“The U.S. Botanic Garden will offer an outdoor holiday display this year”

100 Maryland Avenue, SW courtesy USBG

From The United States Botanic Garden:

“The U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) will offer an outdoor holiday display this year, running from Wednesday, Nov. 24, through Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, closed on December 25. The outdoor displays will include festive decorations, trains, evergreens, and lights in the outdoor gardens. As part of the festivities, G-gauge model trains will run between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day in the gated outdoor gardens. All outdoor gardens are open and will have decorations. The Conservatory and public restrooms remain closed due to the closure of the U.S. Capitol campus buildings.

On the lawn in the gated outdoor gardens, G-gauge model trains will circulate through agricultural displays from across the United States and around the world, all made from plant parts. These farm scenes will range from orange groves, cranberry bogs, and wheat fields in the U.S. to grape vineyards in Australia, coffee farms in Uganda, olive orchards in Spain, and more. Tickets are not required to view the trains or any part of the USBG’s outdoor holiday display, and the train display may not run during inclement weather.

In addition to the outdoor displays, visitors will be able to view holiday displays in several Conservatory windows on the Terrace. These windows will feature a variety of colorful poinsettia blooms and some of the Garden’s collection of D.C. monuments and landmarks made from plant parts, such as the U.S. Capitol building and the Washington Monument.

Throughout the Terrace Gardens and Bartholdi Park, a number of trees and shrubs will be lit with string lights, and festive evergreens and winter decorations will be added into the gardens.

While the full outdoor holiday display will officially begin on Nov. 24, some elements of the displays will be viewable at earlier dates, as they are installed. Masks are encouraged for all visitors, and social distancing is suggested between visitors’ groups.

The Terrace Gardens and Bartholdi Park are open dawn to dusk daily, and the gated outdoor gardens are open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. The trains will run between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day, closed on Christmas Day, Dec. 25.”