Waves of students pool together inside the queues of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory as they eagerly wait to explore its many biomes and exhibitions. A cluster at the front of the line indicates the children are balancing precariously on tip-toes to glance at the imposing structure placed near the entrance of the building. While some eyes light with recognition of the word “Macy’s” labeled on the brown, box-like creation, others are entranced by the toy train which circles it in an infinite loop. This grand replica of Manhattan’s famous department store, festively decorated with sprouting horns of white branches and red yuletide ornaments, stands as the captivating introduction to The New York Botanical Garden’s annual Holiday Train Show.
As GreenSchool’s intern for the 2015–2016 academic year, I am able to interact with these students and discuss what they observed as they participate in the GreenSchool’s plant science workshop, “Building with Botany.” Just like the Holiday Train Show which was restructured and expanded this year, so was its complementary workshop. “Building with Botany” is now a fully involved STEAM program; like its acronym, it seamlessly integrates science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.
Days remaining in the Holiday Train Show are into the single digits now, but no worries—we’re making the most out of them. We’ll be open for the long weekend with activities planned for Monday, January 18, the final day of the exhibition. And if you haven’t had an opportunity to join us for a Bar Car Night this year, you’re just about out of time! A few tickets still remain for our final evenings on Friday and Saturday, January 15 and 16.
This season’s Holiday Train Show® is on view through January 18, but Evergreen Express continues to provide seasonal family fun in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden through January 24. Kids pass through station stops during their visit, each featuring a unique and educational activity designed to explore the world of evergreens.
In the cozy Discovery Center Depot, children make their own herbarium pressings of a conifer specimen and craft a miniature scented sachet to take home. The Adventure Garden is full of trails that guide children through the trees and shrubs of winter.
There is an outdoor puppet theater available for children, and on weekends and school holidays, kids can create a train puppet inspired by master puppeteer Ralph Lee and join a musical marching parade.
Evergreen Express takes place Tuesdays through Sundays in the Adventure Garden, from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and Sundays, and from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.
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All Aboard with Thomas & Friends™ mini-performances continue through January 24 as well, so plan a family excursion to NYBG in the next couple of weeks for winter fun!
Happy New Year! Have some botanical fireworks for the first day of 2016. We’re open today, so feel free to drop by and walk the grounds, explore the Holiday Train Show, and think about grabbing a ticket this Saturday’s Bar Car Night!
Solandra maxima in the Haupt Conservatory – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Our next Bar Car Night—the first of 2016!—is nearly here, and if past evenings are any evidence, tickets won’t last much longer. Come kick off the New Year at NYBG with live music, drinks and winter treats, ice carving demonstrations, fire and light performances, and the timeless beauty of the Holiday Train Show after dark. It all happens this Saturday, January 2. Don’t miss it!
Happy holidays, everyone—it may not feel much like winter out there today, but the trees are still dressed for the season. From our Instagram feed Wednesday morning, the sketched silhouettes of trees in a drift of fog. Don’t forget to follow us there, where you’ll see highlights small and large from throughout the Garden and our exhibitions!
Heads up that we’re closed today, but we’ll reopen tomorrow for a three-day weekend (that includes Monday) of Holiday Train Show fun. Enjoy your day off!
While the Garden will be closed for Christmas on Friday, December 25, NYBG reopens this Saturday for a three-day weekend chock full of Holiday Train Show activities ranging from a cappella singers to holiday film screenings and more. Once the feasting is done with, and the presents are put away, you deserve a little fresh air—and NYBG is just the place.
Because of the warm weather we’ve been having, you’ll find the Garden an interesting mix of fall and winter, with the trees already dressed for the season and the lawns still boasting the emerald green of late summer. Take advantage of the comfortable temperatures with several of our outdoor tours, including Winter Wonderland Trees and the weekly Saturday bird walk.
It’s going to be a fun and relaxing weekend here at the Garden—I hope you’ll join us!
Redesigned last year, look for the glowing new rendition of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory in….well, the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. It’s a bit meta, but there’s no doubt that it’s one of the most beautiful and beloved landmarks in the Holiday Train Show!
The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory in the Holiday Train Show — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
