Model Railroad Garden: Landmarks of America

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Open May 12 through October 28, 2012
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, weather permitting
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ADMISSION
Model Railroad Garden admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 3 to 12 (Garden members save $1 per ticket). Garden Plus members enter free on Wednesdays throughout the season. A ten-visit pass is available for $28.

Strollers are not permitted in the exhibit; however, stroller parking is located near the entrance.

IT'S A G-SCALE WORLD
The 7,500-square-foot Model Railroad Garden features 17 garden-scale (G-scale) trains on 1,600 feet of track. The garden-scale trains are 1/29th the size of life-sized trains. Train and garden enthusiasts, young and old, return year after year for the delightful sights and sounds of the miniature trains traversing high and low through tunnels, across bridges, and around buildings — all intricately handcrafted with natural materials, including twigs, bark, leaves, acorns, and pebbles. More than 5,000 tiny trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and flowering plants of close to 300 varieties re-create the topographical landscape of America. Vignettes of tiny people and animals give the exhibit a storybook feel, while sound effects and a working geyser capture visitors’ imaginations.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
The Model Railroad Garden can be the first of your fun outdoor activities for families at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Close to the city, on Chicago's north shore, the Garden has a year-round calendar of family activities and entertainment, including free kids' concerts, drop-in activities, plant giveaways, weekend family classes, and outdoor family entertainment, while also offering children the chance to explore outdoors. The Chicago Botanic Garden is one of Chicago's premier attractions, where visitors walk, enjoy nature photography, and celebrate each season with outdoor and indoor activities for families and kids of all ages.

Activity Card Map

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