A train comes roaring around the bend — not headed anywhere in particular — but part of a magical wonderland of model trains and trolleys and miniature New York City landmarks. Those replicas all happen to be made from natural materials.

The New York Botanical Garden's holiday train show is back, with 25 trains and trolleys and more than 190 replicas of New York’s famous skyscrapers, ballparks, and bridges — including a brand new George Washington Bridge.

“It’s wonderful to be in here seeing people take in all of these replicas with the train show, look up close at them,” Jennifer Bernstein, president and CEO of the garden, said.


What You Need To Know

  • The New York Botanical Garden's holiday train show is on display at the Haupt Conservatory through Jan. 16

  • It features 25 model trains and 190 replicas of New York City landmarks made from plants

  • It takes nearly a month to install the show in the conservatory

  • NYBG Glow is also back for its third year, the city's largest outdoor holiday light experience

There are also historic mansions, transit hubs like Grand Central Terminal and the Old Penn Station, and Coney Island landmarks like the Wonder Wheel. Even the garden’s own landmark Haupt Conservatory, which hosts the show, gets the replica treatment.

It’s all crafted by the team at Kentucky-based Applied Imagination, which has worked with the garden for over three decades. It takes around a month to install the massive show in the conservatory.

“There’s a whole crew of people from Applied Imagination and from NYBG that come in and make the magic happen over the course of that month,” Bernstein said.

A new feature this season is interpretive signs that inform visitors about the plants used to create the replicas. NYBG Glow is also returning for its third year to complement the train show, an opportunity to see the garden and its buildings illuminated.

The botanical garden says it’s the city’s largest outdoor holiday light experience.

“It’s been expanded this year, and you can enjoy food and drink at the Bronx Night Market,” Bernstein said.

The train show runs through Jan. 16. For more information, head to the garden's website.