Plants and Trains

Every year we attend the train show at the Botanical Gardens in the Bronx, and every year I'm happy that I have a friend who gets us free tickets from her employer - because this event costs an arm and a leg! It's a beautiful exhibit - but $28 per adult and $16 per kid for an experience that lasts half an hour, tops? (Plus $12 for parking!) I guess those plants aren't watering themselves.

I've also heard that this exhibit should be avoided at all costs on the weekend, as the lines are insane, even with the timed-ticket entry, and you're basically herded down the aisles. I'd be pretty upset if I paid all that money only to be rushed along. For $28, I think I'll take my sweet time, thank you very much!

Anyway, if you can manage to go on a weekday, I'd recommend checking out the train show, as it is a pretty awesome experience. Buildings, bridges and New York City landmarks are constructed from flora of all manner, and train tracks are laid throughout the exhibit for miniature trains to run along.

We had nine kids in our group, ranging from 1 to 5 years old, and everyone had a good time. The older kids loved running from display to display to keep up with the moving trains.

My personal favorites are the cool bridges made from thin, entwined branches. Such delicate twig-work. (That's a real botanical term, yes? Twig-work?)

So in the end I give the exhibit a thumbs up, but the prices and crowds a thumbs down. Such is life in the big city, I suppose.