Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) will offer a garden-wide “Season’s Greenings” holiday display this year, running from Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022, through Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, closed on December 25. As part of the festivities, G-gauge model trains will run between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day in the gated outdoor gardens and the Conservatory will feature poinsettias, holiday decor, and D.C. landmarks made from plants.
On the lawn in the gated outdoor gardens, G-gauge model trains will circulate through agricultural displays made from plant parts showcasing farms across the United States and around the world. These farm scenes will range from orange groves, wheat and corn fields, and cranberry bogs in the U.S. to potato farms in Peru, onion farms in Mexico, greenhouse farms in Finland, rice farms in Nepal, and more.
In the Conservatory, visitors will be able to view holiday decorations including nearly 2,000 vibrant poinsettias and the Garden’s collection of D.C. monuments and landmarks, such as the U.S. Capitol building and the Washington Monument, all made from plant parts. New plant-based landmarks created last year will be on display including the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the USBG’s historic 1850’s Conservatory and Palm House interior, the National Gallery of Art East Wing, and the U.S. Capitol Summer House.
Throughout the Terrace Gardens and Bartholdi Gardens, trees and shrubs will be lit with string lights, festive evergreens and decorations will be added, and six large plant-based sculptures of pollinators will be on display in the gardens.
A gift store run by the Friends of the U.S. Botanic Garden and local D.C. small business Rewild will offer a variety of botanically themed gifts for purchase in the Conservatory's West Gallery. Zeke’s Coffee will offer coffee and hot chocolate for sale just inside the gated outdoor garden near the trains.
The Conservatory is open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, the gated outdoor gardens are open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily and the Terrace Gardens and Bartholdi Park are open dawn to dusk daily, both closed Dec. 25. Tickets are not required to view the trains or any part of the USBG. The trains will run between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day. The train display may not operate during inclement weather.
The Garden will offer extended evening hours each Tuesday in December, when the Conservatory and train display will be open until 8:00 p.m.
Plan your visit at www.USBG.gov/SeasonsGreenings.
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Media contact: Devin Dotson, devin.dotson@aoc.gov, 202-306-6743
About the United States Botanic Garden
The United States Botanic Garden (USBG) is the oldest continuously operating public garden in the United States, established by Congress in 1820. The U.S. Botanic Garden inspires people to appreciate, study, and conserve plants to enrich society locally and globally. With over a million visitors annually, the USBG strives to demonstrate and promote sustainable practices. It is a living plant museum accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and Botanic Gardens Conservation International. www.USBG.gov