Garden Railway: Revolutionary Philly
Experience one of the Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ most beloved traditions. The Garden Railway brings model trains to life as they weave through a vibrant outdoor landscape filled with handcrafted bridges, tunnels, and miniature worlds.
Each season introduces new themes and details that bring visitors back again and again.
The Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ beloved Garden Railway returns with a new theme, Garden Railway: Revolutionary Philly, placing this signature attraction at the center of the arboretum’s America 250 storytelling.
Set within lush garden plantings, the immersive miniature landscape celebrates Philadelphia’s pivotal role in the nation’s founding and brings Revolutionary history vividly to life.
Visitors of all ages can take a miniature tour of eighteenth-century Philadelphia along more than a third of a mile of track, featuring seven loops and tunnels, fifteen rail lines, two cable cars, and nine bridges, including a trestle bridge that guests can walk beneath.
Bustling model trains move through scenes inspired by colonial Philadelphia, highlighting landmarks and historic moments such as the Battle of Germantown.
Every structure in the Garden Railway is handcrafted from natural materials such as bark, leaves, twigs, hollow logs, mosses, acorns, dried flowers, seeds, and stones. Each building faithfully replicates its historic counterpart, interpreted through organic materials to create a richly detailed miniature world.
Philadelphia-area landmarks, including a striking replica of Independence Hall, complete the scene and underscore the connection between history and nature.
The Garden Railway is free with general admission. Learn about Morris Arboretum’s other upcoming exhibitions celebrating America’s 250th by clicking here.
