Enjoy a unique wine country experience in Paso Robles after the sun goes down: Sensorio offers a unique year-round light display, with 100,000 fiber-optic LED spheres dotting 15 acres of undulating hills in San Luis Obispo County. Combine your evening stroll with an on-site picnic-style dinner that channels more Paso Robles personality through local cuisine, wine, and craft beer.
Renowned British artist Bruce Munro created this solar-powered, walk-through installation in 2019, inspired by his Field of Light installation at Uluru in Australia—billed as a fusion of art, technology, and nature. The Sensorio installation, located right off an open stretch of U.S. Highway 46, is double the size of its Australian cousin.
“We want visitors to be completely immersed in the environment, inclusive of the stars above,” Munro told Travel + Leisure after the attraction opened. He said the design of the installation was meant to inspire meditation through a balance between the lights on the ground and the stars in the sky.
“I hope that, in a small way, my installation helps guide you toward the clear sky literally and otherwise,” he told T+L.
Come to the grounds before sundown to make the most of the lawn area just outside the installation. Choose from food trucks offering crowd-pleasers such as burgers, burrito bowls, and creative takes on tater tots, with churro bites or beignets for dessert. Don’t miss the Airstream-based bar serving cocktails, local wines, and craft beer, featuring familiar Paso Robles wine country names including DAOU Vineyards and Firestone Walker Brewery.
Grab a seat at one of the picnic tables or fire pits, or just spread out on the grassy lawn and listen to the live music as the sun sets. Recently added is the Mercado Sensorio, where you can get a casual bite or drinks, with both outdoor and indoor seating areas.
Then, stroll the paths around the illuminated field, with a brief detour into the Light Towers section, lined with 69 colorful pillars comprised of 17,000 glowing wine bottles. Adjacent are two more exhibits that add an additional half-acre to this enormous walkthrough dreamscape: Gone Fishing offers 30 semispheres, each comprised of 25 glowing fishing poles in a playful interpretation of that introspective pastime, while the hills are dotted with Fireflies, a whimsical work made up of nearly 10,000 flickering points of light that dance in the hillside breeze.
Book your tickets ahead of time; on-site parking is included in your price. Days and hours vary by season, so check the schedule, which gets updated every few months. Upgrade to one of the Terrace Experience packages for priority entry, seating by the fire pits on the private terrace offering the best views of the exhibition, and options that bundle in wine or charcuterie platters.
Sensorio makes a great addition to any trip to Paso Robles. Start the day by exploring Paso Robles’ Downtown City Park, lined with historic buildings such as the Carnegie Library, a Classical Revival building that opened in 1908. Then go wine tasting at some of the town’s most famous wineries, including Tablas Creek Vineyard, AmByth Estate (notable as the first biodynamic vineyard), and Tobin James Cellars. You can experience up-and-coming wineries at Tin City, a collection of makers in one complex along the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail; a few members include ONX Wines, Tin City Cider, BarrelHouse Brewing Co., and the ice creams of Negranti Creamery.
