Philadelphia’s most enchanting holiday train ride is not at a station – it is in a garden. The Morris Arboretum & Gardens of the University of Pennsylvania, in Chestnut Hill, opens its Holiday Garden Railway on Friday, November 27, 2026, transforming a beloved corner of its 92 acres into a miniature winter world of model trains, twinkling lights and tiny Philadelphia landmarks. The display runs daily through January 1, 2027, with special Nighttime Express evenings on select dates.
Set outdoors beneath the arboretum’s towering trees, the railway winds a quarter-mile of track past more than 45 themed displays: trains chug through tunnels, cross trestle bridges and loop around pint-sized replicas of city icons, all dressed for the season. For little engineers it is pure delight; for grown-ups, the real arboretum around it – champion trees, the famous Rose Garden in its winter quiet, and big sky views over the Wissahickon valley – is just as much the gift.
The Holiday Garden Railway has become a cherished Philadelphia tradition precisely because it pairs the miniature with the majestic: bundle up, let the kids count the trains, then stroll the grounds as the lights come on. Timed tickets and details are at morrisarboretum.org – Nighttime Express evenings tend to sell out, so book ahead.
Photo: Morris Arboretum / Wikimedia Commons
