Monday, December 17, 2012

Gardens And Toy Trains Electrify The Holidays At New York's Botanical Garden

 
                       My first trip to the gorgeous New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx and it is a cold day on December 6.


We head to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, which is definitely warmer inside.  The structure is breathtaking in and of itself, and stunning in this garden.


Striking architecture of glass and steel, 


and a visual feast of tropical plants,

Sabal Palmetto 
interesting trees, exotic blooms like anthurium 


and orchids with bursts of brilliant color


that illicit oohs and aahs as visitors walk through.


And, on this day, charming model trains bound to warm the heart and soul. Like kids, my husband and I oohed and aahed at the Holiday Train Show currently on display at the conservatory through January 13, 2013. Toy trains and Christmas--it's a classic combo that always seems to appeal to everyone.
             

Who doesn't love model trains, especially with famous cityscapes and scaled buildings made only of natural items such as bark, twigs and seeds. Some buildings in the display are lesser known


while others are famous icons of the Big Apple that is New York City.


The first images seen as you enter the conservatory, appropriately enough, are the Statute of Liberty and the 


Ellis Island Immigration Center.
Following that, the display is a virtual tour of about 140 New York landmarks.


Locomotives of all sorts run through it--even Thomas The Tank makes an appearance--


motoring past skyscrapers, historical homes and choo-chooing


across the George Washington and Brooklyn bridges, complete with tiny lights.


Landscapes are decorated with plants, colorful foliage and blooms such as ivy, spathiphyllum, kalanchoe, bromeliads, cyclamens and moss. There are ferns, Norfolk pines and palms of all sorts.


Trains chug past St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Empire State, Radio City Hall and Rockefeller Center.


There's a replica of the Haupt Conservatory and a working waterfall.  


And let's not forget Yankee Stadium, home of serious American baseball. This replica even features a brief audio broadcast of a game for special effects. Adorable.


It is a popular exhibit, so don't forget your timed and dated ticket to get on board.


The next stop is Washington, D.C.

In the meantime, Merry Christmas from the New York Botanical Garden!



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Copyright 2012 by Jeannine. All Rights Reserved.