Your Guide to Sensorio: Paso Robles’ Field of Lights

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It’s not every day that you’ll find incredible art exhibitions outdoors allowing you to experience the artist’s works with nature. So when I was planning a trip to San Luis Obispo, I knew I had to make the 30 minute trip to Paso Robles to see Sensorio! This stunning display of color, light, and sound interweaves itself with the surrounding hills, trees, and skies for an unforgettable experience.

In this guide to Sensorio, you’ll learn everything you need to know to experience Paso Robles’ field of lights and beyond!

What is the Field of Light?

Field of Light is just one of four outdoor, immersive art exhibits by Bruce Munro located in Paso Robles, California where over 100,000 bulbs illuminated by fiber optics change colors to make the hills come alive with undulating color. And let me tell you, it is STUNNING — truly a sight!

Field of Light is part of Sensorio, the entire exhibition space.

Where is the Field of Light and Sensorio?

The Field of Light is located in Sensorio, which is the entire exhibition space located in Paso Robles, California. It’s about 5 minutes from downtown Paso Robles and 30 minutes from the neighboring big(ish) city, San Luis Obispo.

What else is there to see?

If the Field of Lights isn’t enough, don’t worry because as of the time of writing, there are 3 other exhibits to enjoy at Sensorio.

First are the Light Towers (which were my favorite!). These are 7 or 8 foot tall towers made of 17,000 glass wine bottles and illuminated inside by fiber optics. They celebrate Paso Robles’ wineries.

What makes this exhibit so special is that you can walk between the towers AND there is the most incredible and moving music playing from each tower. This creates a truly immersive experience and if you are as moved by music as I am, you won’t want to leave this exhibit!

Beyond Light Towers are another two exhibits — Gone Fishing and Fireflies.

Gone Fishing has many colorful fishing poles angled over a xeriscaped pond that illuminate at the tip. Fireflies is a collection of whimsical, bouncing lights that look like creatures right out of an other-worldly planet.

Besides the exhibits, there is a food court area with food trucks, fire pits, lawn games, a stage, and indoor bar.

How much does it cost to visit Sensorio?

General admission tickets aka the Munro Pass cost $45 for adults and $22 for children up to 12 years old. On Thursdays, child tickets are discounted to $11 for “family night”. The Munro Pass gives you access to all of Bruce Munro’s exhibits (Field of Light, Light Towers, Gone Fishing, and Fireflies), food court, indoor bar, and restrooms.

Starting in May 2024, they’ve added a new exhibit called DIMENSIONS by HYBYCOZO, which has added a little complexity to the ticket options. With the Munro Pass I mentioned above, it does NOT include access to DIMENSIONS. You can either buy that ticket separately for $30 for adults, or you can instead buy an All Access pass, which gives you access to DIMENSIONS and all 4 of Bruce Munro’s exhibits.

If you have been to Sensorio before, but just want to see DIMENSIONS, than the stand alone ticket is best. If you’ve never been, I recommend the All Access Pass.

Another add-on to be aware of is the Terrace Experience tickets for $100+ for adults and $85 for children. Terrace Experience admission gives you access to ALL exhibits, plus priority entry, access to a private terrace with fireside tables, heaters, seating with views of the Field of Lights, private bathrooms, and an Airstream bar. Tickets for this experience also come with a drink ticket.

Are there any discounts for Sensorio?

Yes! If you stay at a partner hotel like the Holiday Inn Paso Robles or The Piccolo, you can receive a code for $2 off your general admission ticket or $5 off the VIP experience.

Is the Terrace Experience worth it?

It depends! In my opinion, this exhibit is meant to be explored on foot, not observed from a stationary table. We opted to skip the Terrace Experience, especially given the price point.

However, if you’re looking at Paso Robles’ Field of Lights as a date night, I’d say the Terrace Experience is a beautiful splurge! There are cozy lights and fireside tables, private bathrooms, and a private Airstream bar. Just give yourself enough time to walk through the exhibits as well.

What should I bring?

You’ll definitely want good walking shoes and your phone to take some photos. I brought my DSLR camera and once it got truly dark, it was tricky to capture some proper shots because tripods are not allowed.

The other thing to be aware of is Paso Robles’ weather. I visited in summer and it got COLD. Temperatures in the day versus night in Paso Robles vary by 30-40 degrees so just because the day is 90 degrees (F), doesn’t mean the night won’t get cold. It got down to the 50s when we visited…no wonder they have fire-pits and heaters all over the place.

That said, you’ll want warm clothes and a warm jacket, possibly even a beanie, scarf, and gloves if visiting in the winter months. We didn’t pack for cold weather, so we brought in blankets and they were truly a life saver! It’s not a great fashion statement, but it got the job done!

Are there restrooms on site?

Yes, there are real bathrooms behind the indoor bar. Follow all the signs and you’ll find them! There are also portable restrooms on site, but who would choose that over the real restrooms.

What time should I arrive?

The exhibits are open from 7pm to 10pm on Thursdays through Sunday only, where you’ll want to be there around sunset. Because we visited in the summer, sunset was around 8:30 – 9 pm, so we arrived at 8 pm and it was pretty perfect timing if I do say so myself. More on why in the next section.

What is the best way to see the Field of Lights?

If you arrive at sunset, the actual Field of Lights likely won’t look like much to you. I asked the staff when the lights would be turned on and she said, “They are! You just need to wait until the sun goes down to see them.” She also advised us to go straight to the back to see the Gone Fishing exhibit. That is because this exhibit features colorful poles that once dark just look like black, dark poles. In the sunlight, you could truly see all the colors!

Because of that, here’s what I recommend for a little timeline of exploring Sensorio:

• Before the sun sets: Gone Fishing and Fireflies exhibits
• As the sun sets: DIMENSIONS and walk through, then sit and observe the Light Towers
• After sun has set: explore the Field of Light

Of course, you can do whatever you want, but this mini schedule worked for us!

Is photography allowed?

Handheld cameras are allowed and photography is permitted WITHOUT flash. Tripods, drones, and self stickies are prohibited.

Do I need to purchase tickets ahead of time?

Technically, no, however it’s strongly recommended to purchase your tickets online ahead of time. They have limited capacity for walk-ups and you really don’t want to miss it, so I recommend securing your tickets online ahead of time.

We purchased a week or so in advance for a Thursday and there was still a lot of availability.

Is Sensorio parking free?

Yes! Woohoo! Parking is free and there is plenty. The road and lot are dirt, so don’t be driving your Maserati up to the exhibit, okay?

The parking lot opens 30 minutes prior to exhibit opening time.

How much time do you need to see Paso Robles’ Field of Light exhibit?

If you breeze through the exhibits, you can walk the whole area in 30 – 45 minutes. Obviously, you’re going to want longer than that so you can take it all in. We stayed for about an hour and a half where we sat by the Light Towers listening to the music for a good 15 minutes.

The other piece of this puzzle is that you’ll want to give yourself at least 30 minutes after the sun has really set to see the Field of Light. It comes alive at night, so if you cut your visit short too close to sunset, you could miss out on how truly jaw-dropping it is in the dark.

Are there hotels nearby?

Yes! Paso Robles is a fantastic Central California destination to explore and Sensorio has some partner hotels including the Holiday Inn Express Paso Robles, The Piccolo, and Adelaide Inn.

Also just 30 minutes away are two Central California icons — the Apple Farm Inn and the Madonna Inn.

We stayed at the Madonna Inn for a few days where it was honestly our true destination for this Central California trip. Sensorio was just a bonus activity. I say this because if you have a choice, the Madonna Inn is an incredible and historic property with 110 unique rooms and over-the-top kitschy decor that you have to see to believe.

Related read >> Madonna Inn Review

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