Skip to main content

Morris Arboretum’s Holiday Garden Railway Returns

caption: Morris Arboretum’s Holiday Garden Railway.

The Holiday Garden Railway, Morris Arboretum’s ever-popular holiday attraction, returns on Friday, November 26 and runs through Sunday, January 2. Visitors of all ages will be wowed by a quarter-mile track featuring historic buildings created entirely of natural materials, 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 decorated with thousands of twinkling lights and set in the lovely winter garden of the Morris Arboretum. 

The Holiday Garden Railway runs daily from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and is free with arboretum admission. Please note that the arboretum is closed on December 24, 25, and January 1

“We are so happy to offer this great opportunity for visitors and their families to come together and be amazed by this one-of-a-kind display,” said Bill Cullina, F. Otto Haas Executive Director of the Morris Arboretum. “The Holiday Garden Railroad has become a favorite tradition for many across the region.”

For those who would like to see the magic of the Holiday Garden Railway by night, Holiday Garden Railway Nights returns this year for eleven selected evenings from Saturday, November 27 through Sunday, December 26 from 4:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Illuminated trees and colored lights pave the way to the outdoor railway site, adding to the festive atmosphere. 

Holiday Garden Railway Nights runs on five weekends: November 27-28, December 4-5, 10-12, 17-19, and 26. Holiday Garden Railway Nights requires a separate admission ticket from daytime visitation and advanced tickets are required. 

Morris Arboretum members received early access to purchase advance tickets for Holiday Garden Railway Nights. Non-member tickets are now available for purchase. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the Morris Arboretum website at morrisarb.org/holiday.

The Garden Railway is made possible, in part, through the generous support of Gwen Asplundh in memory of Ed Asplundh. Additional support is made possible by Rebecca Shuttleworth in memory of Joseph Shuttleworth.

About the 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.

Holiday Garden Railway FAQs

Q: Are the trains inside or outside?
A: The Holiday Garden Railway exhibit is an outdoor miniature display.

Q: Do I need tickets to see the trains during the day?
A: No, advance tickets are no longer required to visit the arboretum.

Q: Is the exhibit accessible? Do you have wheelchairs?
A: The site is wheelchair and stroller accessible; however, the path within the site is narrow and has a downward slope. Wheelchairs are available on a first come, first served basis.

Holiday Garden Railway Nights FAQs

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.

Q: May I use PennCard for admission?
A: No. This event requires an advance ticket purchase beyond regular admission, which is what the PennCard and membership card covers.

Q: Do the trains running during the day as well as after dark?
A: Yes, the Holiday Garden Railway runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily from Friday, November 26, 2021 through Sunday, January 2, 2022. The exhibit is included with regular admission. Only Holiday Garden Railway Nights (pictured below) require a separate advance ticket purchase. Morris Arboretum is closed on December 24 and 25 and January 1.

Q: If we enter the Arboretum before 4:30 p.m., may we stay?
A: No, the Holiday Garden Railway Nights requires a separate advance ticket purchase.

Q: May we buy tickets at the door?
A: 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.

Q: May I change/cancel my tickets?
A: Tickets may only be used for the date and time purchased. Tickets are not transferable to another evening. Requests for refunds will be honored until noon of the Thursday preceding that weekend’s events. A $5 transaction fee will be charged for requested refunds. Please call (215) 247-5777 x333 to request a refund. If you wish to attend on an alternate evening, you must repurchase tickets.

Q: What if it is snowing or raining, or a storm is forecast?
A: 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.

Q: Is there anything happening besides the trains in the evening?
A: 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.

caption: Morris Arboretum's Holiday Garden Railway Nights.

Back to Top