Skip to content

Bronx

The Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden

Model trains wind past nearly 200 New York landmarks made of bark and pinecones, inside a Victorian glasshouse.

A New York skyline built from bark, seeds and leaves over a reflecting pool in the Haupt Conservatory at the Holiday Train Show
Courtesy of New York Botanical Garden

More photos

  • A model steam train and red coach pulling past a plant-made station at the Holiday Train Show
    © Robert Benson Photography, courtesy of New York Botanical Garden
  • An NYBG-branded model train passing a replica of the Mertz Library among poinsettias
    Courtesy of New York Botanical Garden
  • The replica of the original Pennsylvania Station, one of the largest in the show
    Courtesy of New York Botanical Garden
  • A plant-made Statue of Liberty under the glass dome of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
    Courtesy of New York Botanical Garden
  • A model train winding through the outdoor woodland expansion at dusk, the conservatory lit behind
    Courtesy of New York Botanical Garden

For more than three decades the New York Botanical Garden has filled its Victorian glasshouse with model trains every winter, and it is still the city's sweetest holiday ritual. The trains run over bridges and past nearly 200 New York landmarks built entirely from plant parts, palm fronds, pinecones and cinnamon sticks, all under the glass of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. New for 2026 is a botanical model of One Vanderbilt.

The 2026 show runs November 14, 2026, through January 10, 2027, with timed tickets that are best bought ahead, especially for weekends. The magic hour is after dark: the conservatory stays open late on select dates, including November 27–29, several December weekends, December 26–30 and January 2, with live music and the garden's train conductors posing for photos. Sensory-friendly mornings are set for November 21 and January 9. Metro-North's Harlem Line drops you at the garden's gate about 20 minutes from Grand Central. Arthur Avenue is close enough for cannoli afterward.

More experiences like this

Editorial draft — core details last reviewed October 19, 2026. Confirm practical details with the official site before you go.