TheHoliday Train Show is in full swing with plenty of activities to get you in the holiday spirit—and with the thermometer nearing 60 degrees, there aren’t many excuses to stay inside! Better yet, we will be open this Monday as well as the following two Mondays—perfect for when the kids start their vacation or when visiting family members come to town.
Kids and the young at heart will delight in the scaled models of classic New York landmarks, built entirely of bark, twigs, seeds, and other natural materials, while seeing G-scale trains zip between these works of art is a special treat. And this weekend features a holiday a cappella group singing your favorite carols; a live poetry reading with former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins on Saturday, featuring works including those on display at the Leon Levy Visitor Center and Perennial Garden Way; and the first installment of the Winter Harmonies Concert Series on Sunday, featuring Le Train Bleu and acclaimed flutist and music director Ransom Wilson.
Come see why a winter visit to the Garden has become one of New York’s favorite holiday traditions. Grab your tickets today!
Peak days are near at the Holiday Train Show, with our most popular dates running December 21–31. Get your tickets for preferred times while they’re still available!
Congratulations to Maritza and Angelica on their engagement, which took place during last Friday’s Bar Car Night event at the Holiday Train Show! There were smiles all around when the question was popped, and we couldn’t be happier for them.
Nothing says holiday cheer quite like the Garden during this magical time of year. New York’s favorite tradition, the Holiday Train Show, is in full swing—and while you’re here to see the exhibition, enjoy the many festive activities throughout Garden grounds such as holiday a cappella singing your favorite carols and holiday film screenings in Ross Hall.
Take the kids to the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden for Evergreen Express, where lively stations are set up offering something new to create and explore at every stop!
And for the adults, come to Bar Car Nights (special ticket required) and enjoy the Holiday Train Show after dark, where the exhibition twinkles against the night sky. Sip a complimentary drink and enjoy a beautiful evening filled with jazz, an ice sculpture demonstration, and a playful light show. Our next evenings are tonight, December 4, and this Saturday, December 5, and there’s still time to get the few remaining tickets!
Don’t wait—purchase tickets now and start your holiday season off right.
The grounds may be growing cooler as we near the start of winter, but that can only mean the art and music of the Garden are all the more present. Throughout the Holiday Train Show, NYBG plays host not only to a much-loved poetry walk and reading, but a series of classical concerts that define the sounds of the season.
The verse of Billy Collins, former U.S. Poet Laureate and a fixture in the lyric history of New York, returns to the Garden this year during our Holiday Train Show, filling the Perennial Garden and its surroundings with the poetry of our city, our landscapes, and the singular experience of living in the five boroughs. You can find his poetry boards on display throughout December and January. But if you’re looking for a more intimate experience, be sure to get seats for Collins’ live reading—here at NYBG’s Ross Hall—on Saturday, December 12.
Happy Thanksgiving from NYBG! We will be closed on Thursday, November 26, in observance of the holiday—but we will be open this Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and for regular hours on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.—so consider walking off all that stuffing with a fall family outing to the Garden!
Admire the crisp autumn landscape, check out the Holiday Train Show®—newly opened in our Haupt Conservatory and bigger than ever before—and don’t miss out on this year’s kiku display in the Bourke-Sullivan Display House of the Nolen Greenhouses. These chrysanthemums will only be up until next Monday, November 29, so time is running out!
View the full schedule of weekend programs and tours below, and we’ll see you in the Garden.
After 24 years of delighting audiences with its cheerful collection of trains, tracks, and iconic New York City landmarks, the Holiday Train Show returned to NYBG this past weekend, November 21, with a bunch of new experiences in tow! Not only is this year’s exhibition the biggest it’s ever been, with 3,000 square feet of additional exhibition space, but it boasts new trains, bridges, and dining options for guests of all ages to enjoy.
Saturday’s grand opening saw people from all over the New York region stopping by the Garden to see the show, explore our 250-acre landscape in late fall, and try out tasty treats from Frosty’s Schnapps Haus and the Gingerbread Café, our latest dining additions alongside the Pine Tree Café and Hudson Garden Grill. And on Sunday, with an incredible sunset streaking the sky with pinks and purples overhead, city guests and visitors gathered near the Visitor Center for our annual holiday tree lighting.
This year’s all-new Holiday Train Show® opens on Saturday, November 21—with more trains, more landmarks, and more dining options than ever! This year’s exhibition features 3,000 square feet of additional exhibition space, making room for dozens of new trains, bridges, and tracks; a captivating short film of the show’s behind-the-scenes magic; and a stunning multisensory finale of light and sound. With something for everyone, plan your holiday visit today.
New this year, the MasterCard® Gingerbread Café creates a festive setting to enjoy a kid-approved menu of sandwiches, soups, salads, and desserts; two gourmet food trucks offering burgers and tacos; and a variety of holiday-themed activities. Color in a gingerbread activity sheet, and stop by our photo kiosk for a memorable souvenir. MasterCard Cardholders receive a complimentary sweet treat with a purchase of $10 or more.
Frosty’s Schnapps Haus, a Bavarian-themed outdoor dining option to keep you warm in winter, offers a variety of treats such as roasted chestnuts and pretzels from an authentic pretzel cart as well as spiked hot beverages. Also at the Visitor Center, enjoy first-class culinary creations at the Pine Tree Café amid one of the Garden’s arboreal wonders: a world-renowned collection of rare and unusual pines from Asia, Europe, and North America that features century-old specimens nearly 100 feet tall. The family-friendly menu ranges from artisanal panini, Neapolitan-style pizza, and signature salads to sweet treats and snacks. For a full-service dining experience, make a reservation at the Hudson Garden Grill, offering innovative New American cuisine and locally sourced ingredients.
Click through to view the full schedule of special events for this weekend’s grand opening—including our annual holiday tree lighting. Plan your visit, and come hungry!
It’s Member Preview Day for the Holiday Train Show. If you happen to be stopping by, be on the look out for our new rendition of the New York Public Library in the Haupt Conservatory. The show opens to the general public tomorrow, November 21!
The New York Public Library in the Haupt Conservatory – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
The Holiday Train Show is in full swing with plenty of activities to get you in the holiday spirit—and with the thermometer nearing 60 degrees, there aren’t many excuses to stay inside! Better yet, we will be open this Monday as well as the following two Mondays—perfect for when the kids start their vacation or when visiting family members come to town.
