• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • TravelingDad

Traveling Mom

Traveling tips, deals, info from moms and families

  • COVID-19
  • Road Trips
    • ROAD TRIPS ACROSS THE USA
    • ROAD TRIP PLANNER
    • ILLINOIS ROAD TRIPS
    • TEXAS ROAD TRIPS
    • GEORGIA ROAD TRIPS
    • CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIPS
    • NORTHEAST ROAD TRIPS
    • MIDWEST ROAD TRIPS
  • Destinations
    • Northeast
    • Southeast
    • East Coast
    • Midwest
    • South
    • Southwest
    • Northwest
    • West
    • US Cities
      • New York City
      • Chicago
      • Los Angeles
      • Orlando
      • San Diego
      • San Francisco
  • Disney
    • Disneyland
    • Walt Disney World
    • Disney Worldwide
    • Disney Cruise
    • Discount Disney World Tickets
  • Outdoors
    • Skiing
    • National Parks
    • RV/Camping
    • Beaches
  • Travel Resources
    • Babies and Toddlers
    • Free Things to Do
    • Packing
    • Discount Attractions Tickets
    • Discount Disney World Ticket
    • Discount Universal Tickets
    • Grandparents
    • Cruising
    • TravelingDad
  • Search
  • COVID-19
  • Road Trips
    • Road Trips Across the USA
    • Road Trip Planner
    • Illinois Road Trips
    • Texas Road Trips
    • Georgia Road Trips
    • California Road Trips
    • Northeast Road Trips
    • Midwest Road Trips
  • US National Parks
  • RV and Camping
  • Beaches
  • Disney
    • Disneyland
    • Walt Disney World
    • Disney Worldwide
    • Disney Cruise
    • Discount Disney World Tickets
  • Cruises
  • Skiing
  • Free Things to Do
  • Traveling with Babies and Toddlers
  • Traveling Grandparents
  • TravelingDad
  • US Destinations
    • Northeast
    • Southeast
    • East Coast
    • Midwest
    • South
    • Southwest
    • Northwest
    • West
  • US Cities
    • NYC
    • Chicago
    • Los Angeles
    • Orlando
    • San Diego
    • San Francisco
  • International
  • Travel Resources
    • Book A Trip
    • Discount Attractions Tickets
    • Discount Disney World Tickets
    • Discount Universal Tickets
    • Packing
  • Contact Us
  • About Us

Mobile Menu

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
You are here: Home / Family Vacation Ideas / Midwest Family Vacation Ideas / Visiting Wonderland Express at the Chicago Botanic Garden
Wonderland Express Robie House-TMOM
Photo credit: Kirsten Maxwell - Teaching Traveling Mom

Visiting Wonderland Express at the Chicago Botanic Garden

November 15, 2015 //  by Kirsten Maxwell//  Leave a Comment

FacebookTweetPin1LinkedInShare1

Every year our family enjoys various holiday exhibits through the Chicago area, but visiting Wonderland Express at the Chicago Botanic Garden is one of the more unique experiences. Opportunities abound throughout the city for family merriment, from the Christkindlmarket to the ZooLights festival at the Lincoln Park Zoo, but traveling further afield brings unexpected holiday delight.

Wonderland Express Chicago Botanic-TMOM
Photo credit: Kirsten Maxwell – Teaching Traveling Mom

Visiting Wonderland Express at the Chicago Botanic Garden

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and buy, TravelingMom may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.
TravelingMom is hosting an exciting giveaway for a Skylight digital photo frame ($159 value)! ENTER HERE

The Chicago Botanic Garden is located in Glencoe, approximately 30 minutes north of downtown Chicago, and accessible by car. Wonderland Express is extremely popular, and your best bet is to reserve your tickets in advance on the Chicago Botanic Garden’s website. Parking is an additional $20 per car (discounted if you are a member or have a coupon code). If you are visiting at night during the holiday season, it is recommended to have tickets in hand both for the event and parking. Tickets are time stamped, so if you have a ticket for 5:45, be sure to give yourself extra time for arriving at the gardens, parking, and walking to the indoor exhibit (approximately 10 minutes).

Layout of the Exhibit

Once you have followed the signs through the main hall, you will be directed outside, and then around the corner to the Wonderland Express. Children are given a bingo card they can use as a scavenger hunt throughout the exhibit. (Our kids enjoyed this, but they ran ahead looking for clues, not good when it is very crowded). Inside the hall, the display is divided into sections: a family photo section with succulent holiday trees and other backdrops they recommend for family pictures, the Wonderland Express (the main highlight of the exhibit, model trains traveling through the monuments of Chicago created out of natural plants and materials), a long hall with a table displaying an additional train track and small gift shop, a movie room with the story of Wonderland Express, and an arts and crafts room where children can create arts and crafts. Children are engaged from beginning to end. Not only are they learning about plants and flowers, but they also learn about building, and putting creativity and imagination to work.

Wonderland Express at the Chicago Botanic Garden-TMOM
Photo credit: Kirsten Maxwell – Teaching Traveling Mom

What to Expect

The highlight of the exhibit is the Wonderland Express, a 10,000 square foot space featuring trains meandering through Chicago in miniature, maneuvering over bridges, on overhead trestles, under waterfalls, and through the city. The buildings and backdrops are created from all natural materials including: gourds, acorns, pinecones, miniature trees, seeds, pods, and grasses. It seems as though every famous Chicago landmark had been recreated, from Soldier Field (where the Chicago Bears play) to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House to Millennium Park and the Bean. Lights are strung throughout the trees and plants, making everything festive. While strolling along, snow falls from the ceiling, adding to the holiday atmosphere. Children enjoy locating the various buildings on their bingo cards and identifying the Chicago monuments they know and love.

Wonderland Express Robie House-TMOM
Photo credit: Kirsten Maxwell – Teaching Traveling Mom

After passing through the main hall, there are opportunities for wonderful holiday photos. There are staged photo backgrounds along the long train table (after you pass through the Wonderland Express) that are perfect for catching those special moments.

There’s also a short video about the creation of Wonderland Express. The amount of time and planning that goes into this exhibit is impressive. Plants are ordered well in advance so they can start building the framework during the summer. When they begin to build the Wonderland Express, the framing of the train track begins first, while other people work to create the three dimensional background on the walls and tables. All of the trains run simultaneously and are remotely controlled by train engineers that stroll unobtrusively in the background. This short film is informative and gives a better understanding of all the work that goes into creating this magnificent display.

Extra Information

At night the park comes alive with over 750,000 lights displayed throughout the grounds. If you can find an evening with nice weather, strolling through the grounds is a beautiful way to celebrate the holiday season with your family.

On certain days and weekends, Wonderland Express offers special events (separate tickets need to be purchased). These include a breakfast with Santa, hot cocoa with Mrs. Claus, ice sculpting, carolers, and concerts. Check the schedule for times and be sure to sign up early because these will  sell out quickly.

If you have a child who loves trains, this is a must see. Even if your children are not into trains, this is a special event for families to come together and see something truly unique in the Chicago area.

Interested in other Chicago holiday posts? Check out Chicago’s Magnificent Mile Lights Festival or Windy City Holidays at The Peninsula Chicago 

 

FacebookTweetPin1LinkedInShare1

Category: Midwest Family Vacation IdeasTag: Chicago, winter

You May Also Like

  • A Christmas armadillo at Santa's Wonderland in Texas- TravelingMom
    11 Things To Know Before Visiting Santa's Wonderland Texas in 2020
  • Two iconic lions stand in front of the Art Institute of Chicago.
    7 Best Kid-Friendly Features of The Art Institute of Chicago
  • The Second City theater, one of Chicago's Best
    Foodies on the Fly: Sampling Chicago's Best
  • Things to do in Chicago Southland
    Why You Should Visit Chicago Southland
  • Incredible Hulk Coaster at Universal Orlando - TravelingMom
    Why You Should (Almost) Never Buy a Universal Express Pass Online
  • Chicago for kids and adults.
    Downtown Chicago: Fun for kids and adults
Previous Post: «Photo of Marina City parking in Chicago by Vincent Desjardins via Wikimedia Commons How to Save a Few Bucks on Pricey Parking in Crowded Cities
Next Post: Bainbridge Island: Slow-Paced Fun Near Seattle Bainbridge Island, Seattle Washington, Ferry Travel, RV Camping»

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Ask Us!
  • Privacy & Terms
  • Manage Push Notifications
  • Site Admin

Copyright © 2021 Traveling Mom ยท All Rights Reserved