Who doesn’t love a train garden?
This Baltimore tradition dates back centuries, coming to us from German and Moravian immigrants who originally decorated these rail emporiums with Christian symbols.
Germans even had a name for them – “putzes,” which comes from the German word “putzen,” meaning to decorate.
A part of German holidays was to travel from garden to garden, admiring the different creches and decorations, according to the Train Collectors Association.
Things are decidedly more secular today, with train gardens featuring favorite local landmarks and flavor. At one time, every Baltimore firehouse had a train garden, and they would compete for whose could be the most elaborate. That, of course, took away from the main objective of the fire house — to fight fires — and eventually, most companies stopped. But a few still do it, along with malls, stores, and museums.
Here are some local favorites; all are open this week, and some are free. Check them out, German-style, or just do one and get some hot chocolate and go back to shopping.
Fire Museum of Maryland Holiday Train Garden
This family favorite opens Saturday. On opening day, kids can have a photo taken with Santa at no cost. Check the hours before planning your visit; it’s a great way to spend several hours with kids, especially if they are enamored by firefighters — and what child isn’t? Admission to the train garden is free with admission to the museum, which costs $15 for adults and $7 for children. Those under 2 get in free.
Kenilworth Holiday Train Garden
This train garden also opens Saturday. Specifically, it is my family’s favorite. I love the intricacies of it, how it changes slightly every year, and how my kids can be entertained for an hour while my husband and I sit and enjoy a New York-style slice from Italian Gardens. Bonus: Kenilworth now has a bookstore, an outpost of The Ivy, and fun shops like Gundalow where you can pick up cookbooks and other holiday gifts. It’s free, and it’s in the mall’s food court.
Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum Holiday Plane and Train Garden
Also opening Saturday, this aviation museum is paying homage to the community around the airport, which it is calling “Martintown” in its display. Local volunteers constructed the buildings, and the gardens feature five trains. It includes a visit with Santa, who will be there from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is free, but there is admission to the museum if you want to tour it, too.
Dundalk’s 23rd Annual Free Community Train Garden
The Dundalk/Patapsco Neck Historical Society opens its annual event at 1 p.m. Sunday at 4 Center Place, across from the post office in Dundalk. After that, it will be open 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Arbutus Annual Train Garden
This southwestern Baltimore gem opened Sunday, Nov. 24, and it’s staying open through Jan. 4, though it will be closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Check out the whimsical features on this one, which is part of a long tradition.
Engine 45 Train Garden Display
Technically, this is in Baltimore City, and it is one of the relics of the days when all the stations had these elaborate gardens. But Engine 45, at 2700 Glen Ave., is only a couple of miles from the border with the county in the Park Heights area of Baltimore.
Jarrettsville Train Garden
As with the above example, the Jarrettsville train garden is across the border in Harford County. But its Federal Hill Road location is quite close to northern Baltimore County, about seven miles from Phoenix and a great option for train garden enthusiasts living up that way. It’s free, and it opens this Friday at 6:30 p.m.
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