Hi friends, welcome back! I’m crossing another item off my NYC Christmas Bucket List, the New York Botanical Train Show! For over thirty years the New York Botanical Garden has transformed into a winter wonderland featuring model trains and over 190 replica NYC landmarks made entirely of natural materials. NYBG GLOW is also back and is NYC’s largest outdoor holiday light experience. This is the third year for GLOW and it’s such a dazzling sight.
The New York Botanical Garden is located in the Bronx and you can get there by car, Metro North train, or subway. We drove and it took a little less than an hour from our garage in Lower Manhattan. If we didn’t have a car we would most likely take the Metro North because it’s only a twenty minute ride from Grand Central and stops right across the street from the NYBG.
The train show is open November 19, 2022 through January 16, 2023 from 10am – 6pm Tuesday through Sunday, with exceptions for holidays. NYBG GLOW starts at 5pm and is open until 10pm. You can buy a combo ticket to see the train and light show, or you can purchase tickets to only see the train show or light show. The combo ticket allows you to see the train show after 6pm and is the ticket we had.
Inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, over 25 G-scale model trains weave through about half a mile of train tracks. The arrangement of replica landmarks was different this year, so it almost felt like seeing a brand-new exhibit.
It’s just so amazing to think about how they put all this together and make it look so seamless.
I took so many pictures, but some of my favorite replicas this year were the iconic Central Park Bow Bridge, Bethesda Fountain, and Belvedere Castle.
I also loved Rockefeller Center complete with a mini-Christmas Tree. I didn’t’ get the best angle, but you can kind of see the bright lights behind the purple flowers.
The NYC skyline is always a beautiful sight to see!
While you’re walking through don’t forget to look up to see all the cool bridges and trains.
The finale of the show this year is the stunning Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.
After exiting the train show we set out to explore the GLOW show. We got lucky with a pretty warm day and the rain just ending before we arrived. While we walked, festive music played while the lights blinked along. Jon said that strolling through the outdoor garden was very relaxing.
At the front entrance there are food trucks, a bar, café, and a cute gift shop. I recommend grabbing some hot chocolate for your stroll through the illuminated garden. The other entrance has ice carving that was cool to see!
For even more fun you can check out the video I made 🙂
We had such a great night at the New York Botanical Garden! I’d highly recommend visiting around the holidays to see the beloved train show and explore the outdoor lights. It’s an activity the whole family can enjoy and such a unique display. I’m already looking forward to visiting next year 🙂
