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.
Included with garden admission. Get Tickets Now!
The Garden Railway runs daily through October 11.
The Garden Railway display is a miniature world with a quarter mile track running through it. It features loops and tunnels, bridges and trestles and all of the small-scale buildings are created entirely of natural materials. This year the tracks are surrounded by miniature replicas of Wonders of the World. You can see Hagia Sophia, the Egyptian Pyramids, the Wall of China and more... without even leaving Philadelphia!
The Garden Railway trains cannot run on rainy days or in inclement weather.
Check for emergency closings and alerts.
The Garden Railway is now open! This year’s theme is "Great American Lighthouse" features replicas of iconic landmarks from east to west, and as far north as the Great Lakes. Visitors will enjoy the beauty of these unique structures, such as Cape Hatteras Light in North Carolina, both the New Cape Henry Light and Old Cape Henry Light in Virginia and Philadelphia’s own Turtle Rock Light located on Boathouse Row.
The Garden Railway is open daily through Labor Day, Monday, September 2, and then on weekends only through Monday, October 14.
Check for weather closings.SATURDAY & SUNDAY, JULY 24 & 25
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, AUGUST 21 & 22
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 & 19
Included with garden admission.
Thomas the Tank Engine can always be found chugging along in his own section of our Garden Railway, but a few weekends a year Thomas and his friends run free on all the tracks, turning the entire Railway into the Island of Sodor!
SEPTEMBER 6 - OCTOBER 11
Included with garden admission.
From refrigerated boxcars that carry bounties of fruit and other perishables, to grain cars that transport corn and wheat, come see the model harvest trains in our Garden Railway between Labor Day and October 11.
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 garden of the Morris Arboretum. 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 miniature rivers. 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 pine cone seeds for shingles, acorns as finials and twigs as downspouts.
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
All guests, including members, are required to reserve advance tickets for admission. Parking is included with your advance ticket.
Guests are not required to wear face coverings outdoors, but face coverings must always be worn indoors.
The Arboretum is open as usual. Click here for hours.
Please note: The Rose Garden is closed for maintenance every Thursday morning until noon.
Weather conditions may limit garden access to certain features even if the garden is open – please check the web site or call (215) 247-5777 for updates before visiting. Our visitors’ safety in the garden is our top priority. Therefore when inclement weather is predicted, we will make decisions about closing the garden accordingly.
All guests, including members, are required to reserve advance tickets for admission. Parking is included with your advance ticket.
Guests are not required to wear face coverings outdoors, but face coverings must always be worn indoors.
The Arboretum is open as usual. Click here for hours.
Please note: The Rose Garden is closed for maintenance every Thursday morning until noon.
Weather conditions may limit garden access to certain features even if the garden is open – please check the web site or call (215) 247-5777 for updates before visiting. Our visitors’ safety in the garden is our top priority. Therefore when inclement weather is predicted, we will make decisions about closing the garden accordingly.
