the first of the lavish and lovely decorations that embellish the garden.
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All Aboard!: Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden
Tuesday, 11 November 2025
Having fueled up my car yesterday, this morning we head off for the New York Botanical Garden. It is about a two hour drive / 84 miles from where we live practically on the shores of the Delaware River. What entices us into the journey? The media preview for the 34th holiday train show at the New York Botanical Garden.
Traffic is moving well. We arrive in a timely manner. Park the car. And see
the first of the lavish and lovely decorations that embellish the garden.
Welcome aboard! Please enter the huge tent over the Enid Haupt Conservatory plaza.
A singer and guitarist add to the seasonal ambience with seasonal songs and carols.
Larger than life size, a nutcracker conductor looms over the steps as we enter.
What do you call the top of a tent - its ceiling? its roof? Regardless, it is decorated
with oversize golden Christmas globes, mesh spheres. and stars with tiny LED lights.
There is another door leading outside to the train display on the lawn. Out I go and see
mountains and tracks and trains AND an occasional tiny white snowflake wafting down.
Look closely at this image of the engine. Can you see the few scattered flakes?
Today's special invitation-only event has refreshments - hot cider and hot chocolate to drink. Buffet style tables with gingerbread trifles, cookies and churros. And servers, circulating, offering us tidbits of lox and sliders and more.
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Time to stop snacking and socializing, and enter the long tent parallel to the Conservatory.
Another conductor waiting by the board displaying the train schedule welcomes us in
It is magical. There are evergreen trees bedecked with shiny ornaments.
Billows of artificial snow drifted on the ground and coating the branches.
A stag calmly rests in the snow and looks at the throng of influencers walking by.
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Nearby, a family group with another stag and two fawns. The fawn is darling, agreed?
Engineer Matt (I remember him from previous NYBG train shows) pauses for a photograph.
And now the magical, marvellous show with G scale trains and created-from-plant-parts is before us.
Opening to the public on Saturday, 15 November. For tickets and ticket information you may e-mail ticketingsupport@nybg.org or call: 718.817.8716; 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
image courtesy NYBG
If you have any comments or questions, you can e-mail me: jgglatt@gmail.com
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