The NYBG Holiday Train Show 2026 opens today, Saturday, November 14, at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, and runs through January 10, 2027. Now in its 35th season, the exhibition fills the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory with G-scale model trains running past nearly 200 New York landmarks recreated from plant materials, and it adds a new botanical replica of One Vanderbilt this year. The show is included with the Garden’s All-Garden Pass, the Garden is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and 15 evenings run late, until 8 p.m.
Key details
- Event: Holiday Train Show, 35th season, New York Botanical Garden
- Dates: Saturday, November 14, 2026 to Sunday, January 10, 2027
- Venue: Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York
- Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday; closed most Mondays, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day
- Extended evenings: Until 8 p.m., last entry 7:15 p.m., on November 27-29, December 5, 11, 12, 18-20, 26-30 and January 2
- Tickets: Included with the All-Garden Pass; adult prices from $35 on weekdays and $39 on peak dates, children under 2 free, members complimentary
- Ticket timing: Untimed on most Tuesdays to Fridays; timed entry on weekends, November 27 and December 21 to January 4
- New this year: A botanical replica of One Vanderbilt and its SUMMIT observatory
NYBG Holiday Train Show 2026 dates and tickets: how entry works
The first decision is the day, because the day decides the ticket. On most Tuesdays through Fridays, Holiday Train Show tickets are untimed, so a visitor can arrive when it suits and enter the Conservatory without a fixed slot. Weekends, Friday, November 27, and the holiday stretch from December 21 to January 4 use timed entry instead, and those slots are the ones that fill first. On timed dates, a Flex ticket upgrade allows arrival at any time before 4:30 p.m. on the chosen day.
The ticket itself is the All-Garden Pass. As the Garden sets out on the official Holiday Train Show page, the pass covers the train show inside the Haupt Conservatory and also includes the Tram Tour and the Garden’s outdoor collections across its 250 acres, so the visit is a full day rather than a single gallery. Members receive complimentary admission throughout the run. Prices vary by date and ticket type, so the booking calendar on the Garden’s site gives the exact rate for a chosen day, and booking ahead matters most for December weekends.
Two quieter sessions suit visitors who prefer a calmer room. Sensory Friendly Mornings run from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 21, 2026, and Saturday, January 9, 2027, with videos and music turned off, staff on hand, a quiet space and an alternate Conservatory exit, while the trains and waterfalls stay on.
What is new in the 35th season: One Vanderbilt in plant materials
Every landmark in the show is built from natural materials, including palm fronds, pinecones, cinnamon sticks, bark, leaves, seeds, twigs and acorns. Trains cross the Brooklyn Bridge and pass replicas of Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the Macy’s flagship store, alongside buildings that no longer stand, such as the original Penn Station and the first Yankee Stadium. An outdoor display on the Conservatory Lawn adds a glowing mountain landscape with more trains, forest animals and winter plants.
The new arrival for 2026 is One Vanderbilt, the tapered Midtown tower beside Grand Central that houses the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt observatory. Its replica recreates the tower’s form and the observatory’s signature elements in plant materials, turning a glass-and-steel skyscraper into botanical art. The pairing is pointed: visitors can see two of the show’s landmarks in real life on the same trip, because the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree stands a short distance from One Vanderbilt in Midtown, and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular plays through January 4 at the real Radio City Music Hall.
The show began in 1992 as a modest seasonal display and has grown into one of the city’s defining holiday traditions. For families, the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden runs its Evergreen Express program daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the run, with a story trail, a tree-top walk and a take-home evergreen swag.
Evening hours, live music and how to get to the Bronx garden
The after-dark version is the show at its best, when the Conservatory glass glows and the miniature city lights up. On the 15 extended evenings, the Conservatory stays open until 8 p.m. with last entry at 7:15 p.m. and programming from 5 p.m. Live jazz sets at 5:15, 6:15 and 7:15 p.m. come from the Samantha Louise Trio on November 27-29, December 5, 18, 19, 27, 28, 29 and 30, and from the Skyler Floe Trio on December 11, 12, 20, 26 and January 2, and NYBG Train Conductors are on hand for photographs.
Getting there is simpler than the Bronx address suggests. Metro-North’s Harlem Line stops at Botanical Garden station, about 20 minutes from Grand Central Terminal, directly across from the Garden. The station’s pedestrian overpass is closed for renovation, so riders should follow the posted detour and allow an extra 10 to 15 minutes. By subway, the B, D or 4 trains to Bedford Park Boulevard connect with the Bx26 bus to the Garden’s entrance at 2900 Southern Boulevard. A Bronx day pairs naturally with the city’s other seasonal stops later in the week, from the Union Square Holiday Market in Manhattan to the Garden’s own outdoor collections on the same ticket.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Holiday Train Show included with a normal NYBG ticket?
Yes. The show is included with the All-Garden Pass, which also covers the Haupt Conservatory, the Tram Tour and the outdoor gardens. Members enter free throughout the run, and children under 2 are free.
When is the NYBG Holiday Train Show least crowded?
Untimed weekday entries, on most Tuesdays through Fridays outside the December 21 to January 4 holiday stretch, avoid both timed-entry booking and weekend crowds. The sensory friendly mornings on November 21 and January 9 are the calmest sessions of all.
Can visitors see the show at night?
Yes, on 15 dates between November 27 and January 2, when the Conservatory stays open until 8 p.m., last entry 7:15 p.m., with live music from 5 p.m. Daytime hours are otherwise 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The practical next step is to choose a date and book the All-Garden Pass on the official Holiday Train Show page before December weekend slots fill, for a run that opens November 14, 2026, and closes January 10, 2027, at 2900 Southern Boulevard in the Bronx.
