northern_mockingbird_mimus_polyglottos_eating_winterberry_ilex_verticillata_usbg_photo_credit_-_mr.tindc_copy-451x338Celebrate the holidays! Fabulous free outdoor exhibits, including....

US Botanical Gardens holidays displays, through Jan. 2: Holiday display & train display, for you & your friends or family.  Festive adornments, and greenery; trains run thru agricultural scenes from across US and around the world, all made from plant parts. 

Outdoor Holiday Display 2021

  • The United States Botanic Garden will feature an outdoor holiday display in 2021. Festive adornments, winterberries, lighted trees and shrubs, and conifers and greenery will be placed throughout the Garden from Nov. 24, 2021, through Jan. 2, 2022, closed on Dec. 25. An outdoor train display can be visited in the gated outdoor gardens during these dates between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Tickets are not required. The Conservatory and restrooms remain closed, due to the closure of buildings on the U.S. Capitol campus.

  • Visiting Tips

  • The Garden is busiest on holidays and the weekends surrounding holidays. For a less busy experience, visit during the week if possible.
  • For safety, it is recommended that visitors wear a mask and maintain social distance between your group and others.
  • No restrooms or food/drink are available in the Garden. Please take all trash with you when you leave.
  • Strollers are welcome at the Garden, but personal property must be kept in the owner's possession at all times.
  • The train display may not run during inclement weather.
  • Please be mindful of terrain changes (stone, gravel, grass, etc.) as you make your way through our outdoor gardens. For additional accessibility information, please visit our Accessibility page.

Hours

  • The outdoor train display hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily between Nov. 24, 2021, and Jan. 2, 2022, closed on Christmas Day, Dec. 25.
  • The gated outdoor gardens (Patrick Dougherty bicentennial stickwork sculpture, Rose Garden, Regional Garden of native plants, and more) are open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, closed on Christmas Day, Dec. 25.
  • The Terrace Gardens and Bartholdi Park are open dawn to dusk daily. The display windows of the Conservatory will be lit 4:00 - 11:00 p.m. each evening.
  • No tickets are required to visit any area of the U.S. Botanic Garden. The Conservatory and restrooms remain closed, due to the closure of buildings on the U.S. Capitol campus.

Outdoor Train Display

  • Model train display with trains circling a miniature barn, corn, and wheat farmThis year, the outdoor holiday display will include a train display in the gated outdoor gardens, with trains running from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. between Nov. 24, 2021, and Jan. 2, 2022, closed on Christmas Day, Dec. 25. The trains will run through a display of agricultural scenes from across the United States and around the world, all made from plant parts. 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.  
  • The farming scenes made from plant parts include:
    • Orange Grove, Florida, United States, North America
    • Cranberry Bog, Massachusetts, United States, North America
    • Terrace Farming, Rice and Lentils, Nepal, Asia
    • Hillside Vineyard, Grapes, South Australia, Australia
    • Indoor Vertical Farming, Finland, Europe
    • Coffee-Banana-Sweet Potato Cropping System, Uganda, Africa
    • Sorghum-Millet-Cowpea Cropping System, Mali, Africa
    • Olive Grove, Spain, Europe
    • Potato Farm and Machu Picchu, Peru, South America
    • Onion Farm, Mexico, North America
    • Rooftop Urban Farm, Illinois, United States, North America
    • Artichoke Farm, California, United States, North America
    • Wheat and Corn Farm, Kansas, United States, North America