Dinosaurs In The Garden: See This Year’s Unique Holiday Display At The U.S. Botanic Garden

WASHINGTON — The holiday season is returning with a roar to the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) this year. The popular annual holiday display, “Seasons Greetings,” opens on Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, and is rolling out an exciting theme: dinosaurs.

“Seasons Greetings: Dino-Mite!” celebrates the model train show featuring dinosaurs, animals and plants of the Cretaceous period. The display will feature G-gauge model trains chugging through plant-made dinosaur displays, including the Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Velociraptor and more. Visitors will also see living plants descending from those that lived alongside the dinosaurs, like cycads, ferns and magnolias. Trees, shrubs and evergreens will be lit with festive light displays, and guests can walk through thousands of vivid poinsettias.

The Conservatory will also feature botanical wreaths and holiday decor, thousands of poinsettias, and iconic D.C. landmarks made from plant parts. Recent favorites will return, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial; the National Museum of African American History and Culture; and the National Gallery of Art East Wing.

“Seasons Greetings: Dino-Mite!” runs from Nov. 27 through Jan. 4, 2026. The Conservatory is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and the gated outdoor gardens are open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The Terrace Gardens and Bartholdi Gardens are open dawn to dusk daily. The trains will run between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily, extended to 8 p.m. on the seven days with evening hours, and may not operate during inclement weather.

On Dec. 9, 11, 16, 18 and 23, and Jan. 1, the garden will stay open until 8 p.m. with live seasonal music. The garden will be closed Dec. 25. Tickets are not required to view the trains or any part of the USBG.

Friends of the U.S. Botanic Garden will operate a gift store during limited hours, and local D.C. small business REWILD will have botanically themed gifts for purchase in the Conservatory’s West Gallery. Vintage Views Bar will be onsite with coffee, hot chocolate and snacks for sale near the trains on select days.

Plan your visit and see the detailed schedule online.

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