Holiday Garden Railway

Visitors of all ages will be wowed by a quarter mile of track featuring seven loops and tunnels with fifteen different rail lines and two cable cars, nine bridges (including a trestle bridge you can walk under), and bustling model trains, all set in the lovely winter garden of the Morris Arboretum.

• Are the trains inside or outside?

  The Garden Railway exhibit is an outdoor miniature display. It’s a quarter mile track with loops and tunnels surrounded by plants and twinkling lights.

• Can you ride on the trains?

  No. The trains are miniatures, G-scale, which stands for garden scale; they are many times smaller than full size trains.

• When can I see the trains?

  The Holiday Garden Railway is open daily, 10am-4pm, from the day after Thanksgiving until New Year’s Eve. The Arboretum is closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The trains cannot run in heavy rain or snow, or if the tracks are icy.

  Holiday Garden Railway Nights is a special ticketed event. The dates are Fridays, December 20 & 27 and Saturdays, December 7, 14, 21 & 28 and Sundays, December 15, 22 & 29. The event runs from 4:30 to 7:30pm. Due to limited parking, you must purchase tickets with specific arrival times.

• Is the exhibit handicap accessible? Do you have wheelchairs?

  The site is wheelchair and stroller accessible, however the path within the site is narrow and has a downward slope. There are wheelchairs available on a first come, first served basis.

Holiday Garden Railway Nights – Ticketed Event

Holiday Garden Railway Nights is a special ticketed event. The dates are Fridays, December 20 & 27 and Saturdays, December 7, 14, 21 & 28 and Sundays, December 15, 22 & 29. The event runs from 4:30 to 7:30pm. Due to limited parking, you must purchase tickets with specific arrival times. Please stay on the path. Walking into the lights off the path is dangerous, please help us keep everyone safe and stay on the path.

• How long should I plan on being there?

  It really depends on you. It takes about 10-15 minutes (depending on how quickly you walk) to walk from the Visitor Center to the Garden Railway site, and then however long you want to watch the trains, and back to the parking lot another 10-15 minutes.

• Can I use PennCard for admission for me and my guests?

  No. This event requires an advance ticket purchase beyond regular admission, which is what the PennCard and membership card covers.

• Are the trains running during the day too?

  Yes, the Holiday Garden Railway runs 10am-4pm daily from the day after Thanksgiving through December 31, 2019. The exhibit is included with regular admission. Only Holiday Garden Railway Nights are a separate advance purchase ticket. Morris Arboretum is closed on December 24 and 25.

• What is the difference between seeing the exhibit during the day or on a ticketed evening?

  The difference between the day and evening is that the twinkling lights are set against a darkening sky. The Holiday Garden Railway is magical any time you visit, but at night, the Railway takes on a more festive, enchanting appeal.

• Can we come in early (before 4:30) and stay?

  No, the Holiday Garden Railway Nights requires a separate advance purchase ticket.

• Why are the tickets timed?

  The tickets are for specific arrival times due to the Arboretum’s limited nighttime parking. If you cannot arrive within 15 minutes before or after your chosen arrival time you may be required to wait for available parking.

• Do I have to leave at 7:30?

  Yes. The garden closes at 7:30pm. The lights are turned off and all staff leave at this time.

• Why do members have to pay?

  This is an additional event beyond membership that requires additional staffing. Members may visit the Holiday Garden Railway anytime during the day, 10am-4pm.

• Can we buy tickets at the door?

  If tickets are available, they can be purchased at the door, while space remains. Until the event is sold out, tickets will be available to purchase online. To avoid disappointment, please purchase your tickets online, in advance.

• Can I use my guest passes/access/library card?

  No. This is a ticketed event that requires payment beyond the normal garden admission.

• Can I change/cancel my tickets?

  Tickets can only be used for the date and time purchased. Tickets are not transferable to another evening. Requests for refunds will be honored until 12pm of the Thursday preceding that weekend’s events. A $5.00 transaction fee will be charged for requested refunds. Please call 215-247-5777 x125 or x109 to request a refund. If you wish to attend on an alternate evening, you must repurchase tickets.

• What happens if it is snowing or raining, or a storm is forecast?

  The safety of our visitors is our highest priority. Additionally, the trains cannot run in heavy snow or rain, or if the tracks are icy. If the event is cancelled due to inclement weather you will be notified by email and your purchase price fully refunded. If you wish to attend on an alternate evening you will have to repurchase tickets.

• Is the Café open?

  Yes. The Compton Café will be open with hot cocoa and coffee, along with various tasty snacks for purchase.

• Do I need to bring anything with me?

  This an outdoor exhibit so please dress appropriately for the weather. The path lighting from the Visitor Center to the Garden Railway is minimal so a flashlight may be helpful.

• Is there anything else happening besides the trains in the evening?

  The treehouse canopy walk, Out on a Limb will be open to visit on your way to or from the Garden Railway. The remainder of the Arboretum is closed due to darkness. The Compton Café, Visitor Center and Shop will be open.

About the Holiday Garden Railway

The display and buildings are all made of natural materials – bark, leaves, twigs, hollow logs, mosses, acorns, dried flowers, seeds and stones – to form a perfectly proportioned miniature landscape complete with small streams. Each building, while an exact replica of the original, is unique in its design. Philadelphia-area landmarks such as a masterpiece replica of Independence Hall are made using pinecone seeds for shingles, acorns as finials and twigs as downspouts.

The buildings are all meticulously decorated for the holidays with lights that twinkle along the tracks and around the surrounding landscape. The Garden Railway Display has become one of the Arboretum’s most beloved attractions since it opened in 1998, and the Holiday Garden Railway is quickly becoming a favorite holiday tradition for many families.

The Garden Railway is supported, in part, through the generosity of Gwen and Ed Asplundh and by a gift given in memory of Joe Shuttleworth. “Gwen and I are very pleased to support the wonderful Garden Railway. Ever since I was a kid, I have loved trains large and small. For years, I had a large train layout in my basement. There is something very special about an outdoor railway, especially the very unusual and beautifully done railway at the Arboretum. I enjoy watching the trains myself, but most of all, I enjoy watching the looks of delight on the faces of the other ‘kids’ young and old.” –Ed Asplundh