There’s nothing quite like marrying the whimsy of trains with the magic of the holiday season. There’s a reason The Polar Express is so popular after all – it captures the imagination and ties together two very enchanting things that kids just love. This winter, a great way to capture that enchantment is at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens Holiday Express.
Olbrich Park is set right on the north shore of Lake Monona in Madison. And in that park, you'll find the gorgeous Olbrich Botanical Gardens. Outside, they have 16 acres that you'll want to come back and explore in the Spring and Summer as they've been named one of the best gardens in North America. But even in the colder months, you'll find the Bolz Conservatory which allows you to enjoy gorgeous plant life all year long.
For the whole month of December, tucked inside this gorgeous glass building is a stunning display of flowers and model trains that you and your family will just adore.
This awesome display takes the folks here weeks to construct and get just right. Workers and volunteers create scenes and build up tracks that the trains use to traverse the area. It takes a lot of work to create this magical scene.
While the trains are the stars of the show, the displays are well worth exploring. A local Lego group creates intricate buildings and landscapes to delight everyone.
You never know what kinds of trains you'll see at the Holiday Express. During the show, members of the Wisconsin Garden Railway Society come from all over the state to show off their large-scale model trains. You may see a bullet train, steam train, Santa train, circus train, or freight train, depending on the day.
The display is open from December 1 to December 31 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. It closes at 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve and is not open on Christmas Day. But every other day in December you and your family can while away some time in this unique spot.
Enjoy festive holiday music on Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. during December. Olbrich's Holiday Concert Series features holiday music for the entire family! Bring your warm gear and take the time to wander outside to check out the gorgeous acreage here. The Thai Pavillion is a gift directly from Thailand and it's gorgeous architecture is especially stark and beautiful in the snow.
And then once you're done inside, head out to the Olbrich Park sled hill to work off some energy and have a blast. Basically, this is the perfect place for a family holiday day. You can warm up with things from the cafe inside and then have a blast out in the park once the snow comes.
Olbrich Botanical Gardens are located at 3330 Atwood Ave., Madison, WI 53704. For more information about the holiday express toy train display, check out their website or head to their Facebook page.
Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for children ages 3 to 12 and free for children 2 and under. Admission is free for Olbrich members and entry to the Bolz Conservatory is included in the ticket.
