Holiday Train Show is Fun for All Ages at the New York Botanical Garden
By Anna Breuer on 4 January 2023
There’s a magical wonderland of old New York, one where Penn Station hasn’t yet seen the wrecking ball, trolley cars roam the streets, and trains run past New York City landmarks, plus it is in one of the most beautiful settings in the Big Apple.
It’s the New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show, now in its 30th year.
The landmarks – all made from natural materials including birch bark and cinnamon sticks – include the Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Yankee Stadium, the pre-1963 Pennsylvania Station, the Coney Island Wonder Wheel, historic mansions, and some 190 others, all work that started with botanical architect extraordinaire Paul Busse, his daughter Laura Busse Dolan, and their aptly-named company, Applied Imagination.
There are more than 25 G-scale model trains and trolleys roaring down a half-mile (.8 km) of track – some elevated, creating an aerial display that is second to none. Indeed, if you only look down when at the exhibit, you’ll all miss half the fun.
This year, for the first time, there are interpretive signs that inform visitors about the plants used to create the models, further linking the mission of the Botanical Garden with the holiday train exhibit.
For the uninitiated, the New York Botanical Garden, located at Bronx Park, is dedicated to the collection, cultivation, and display of a wide range of plants along with their botanical names.
Join FBT Editorial Director Jonathan Spira as he travels through the historic buildings, bridges, trolleys, and trains of New York City currently at the New York Botanical Garden.
THE DETAILS
Holiday Train Show
New York Botanical Garden
2900 Southern Blvd
The Bronx, N.Y. 10458
www.nybg.org
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
