The NYBG Holiday Train Show 2026 runs from November 14, 2026 through January 10, 2027 at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, with a members-only preview on November 13. It is one of the few holiday-season tickets in the city that sits indoors, under glass, and comfortably within a half-hour of Grand Central. For adults 21+ visiting the city or hosting someone who is, here are the dates, the evening hours, the trip and the rules on the Garden's grounds.

What the show is

The show fills the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory with nearly 200 replicas of New York landmarks, each built from plant parts such as palm fronds, pinecones and cinnamon sticks, with model trains running over bridges and through the city scenes. The 2026 edition adds a new replica of One Vanderbilt to the skyline. Outside the conservatory, the Garden lights a mountain-scape for the evening hours.

It is a slow-walk exhibit rather than a show with a curtain time, so the experience depends almost entirely on how crowded the conservatory is when you arrive.

The dates that matter

• Run: November 14, 2026 through January 10, 2027.
• Members' preview: November 13, 2026.
• Regular hours: The Garden is open 10 AM to 6 PM, Tuesday through Sunday, plus Monday federal holidays.
• Evening hours: On select nights the conservatory stays open until 8 PM, with last entry at 7 PM: November 27, 28 and 29; December 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 20, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30; and January 2.
• Sensory Friendly Mornings: 9 to 11 AM on November 21, 2026 and January 9, 2027, with an All-Garden Pass included.

Tickets and timing

NYBG recommends advance reservations, and says they are optional on non-peak weekdays. That line is the whole strategy. Weekends and the stretch between Christmas and New Year's are peak; a Tuesday or Wednesday in late November or early January is the quiet version of the same show. The evening dates cluster around Thanksgiving weekend and the last two weeks of December, which is when the city is most full of visitors, so book those early.

Members get complimentary admission, with the number of tickets set by membership level. Check prices on the Garden's ticket page, since they vary by date.

Getting there from Manhattan

Metro-North is the short way. Take the Harlem line local to Botanical Garden station, across the street from the Mosholu Entrance. NYBG puts it at about 20 minutes from Grand Central, and a City Ticket costs $5.25 off-peak or $7.25 at peak times. One complication for 2026: since July 21, 2026, the pedestrian overpass above the tracks is closed, and detour signs send walkers across the Bedford Park Boulevard bridge. Allow an extra 10 to 15 minutes.

By subway, take the B, D or 4 train to Bedford Park Boulevard, then the Bx25 or Bx26 bus east to the Mosholu Entrance, or walk about 20 minutes down the hill on Bedford Park Boulevard and turn left on Southern Boulevard. The 2 train to Allerton Avenue reaches the East Gate, which is open during daytime hours only, so it doesn't work for an evening visit.

By car, onsite parking is $25 per vehicle through the Main Entrance, and the NYBG garage at 401 Bedford Park Boulevard charges the same. Parking can fill on peak days.

The Garden's address is 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10458.

The rules on the grounds

NYBG's visitor policy is explicit: smoking, including the use of electronic cigarettes, is not permitted on the Garden grounds, or in or around any facilities. That covers cannabis as well as tobacco, and it applies to the paths and entrances, not only the conservatory.

Beyond the Garden gates, the state rule is the same as anywhere in the city. New York state law prohibits cannabis consumption on state-owned land and in public spaces. The sidewalks along Southern Boulevard, Bronx Park and the station platforms are all public space.