Have you ever wondered what life would be like if the dinosaurs had survived to live and roam around our modern world? The delightful display “Season’s Greening: Dino-Mite” at the U.S. Botanic Gardens is a treat. In this micro scenario, trains chug through mountains while dinosaurs soar overhead munching on plants.
This year, the traditional exhibit with the G-gauge model trains is set in the outdoor gardens featuring dinosaurs made from plant parts.
The litany of dinosaurs includes: Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Velociraptor, Parasaurolophus, Argentinosaurus, Repenomamus, Steropodon, Ankylosaurus, Gobiconodon, Pteranodon and Spinolestes xenarthrosus.
Courtesy U.S. Botanic Garden.
Unlike cartoon caricatures to dinosaurs, these were all made from living plant parts like cycads, ferns and magnolias, whose ancestors lived alongside them billions of years ago.
As a side note, the real plants from the Cretaceous period can be viewed in the Primeval Garden, Conservatory Gallery 6.
Inside the conservatory are displays featuring D.C. landmarks, buildings and poinsettias.
Each of the 20 landmarks and monuments depicted were fashioned from hundreds of dried plant materials many different plant parts to create distinctive architectural features.
A roof top blue rooster from plant tops was created by USBG by employees of its neighboring National Gallery of Art, to pay homage to the rooster statue actually on the National Gallery’s roof.
While we can wonder at the bones of dinosaurs at the nearby National Museum of Natural History, there is something magical to see it all come alive in this delightful and insightful holiday treat at the U.S Botanic Gardens.
Courtesy Instagram/@usbotanicgarden.
“Season’s Greenings: Dino-Mite!” 2025 holiday exhibit is running now to January 4, 2026
The Garden will stay open late on the evenings of Dec. 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 30, and Jan. 1; and will be closed on Dec. 25.
The outdoor train display and Conservatory hours are both 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily between to Jan. 4, 2026, closed Dec. 25.
Evening Hours and Music are on select Tuesdays and Thursdays—Dec. 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 30, and Jan. 1—when the Conservatory and outdoor train display will have extended hours, staying open until 8:00 p.m., with live holiday music and food and drink vendors during these evenings.
The Outdoor Train Display includes a model train display in the gated outdoor gardens, with trains running from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to Jan. 4, 2026 (closed Dec. 25.) The train display will run until 8:00 p.m. on select Tuesdays and Thursdays. Keep in mind, the train display may not run during inclement weather.
tagsbotanic gardenfamily activities in d.c.holiday displaymodel trainsseasons greening: dino-mitethings to do in dcU.S. Botanic Garden
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