by Evelyn J. Mocbeichel
One of our family’s favorite annual traditions is visiting the New York Botanical Garden’s (NYBG) Holiday Train Show®. Now returning for its 33rd year of enchanting model train displays and cherished seasonal traditions, it runs through Monday January 20, 2025. Perfect for all ages, this beloved exhibit welcomes visitors to the enchanting train display and a cherished seasonal tradition. After entering a winter wonderland, unlike any other, the timeless holiday magic of rail travel fills the historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory with nostalgia. Model locomotives and trolleys roll through a showcase of nearly 200 twinkling, plant-based replicas of famed local architecture, creating a cityscape in miniature.
The Holiday Train Show is renowned for its vignettes of G-scale model trains enlivening botanical replicas of famous New York landmarks in miniature, some no longer around, like the first Yankee Stadium or the original Penn Station. Each one is delightfully re-created from natural materials such as leaves, seeds, twigs, bark, acorns, and cinnamon sticks by the creative team at Applied Imagination in Alexandria, Kentucky. American steam engines and streetcars from the late 1800s, and modern freight and passenger trains travel indoors in the Conservatory’s galleries along overhead trestles, through tunnels, across soaring structures such as the Brooklyn Bridge, and in an enchanting woodland outdoor display over towering mountains with forest animals, winter-interest plants, and fungi on the Conservatory Lawn, providing merriment for young and old alike.
From the warmth of NYBG’s landmark glasshouse to the picture-perfect outdoor display, witness by day or night a meticulously crafted world brimming with the lively energy of New York City during the holidays. Journey through the exhibition with friends and loved ones after dark and see the show in a charming new light on select evenings. Tickets are available at https://www.nybg.org/visit/admission/. There are also special events that take place such as Holiday Train Nights on 16 select evenings, 10 for adults-only from 7 to 10 p.m. and six of them for all ages from 6 to 9 p.m. Holiday Train Nights are ticketed through NYBG’s presenting partner Fever. Festive food and cocktails are available for purchase. Be sure to check out their website for dates and further details at www.nybg.org.
The New York Botanical Garden and Tea Around Town, a sightseeing tour bus that serves afternoon tea, are partnering to bring the magic of the holidays from Manhattan to NYBG. Join Tea Around Town’s festive journey to the Holiday Train Show at NYBG. Enjoy special teas, delicious treats, and holiday fun with elves aboard a beautifully decorated bus. Upon arrival at NYBG, experience the exhibition’s unforgettable scenes of charm and wonder. The Tea Around Town bus will run Tuesdays in November and December, and Thursdays and Sundays from November 19 through January 20, departing from Central Park South at 11 a.m. and leaving NYBG at 3 p.m. to return to Manhattan (https://topviewtix.com/new-york/).
Also in November and December, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1–2:30 p.m., Santa and an elf will be on-site in NYBG’s Leon Levy Visitor Center for photo opportunities with visitors. Whether reliving favorite memories or creating new ones, the Holiday Train Show at NYBG invites everyone to discover the joyful spirit of the season. Roaming train conductors welcome visitors to Holiday Train Nights, a chance to see the show in a whole new light. Experience the warm glow of the Haupt Conservatory with colorful lighting that brings the holiday spirit under glass. Marvel at multiple beautifully lit Conservatory scenes, from the cactus-filled desert to the lush rainforest galleries, which offer truly card-worthy holiday photo opportunities at every turn. Bop along to holiday classics and Christmas pop favorites sung by performers in the Locomotive Lounge of the Visitor Center. The night is made complete with sweet and savory bites, spiked cider cocktails and mocktails, and hands-on gingerbread fun for purchase. Holiday Train Nights take place on 16 select evenings—10 of them for adults-only from 7 to 10 p.m. and six of them for all ages from 6 to 9 p.m. Holiday Train Nights are ticketed through NYBG’s presenting partner Fever. Check the NYBG website for dates and times of Holiday Train Nights for both Adults 21 and dates for hands-on activities for all ages.
The NYBG has been a connective hub among people, plants, and the shared planet since 1891. For more than 130 years it has been rooted in the cultural fabric of New York City, in the heart of the Bronx, its greenest borough. NYBG has invited millions of visitors to make the Garden a part of their lives, exploring the joy, beauty, and respite of nature. NYBG’s 250 acres are home to renowned exhibitions, immersive botanical experiences, art and music, and events with some of the most influential figures in plant and fungal science, horticulture, and the humanities. The New York Botanical Garden is located at 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York 10458. www.nybg.org
