Rose Vincent is the Resource Sharing Librarian in the LuEsther T. Mertz Library of the New York Botanical Garden.

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It’s that time of year again where visitors stop by NYBG to see the magical Holiday Train Show! As you explore the model trains weaving through the plant-based replicas of historical New York City landmarks, be sure to stop by Mertz Library to see the new Garden Excursion display, which explores the modes of transportation taken by visitors since the Garden’s opening in 1891. A trip down memory lane, you can learn about the predecessor to Metro-North’s New York and Harlem Railroad at Bedford Park Station (across the street from the Garden’s Mosholu Entrance).

Unlike the modern subway system where many trains run underground, the Manhattan Elevated Railway—also known as the “El”—operated in Manhattan and the Bronx. Elevated above street level, the Third Avenue El train transported people around New York City and straight into the Botanical Garden Bronx Park Station. To increase visitation, plans and specifications to build an elevated approach were developed by landscape engineer John R. Brindley and architect R.W. Gibson. By 1901, an elevated approach was constructed by the Garden and paid for by the Manhattan Railway Company. Establishing another entrance to the Garden, the elevated approach provided visitors easy access to the Haupt Conservatory as well as other areas of the Garden.

On the last stop of the Garden Excursion, discover the ways the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) encouraged riders to “come see what’s playing at the Garden,” including the popular Cultural Loop bus service created in 1973—a cultural attraction experience that took riders on a tour around New York City.

Including items on display from our friends at the New York Transit Museum, be sure to seize the opportunity during your visit and make the Mertz Library a holiday destination.

See you at the Library!