Holiday Fun At The New York Botanical Gardens

On Friday November 23, the Holiday Train Show opened at the NY Botanical Gardens, in Bronx NY. This is a spectacular event for adults and especially for children that draws visitors from all over the city as well as tourists. The NY Botanical Gardens is close to Harlem, and across the Whitestone Bridge from Queens, NY. It is in the Bronx, but serves the whole city and region. Show creator Paul Busse has put together a large and remarkable collection of miniature buildings and bridges made out of wood and plant materials, and also cinnamon sticks, to pine cones. Through the scenery there are rivers and even a waterfall. Through this huge panorama in the Enid Haupt Conservatory building, there run a series of model train lines. In addition, the huge and high space, actually a greenhouse, is filled with tropical plants such as palm trees.

Several different trains go through this make-believe New York area landscape, from late 1800s models to models of the latest Conrail trains. The first group of miniature buildings is surrounded by huge palm trees but not trains yet. There is the Statue of Liberty and the Ellis Island Immigration buildings, both on islands in a large pool of water. As you proceed into the exhibit hall with the model trains, the first landmark overhead is a replica of the George Washington Bridge, followed by the Brooklyn Bridge and other bridges further down, all of which have train tracks on them. In fact there are over 1,200 feet of train tracks with trains running on them throughout the hall.

Another impressive group of miniature buildings in the tour includes the Metropolitan Museum, the Guggenheim Museum and the main New York Public Library. Another landmark familiar to people in Bronx and upper Manhattan is the Highbridge water tower, situated over a 5 foot high waterfall. The hall is filled with adults and gaping children, with the scents of plants from evergreens and roses to royal palms. A group of miniatures in the back of the tour is the Central Park Group, which has Belvedere Castle, the Music Pavilion, the Angel of the Waters and the Dairy Building, and the Bethesda Fountain. And in the midst of all this, just to show you that the designers meant business, is a 5 foot-in-diameter replica of Yankee Stadium. All told, there are over 140 replicas of New York area landmarks, including the Empire State Building. Several of the replicas have been called "Magical Missing Mansions" in that they are replicas of famous historical mansions, including the William K. Vanderbilt house, which was once located on Fifth Avenue at 53rd Street in Manhattan.

An especially magical spot is the replica of the Rockefeller Center buildings, including an 18-inch high Christmas tree with lights. In fact there are many small lights throughout the exhibit. Seeing the show is great in the day time, but is said to be especially spectacular after dark, when the sun is down, after 4:15 pm. The 16th annual Holiday Train Show promises to be the most family-fun yet, and runs until Jan 13th.

Howard Giske is a writer for Community News in New York, and for I Love Harlem, and the T-shirt Queen [http://www.teeshirtqueen.com] for local themed apparel.