Between now and September 15, 2019, model train enthusiasts and lovers of all things fun and fanciful should make a visit to the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland for a chance to see the special outdoor display, The Woodland Express @ the Holden Arboretum by Fleet Response.
I did not visit the Arboretum to see the trains. There are many other reasons to visit this remarkable place. My daughter and I were strolling through the summer display gardens and came upon the train display by chance. I was so impressed that I brought my husband and stepson back to see it the following week.
Constructed as “botanical architecture” the entire display is made from leaves, twigs, and other natural materials. Applied Imagination, the Kentucky-based firm that created the display has produced many award-winning garden railroad exhibits.
Several trains roll down the tracks, across bridges, through tunnels and past whimsical animal homes. Replicas of three Ashtabula County covered bridges – Harpersfield, Riverdale and Doyle are surrounded by pretty blooms. Model railroaders will gain plenty of new creative ideas for establishing train set-ups of their own.
The Holden Arboretum is open daily from 9am to 5pm.
Admission to the Arboretum is $12 per adult, $8 per child age 3 to 12.
Buying and annual membership is well worth the price and grants you free admission as often as you choose to visit to both the Holden Arboretum and the Cleveland Botanical Garden. In addition, membership will grant you free admission to more than 300 other botanical garden institutions around the country through the American Horticulture Society’s Reciprocal Admissions Program.
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