for immediate release

It’s Trains, Tricks & Treats in the Model Railroad Garden

Chicago Botanic Garden, Oct. 24 & 25

Media Only:
Melissa Schuler
(847) 835-6829, direct
mschuler@chicagobotanic.org

GLENCOE, Ill. (October 7, 2009)—Enjoy a frightfully good time at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s popular Model Railroad Garden during Trains, Tricks & Treats on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 24 and 25, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In celebration of Halloween and its closing weekend for the season, the Model Railroad Garden will be decorated with spider webs, ghosts, goblins, and pumpkins, as well as seasonal plant materials.

Families are invited to come in costume and trick-or-treat for prizes and candy throughout the 7,500-square-foot garden. See figurines of trick-or-treaters on Main Street, bats and crawly creatures, a graveyard, and more, all tucked among miniature scenes of America’s best-loved landmarks and beautiful gardens planted to scale. Children will also have the opportunity to pot up a catmint plant.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Model Railroad Garden, and visitors will see a special train on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line chugging around the White House—it’s the train line that once transported Abraham Lincoln. Visitors will see a vegetable garden and swing set in front of this year's White House. New landmarks include Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Also, see the “W” sign atop Wrigley Field and hear Harry Caray singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game!”

“Landmarks of America” trains speed on nearly 1,700 feet of track through miniature scenes of the USA’s most treasured sites. More than 5,000 tiny plants of 250 varieties recreate the geographical landscape of America. Vignettes of tiny people and animals give the exhibition a storybook feel. Sound effects and a working geyser capture imaginations.

Paul Busse of Applied Imagination, Alexandria, Ky., helped design and create the “Landmarks of America” exhibition. Busse’s fascination with trains began at age five when he received an American flyer train. By 1982, he was a landscape architect and entered a competition for model train gardens at the Ohio State Fair. Since then, he has enjoyed a career in train garden design. His exhibitions are in numerous private and public spaces, including botanic gardens in New York and Atlanta.

The Model Railroad Garden is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Sunday, Oct. 25.

Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 3-12 (Garden members save $1 per ticket). Parking is $20 per car; free for Garden members. Strollers are not permitted in the “Landmarks of America” exhibition. Stroller parking is located near the entrance. For information, call (847) 835-5440, or visit www.chicagobotanic.org.

###

Editors, please note: The Chicago Botanic Garden's newsroom is online at www.chicagobotanic.org/pr. For digital images, contact Julie McCaffrey at (847) 835-8213 or at jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the green treasures of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 24 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year. Admission is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $20 per car; free for Garden members. The Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Ill. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org, or call (847) 835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. Through the Division of Plant Science and Conservation, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers. The Garden's Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening programs provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. A program of the Chicago Botanic Garden, Windy City Harvest is an organic vegetable and plant production enterprise that provides instruction in sustainable horticulture and urban agriculture to residents of Chicago’s North Lawndale and West Side neighborhoods.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). The Chicago Botanic Garden is also host to Botanic Gardens Conservation International-U.S., and a member of the Center for Plant Conservation. In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the Award for Garden Excellence, given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices.