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All Aboard for These Fun Holiday Train Shows in NYC: NYBG Train Show, Grand Central, and More
Trains are a way of life for most New Yorkers, but come Christmastime these holiday train shows in NYC add a little sparkle to New York's favorite form of transportation as little engines and cabooses take center stage during the holiday season.
The New York Botanical Garden's Holiday Train Show is always one of our must-do Christmas events in NYC, with electric model trains whizzing by nearly 200 NYC landmarks made out of acorns, twigs, bark, berries, leaves, and other botanical bits and pieces. My family and I make it a point to go every year—it's truly a quintessential New York holiday experience. There's a reason it's No. 43 on our list of the top 100 things to do with kids in NYC.
But, the big NYBG holiday train show isn't the only holiday train show in NYC. Read on for more details on all the Christmas train shows the city has to offer this season, and, for an extra special holiday treat, take the kids on a full-size Christmas train ride with these nearby Polar Express and Santa trains.
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The Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal is a perfect diversion from Midtown's holiday crowds. Photo by Janet Bloom
Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal – Midtown East
Thursday, November 14, 2024-Friday, January 31, 2025
Located in the heart of the city at Grand Central Terminal, the New York Transit Museum's holiday train show features O-gauge trains traveling along 34 feet of track spread out over a two-level layout.
RELATED: 49 Holiday Activities Every NYC Kid Must Do
The New York Botanical Garden's Holiday Train Show is the largest and most elaborate in NYC. Photo by the author
New York Botanical Garden's Holiday Train Show – Bronx Park
Saturday, November 16, 2024-Monday, January 20, 2025
This train show is the city's tour de force. See beloved sights as NYC is re-created in miniature with nearly 200 iconic landmarks crafted from a botanical bounty of materials like pine cones, acorns, and seeds. Set beneath the gleaming dome of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, the NYBG Holiday Train Show is a particularly magical attraction come evening, and a select number of after-hours events are planned. Book your tickets in advance or risk being left in the cold!
RELATED: Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for NYC Families
The New-York Historical Society resurrects its popular Holiday Express train display. Photo by Drew Kristofik
Holiday Express at the New-York Historical Society – Upper West Side
Friday, November 15, 2024-Tuesday, February 4, 2025
The New-York Historical Society is back with its popular Holiday Express display showcasing its Jerni Collection of trains, buildings, figures, and decor. The installation highlights American and European toymakers' designs dating as far back as the turn of the 19th century and highlights the Golden Age of Toy Trains with its display from firms including German manufacturers, Märklin and Bing, as well as the American toymakers Lionel and Ives.
Holiday Train Display at PaleyLand – Midtown West
Wednesday, November 20, 2024-Sunday, January 7, 2024
This multimedia museum gets a makeover for the holiday season with its transformation to PaleyLand and the fun includes plenty of photo-ops, face time with Santa, and interactive fun. Train lovers won't want to miss its magical winter wonderland featuring a classic train display on the experience's second floor.
Macy's Santaland – Midtown West
Friday, November 29-Tuesday, December 24, 2024
Still not loco-ed out? Macy's Santaland has a gorgeous Lionel Train display (serviced annually by a Lionel expert!), and it's FREE to ooh and ahh at as you watch it chug around the holiday decorations while waiting to see the man of the season. Don't forget to reserve a time and date to chat with Santa, or maybe book a breakfast meeting with Saint Nick!
Holiday Nostalgia Train Rides – East Village to Harlem
Sundays December 1, 8, 15, 22, and 24, 2024
Every year, the MTA and the New York Transit Museum roll out vintage subway trains decked in holiday finery. The Holiday Nostalgia Rides bring vintage back into regular service from the Second Avenue/Houston stop up to the 96th Street/Second Avenue stop traveling over the F and Q lines. If your little one can't get enough of riding the subway or bus (ah, the sweet innocence of youth), this is a once-a-year treat that's well worth the trip.
Bonus: If you'd rather ride a holiday train than gawk at one, head to the Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo, where a festive locomotive takes you on a couple of loops of the Fountain Circle.
This post, originally published in November 2009, is updated annually.
Places featured in this article:
New York Transit Museum Annex
