Wonderland Express

November 25, 2011 – January 1, 2012

Adults: $8 members/$10 nonmembers
Seniors 62+: $6 members/$8 nonmembers
Children: 3 to 12 $6 members/$8 nonmembers
Children 2 and under: Free
Members pay the lower fee listed.

Buy Tickets now (no fees!)

Open 10 am. to 6 p.m. daily*

*Closes at 3 p.m. December 1 and 24. Closed December 25.

Tickets to this event are nonrefundable. Due to the popularity of this event, we encourage you to buy tickets in advance. A confirmation will arrive via e-mail once your order is received. Bring your confirmation with you for entry into the exhibition. Tickets are on a first-come, first-served basis. Space is limited. Advance tickets may also be purchased at the Chicago Botanic Garden in the Visitor Center. For questions, please call (847) 835-5440. Parking fees apply for nonmembers.

about the exhibition

PHOTO: Lighted trees

PHOTO: Train Take a magical adventure to a winter wonderland of twinkling lights and holiday beauty at the Chicago Botanic Garden when we kick off the holiday season! Outside, 750,000 lights sparkle and welcome you and your family to the Garden's wonderland. Inside the Regenstein Center, a 10,000-square-foot exhibition of miniature trains winds through more than 80 miniature Chicago-area landmarks, including Navy Pier, Soldier Field, Chicago Stadium, the Chinatown Arch, the Art Institute, the South Shore Cultural Center, the Frank Lloyd Wright Robie House, and much more!

Play SCVNGR at Wonderland

Use any smartphone to download the SCVNGR app (free) to play our Wonderland Express SCVNGR game.
Complete all three challenges correctly and win one free cup of hot chocolate!
Once you've unlocked the reward, show your smartphone at the Caboose Café or the Garden Café to redeem your one free cup of hot chocolate.

This unique blend of artistic wizardry, fanciful design, magnificent horticulture, and of course, the whizzing, whistling miniature trains, continues to delight children, parents, and grandparents. Paul Busse, designer of the Model Railroad Garden, created this amazing exhibition exclusively for the Garden's holiday celebration. All buildings are handcrafted from natural materials like leaves, bark, and moss. Meanwhile, Krehbiel Gallery will be transformed into an English country train platform, and a seven-minute video will run in the auditorium, showing the Busse workshop and crew at work as they developed Wonderland Express.

In addition to the Wonderland Express exhibition in Regenstein Center's Nichols Hall, the Joutras Gallery will feature decorated trees and a gingerbread village display. Visitors will also see the handiwork of Garden staff at the wreath display and sale in the Greenhouse Gallery.

Hundreds of thousands of energy-conserving light-emitting diode (LED) lights provide much of the festive holiday lighting at the Garden. Visitors outside the Garden will first glimpse the special lights near the Edens Expressway and along Lake Cook Road.

PHOTO: Supper with Santa Special Events

Members' Night Don’t miss an exclusive visit to
Wonderland Express, with cookies, hot chocolate, and carolers,
on Wednesday, December 14, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

Start the holiday season with a festive supper with Santa on December 18 or 19 , from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Or perhaps you and your children would enjoy visiting with Mrs. Claus for hot chocolate and treats on December 19, at 11 a.m. or 2 p.m.

If Hanukkah is your holiday, consider visiting the Garden for a festive dinner celebrating the Festival of Lights on Wednesday, December 21 (5:30 p.m. dinner; concert at 7:00 p.m.).

On select days enjoy carolers (10 a.m. to noon):

November 25: The All Village Singers
November 26: Route 66
November 27: The Melodeers Chorus
December 3: The Music Institute of Chicago
December 4: The Music Institute of Chicago
December 10: The Frozen Robins
December 11: The All Village Singers
December 17: The Melodeers Chorus
December 18: The Frozen Robins PHOTO: Family activities

family drop-in Activities

Burnstein Hall will host Family Drop-in Activities where families with children of all ages can explore snowflakes, discover conifers, and create small bird feeders. Complete your child's holiday adventure with a craft to take home! Family Drop-in Activities are held on Free Tuesdays, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. (no activities December 6); weekends, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (December 10, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.) and daily, December 17 through January 1, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (December 21 and 24, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. ).

NOW AVAILABLE FOR WONDERLAND EXPRESS

PHOTO: Wonderland Express Souvenir Book The wonder and magic of the Wonderland Express exhibition is highlighted in this unique and beautiful book of the same name. Filled with Chicago history and architecture, the book offers a behind-the-scenes peek into the studio of the creator of Wonderland Express, Paul Busse. With colorful photos of trains and treasured landmarks, this elegantly bound, eponymous cloth-covered book captures the imagination of children and adults alike. Visit the Garden Shop in person or online to purchase the book Wonderland Express.