff stationed throughout the entire event area to help direct you as well as a digital map available.

  • If we must cancel due to weather, guests will be notified via email by 12:00 PM on the day of. All orders will be refunded in the event of a cancellation unless the ticket purchaser indicates they would like us to keep the funds for a donation. 

  • We ask that attendees do their best to arrive within the 30-minute window of their timed ticket entry so that we can better control parking, check-in, and event flow (e.g. if your ticket is for 5:30pm-6:00pm, check-in should be no earlier than 5:30pm and no later than 6:00pm).

  • There is no need to print your tickets. Tickets will be scanned on your smart phone. Please try to have your tickets pulled up before you arrive at the Check-In tent. If you are having trouble finding your tickets, search for “Order Confirmation for SOLSTICE."

  • There will be a Check-In tent just past the entry gate at the intersection of Lawn and Elm Avenues for guests parking in our satellite lot. After having your tickets scanned at a Check-In tent, we recommend starting in SOLSTICE Circle where you can purchase food and beverage, visit our membership table, or enjoy a reflective postcard writing station before making your way to Story Chapel.

  • On Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and on the final event night—winter solstice proper, Monday, December 21— the last entry will be 9:30pm. On Sundays, the last entry will be at 9:00pm. Guests are welcome to enjoy the experience until one hour after the last timed entry. Please note that the artworks will close promptly 60 minutes after the final ticket entry time. 

  • Yes! Please keep an eye on your email for additional information as the event nears that will be sent via email.

  • No, tickets may only be purchased online however you may make a donation to the Friends of Mount Auburn onsite. If you show up without a ticket, you will be turned away.

  • There are no Pay What You Want Nights this year. Rather, ticket prices are available between $25-$45 depending on the event date (i.e. weekday vs.. weekend), timeslot, and availability. For example, timed entries after 9:00 PM on Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays are $25, whereas popular mid-event timeslots are between $35-$45.

Event Parking Map
625 Mt. Auburn St. Cambridge, MA 02138

Amenities & Accessibility

  • No. The Cemetery closes to visitors at 5:00 PM in December. Only SOLSTICE ticket holders may enter after hours (and only at their designated ticket time). SOLSTICE attendees must stay on the designated route and are not permitted to go beyond the event area. For the safety of everyone, guests must follow all instructions and guidance from Event Staff.  Those who violate this policy are subject to be removed from the event.

  • While we are not requiring guests to move through the event in a specific time frame, we anticipate it to take 60-90 minutes for guests to get the full experience of SOLSTICE.

  • Parking is available at a satellite lot located at 625 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge, and can be paid in advance for $10 while purchasing your tickets or $12 on the night of the event. Members of the Friends of Mount Auburn receive free parking by showing their digital membership card. This lot is just a 5-10 minute walk from the front gates (comparable to the walking time of our on-site parking used in previous years). Please note: we are only allowing attendees with accessibility needs to park onsite for this year. We will have a robust parking staff helping to coordinate parking for all guests. When you arrive, an attendant will direct you to available parking. If you need accessible parking, please come to the front gate of the Cemetery (580 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge) and let the attendant know as soon as you arrive so they can direct you to the appropriate space. While there will be lighting on and off site, you may still wish to bring a flashlight to get to and from your car. Please refer to the Parking Map for more details.

  • Yes, our rideshare zone is located by the Collins Branch Library in the satellite lot located at 625 Mt. Auburn (see the yellow zone on the map). Please make sure to hail a rideshare only from the satellite lot, as our parking staff and police detail will be diverting vehicles from parking on Mount Auburn Street and there will be no vehicle access through the cemetery gates except for people with accessibility concerns.

  • Yes, parking will cost $12 onsite this year or $10 if paid in advance while purchasing your tickets.  Members of the Friends of Mount Auburn qualify for free parking by showing their digital membership card. If you wish to become a member, please follow this Membership Link

  • The event route will stay on paved roads, and both Chapels are accessible. The route is just under a mile, which includes the distance from the satellite parking area, and does include a few steep grades. Route modifications can be made, if needed. Please contact us via our Box Office at solstice@mountauburn.org for additional questions or to request accommodations.

  • Unfortunately, SOLSTICE is not designed to be experienced from a vehicle. For the safety of all guests, no vehicles will be allowed to enter the event area.

  • Yes! There will be sweet and salty treats and warm drinks available for purchase from Ovenbird Cafe in our Solstice Circle located on Lawn Ave by Asa Gray Garden. There will be no public sale of alcohol for this year's event.

  • Yes, accessible restrooms will be available for guests at Story Chapel and Bigelow Chapel. There will also be porta potties available in SOLSTICE Circle, our dedicated hospitality area.

  • Solstice Circle is our new and improved hospitality area surrounding Asa Gray Garden. In Solstice Circle, guests can enjoy food and beverage from Ovenbird Cafe, participate in a food drive supporting [insert food pantry names] to receive a 10% off discount at the SOLSTICE Gift Shop, take part in a reflective postcard writing experience, learn more about the Friends of Mount Auburn, and more! 

  • Each guest (or couple) will be offered one small unlit candle in a glass votive upon entering Bigelow Chapel. An Event Staff member will light your candle before you place the candle in a designated area of the Chapel. Please note: guests are not permitted to light their own candle. Additional candles are available for purchase in the Gift Shop.

  • We strongly encourage attendees to dress warmly and wear suitable footwear as SOLSTICE is, primarily, an outdoor event. Winter gear like hats, gloves, scarves, and jackets are suggested as well. 

  • Please silence your phones and turn off your flash for this experience. You may take photos and videos of the outdoor artworks. While photos are allowed inside the Chapels, we ask that guests do their best to do so quietly so as not to disturb others.

For additional questions, please contact solstice@mountauburn.org.

View the SOLSTICE 2026 Event Guide - coming soon