All Aboard! The New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show

All Aboard! The New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show is back and bigger than ever! Marvel at model trains as they zip through an enchanting display of iconic New York buildings and structures in miniature. This year, the beloved Holiday tradition has more trains and a new addition: an enchanted outdoor woodland display. Read on for what to expect this magical season!

The New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show – New for 2023

The Holiday Train Show has an exciting new extension, a glittering outdoor woodland. The enchanting addition showcases model trains zooming past towering mountains, winter plants, and forest friends, all with the iconic Conservatory Dome as a backdrop. Calling all mini conductors! Two new interactive outdoor stations allow young train fanatics to control trolley cars. With a push of a button, children can power adorable cars resembling a bee and ladybug.

The New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show

You’ll never forget your first time entering the train show under the glass glow of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Here, you can discover nearly 200 iconic New York buildings, landmarks, and structures recreated in miniature form. Replicas include Yankee Stadium, the Statue of Liberty, and Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel.

Each presentation of famed architecture is created from natural materials, such as bark, acorns, cinnamon sticks, and pine cones. Applied Imagination, the mastermind behind the production, meticulously reconstructs the exteriors of iconic New York City buildings using organic matter. Fallen sticks and leaves are repurposed as structural elements, while plant-based resin undergoes a remarkable metamorphosis into glass.

There are more than 25 G-scale model trains and trolleys hum along nearly a half-mile of track. The Garden places a couple of familiar train friends within the scenes. Can you find them? It is a fun seek-and-find delight for children and adults alike. Don’t forget to look up—NYC bridges come together to create an aerial display of trains soaring overhead.

NYBG GLOW: An Outdoor Color & Light Experience

Don’t miss NYBG GLOW this holiday season as it returns for its fourth year! During these special evenings, the Garden’s iconic sights and buildings become dramatic, glittering canvases. Thousands of dazzling, energy-efficient, choreographed lights and sound, along with picture-perfect installations, create a spectacle not to be missed. While exploring, enjoy drinks and light bites at one of NYBG’s outdoor bars or the Bronx Night Market Holiday Pop-Up. Bar Car Nights, the 21-and-over evenings, feature music, experiences, food, curated cocktails, and more—making for the ultimate night out this season.

The New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show + NYBG GLOW

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