A New York Seasonal Tradition Designed for All Ages
The New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show featured its signature blend of trains, architecture, and nature to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and its surrounding landscape. This is one of NYC’s most affordable holiday season outings, with daytime tickets starting at $25—a strong value compared with other December events. November 15 through January 11.
Botanical Architecture: A Living Snapshot of New York
Visitors moved through a world of G-scale trains weaving around botanical replicas of iconic New York buildings—each constructed from natural materials such as leaves, bark, seeds, and twigs. Many landmarks represented no longer exist in real life, including the original Penn Station and the first Yankee Stadium, offering a rare look at the city’s past through the lens of plant-based craftsmanship.
Other familiar structures included Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Macy’s flagship store, the Statue of Liberty and many more. The models came from Applied Imagination, the Kentucky-based studio that has defined the show’s visual identity for decades.
More about NYBG: nybg.org
New in 2025: Delacorte Theater & Whitney Museum Replicas
The 2025 edition introduced two new models created entirely from natural materials:
The Delacorte Theater (Central Park)
A fresh addition to the Central Park installation, built from sustainably collected ash, locust, and hickory bark. It joined the Gothic Arch, Belvedere Castle, Bethesda Fountain, the Dairy, and Cop Cot.
The Whitney Museum of American Art (Leonard A. Lauder Building)
A detailed recreation of the museum’s asymmetrical, tiered façade made from polished horse chestnut bark, reeds, and winged euonymus. This addition brought a contemporary note to the exhibition’s evolving view of New York’s cultural landscape.
Why Everybody Loves the Train Show
Families, date-night planners, and holiday explorers all get something from the experience. Daytime admission included access to NYBG’s 250-acre grounds—ideal for winter walks, photography, and slow-looking. For visitors planning more than one annual trip, an NYBG Membership offers repeat access and functions as a budget-friendly holiday gift.
Holiday Train Nights: The After-Dark Option
Select evenings featured Holiday Train Nights, an elevated nighttime experience.
The Conservatory glowed with color; trains ran through illuminated vignettes; seasonal drinks and small bites were available, and roaming vocalists performed holiday standards. A 21+ “Bar Car” returned at the Hudson Garden Grill patio for those looking to pair the exhibition with a night out.
A Seasonal Ritual for New Yorkers and Visitors
Whether reliving a childhood memory or adding a new stop to the holiday circuit, the Holiday Train Show offers an easy New York outing grounded in nature, craft, and design. With both daytime and nighttime options, it fits comfortably into schedules and budgets across the season.
Location: The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10458
Information & tickets: nybg.org