Consistent with how this year has been going despite everything we hear; things are coming back. When we say things, we are really talking about our beloved city and all of the traditions that we missed during 2020. With that, we are really excited to learn that our trains are back! No, not the subway and not the commuter lines at Penn Station and Grand Central. Sure, that is an important component to getting us back to normal but the trains we are referring to are a little smaller and the setting is magical.
This beloved tradition returns for its 30th year with a miniature wonderland in the warmth of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. When we think about the only borough with a ‘The’ in front of it, a beautiful garden and a holiday masterpiece is not the first thing that probably comes to mind. However, maybe it should. At this show, you will marvel at model trains zipping through an enchanting display of more than 175 famous New York landmarks—imagine the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Rockefeller Center, and other favorites—each delightfully re-created from natural materials such as pinecones, acorns, and seeds. You’ll also discover a showcase of New York Botanical Garden buildings such as the iconic Haupt Conservatory and—new for this year—the majestic LuEsther T. Mertz Library Building, both designated New York City landmarks.
There are more than 25 G-scale model trains and trolleys hum along nearly a half-mile of track. Don’t forget to look up—NYC bridges come together to create an aerial display of trains soaring overhead! Finally, what one may see as just a piece of bark or a fallen berry, Laura Busse Dolan and the creative team at Applied Imagination envision as stone on the Brooklyn Bridge or an ornament on St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The detail is uncanny!
For more information and tickets, visit https://www.nybg.org/event/holiday-train-show-2021/