Model Train Displays in Gardens

Model trains are a popular display in garden conservatories at Christmas time. I've visited two recently: The US Botanic Garden in Washington DC and Brookside Gardens in Maryland.

The display at the US Botanic Garden is supplemented with magical habitats (castles and fairy houses) and models of well known buildings like Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and George Washington's Mount Vernon. There are traditional looking trains, Thomas engines and small cars that buzz very rapidly around their tracks.

The display at Brookside looks more traditional at first glance. Then little items like a yoda watching the train (upper right image below) begin to be noticed. There is a model of the Brookside conservatory included in the exhibit and it has a tiny model train running in a loop inside.

Trains among the foliage of a lush and warm conservatory is very appealing on a cold December day. Visiting one is a great December tradition to sustain or begin!

US Botanic Garden - Landmark Building Models

There is a wonderful display of models of the landmark buildings of Washington DC on display at the US Botantic Garden surrrounded by the lush plantings of the conservatory. Their architectural details are created with dried plant materials like bark, pine cone scales, willow twigs, grapevine tendrils and acorn caps. If you are in the Washington DC area between 11/24 and 1/2, it is well work seeing. 

Here is my picture of the model of the Washington Monument. It even has the windows and red lights on top!

A slide show of the Supreme Court building, the Jefferson Memorial ,  the Smithsonian castle, the Museum of the American Indian, the Lincoln Memorial, and the White House is below.

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