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. While the full outdoor holiday display will officially begin on Nov. 24, some elements of the displays will be viewable at earlier dates, as they are installed.

 

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 Fountain and Gardens 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

This 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. While the full outdoor holiday display will officially begin on Nov. 24, some elements of the displays will be viewable at earlier dates, as they are installed.

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

Window Displays featuring DC Landmarks Buildings and Poinsettias

Several windows of the Conservatory will feature displays that can be viewed from the Terrace from dawn to dusk. These windows will feature thousands of colorful poinsettia blooms and some of the Garden's collection of D.C. monuments and landmarks made from plant parts, such as the U.S. Capitol building and the Washington Monument. These display windows will be lit 4:00 - 11:00 p.m. each evening.

Learn about the plants that make up our famous DC landmarks buildings:

Poinsettias

Learn about growing poinsettias, their history, and more!

Learn more >

 

Archive of previous holiday shows

Looking for information about previous Season's Greenings shows? Check the archive:

  • 2014: Season's Greenings: Lighthouses (November 27, 2014 - January 4, 2015)

Holiday cheer abounds at the U.S. Botanic Garden! Despite the cold winter outside, the Conservatory boasts a tropical paradise, one of the largest indoor decorated trees in Washington, D.C. and a showcase of poinsettia and their plant cousins. It wouldn't be the winter holiday season without the fantasy train display in the East Gallery, which chugs along a track through imaginative structures created with plant materials. Explore the seven seas, using lighthouses to navigate your way through this year's scenic wonderland. Many of the capital's landmark buildings, all made from natural materials, will be on display in the Garden Court. Come in from the cold and enjoy the sights, scents, and sounds of Season's Greenings.

 

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