Press Release

Philadelphia, PA—Just in time to mark America’s 250th, Morris Arboretum & Gardens brings America’s past and present vividly to life through three interconnected exhibitions.

Beginning May 22 and running through September 30, 2026, Garden Railway: Revolutionary Philly invites visitors of all ages to take a miniature journey through eighteenth-century Philadelphia. Bustling model trains wind along more than a third of a mile of track, passing handcrafted replicas of iconic landmarks such as Independence Hall, and scenes modeled after events like the Battle of Germantown. Get more information at morrisarboretum.org. 

Running in conjunction with the Garden Railway, the self-guided exhibition Plants from the Colonial Era highlights the trees, herbs, and flowers that fed, healed, sheltered, and inspired colonial Philadelphians.

We bring America’s past right into the present with Pursuit of Happiness: Finding Joy in Nature, on view from June 13 through August 31, 2026. Inspired by one of the nation’s founding ideals, this exhibition invites visitors to slow down, play, and reflect through thoughtful and whimsical experiences woven throughout the gardens.

Together, these exhibitions reveal how ideas rooted in the past continue to shape how we experience nature and joy today.