Chicago Botanic Garden

for immediate release

Wonderland Express Pulls into Chicago Botanic Garden Station

Holiday Exhibition Features Trains, Chicago Landmarks
November 28, 2008 – January 4, 2009

 

Media Only:
Julie McCaffrey
(847) 835-8213
jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org

GLENCOE, Ill. (Oct. 16, 2008)—Take a magical trip this holiday season to a winter wonderland of twinkling lights, garden-scale trains, miniature Chicago landmarks, beautiful horticulture displays and indoor snowfall. Wonderland Express returns to the Chicago Botanic Garden on Friday, November 28, 2008.

This popular holiday exhibition in the Regenstein Center features garden-scale trains winding their way over bridges, under trestles, past waterfalls and detailed landscapes with 80 miniature versions of Chicago’s favorite landmarks. New this year is the K.A.M. Isaiah Israel Synagogue, Chicago Stadium, Newberry Library, Lincoln Park Zoo Seal House, Ravinia Arch, the Chicago Botanic Garden's Wall by the Eden's Expressway and the Chicago Botanic Garden's Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center. Buildings, tunnels and bridges have been intricately hand crafted with natural materials, including twigs, bark, leaves, acorns and pebbles. Landmarks include the original Soldier Field, with accents of eucalyptus pods; Old St. Patrick's Church, with stained glass windows made with dried flowers; the Marshall Field's clock, made with cinnamon sticks and grape vine tendrils; The Museum of Science and Industry, incorporating a calabash gourd; and the Chicago Botanic Garden's Shoin House, with walls made with corn husks. Interpretive signs sprinkled throughout the exhibition give fun facts about Chicago's history and architecture. Realistic snow falls throughout the exhibit.

The experience starts outdoors, where the Garden grounds have been transformed into a grand winter wonderland of trees and shrubs, dramatically-lit with over 750,000 LED lights. The esplanade features a 40-foot tree, lit with multi-colored lights, surrounded by large lit spheres that appear to be ornaments fallen from the tree.

Indoors, the Regenstein Center is a magical wonderland of trains, plants and architecture. The Greenhouses are specially lit, including the palm tree trunks in the South Greenhouse, and decorated with beautiful holiday plants. Gracing the walls of the Greenhouse Galleries are wreaths designed by area florists, shops and the Garden's own talented horticulturists. Decking the Joutras Gallery are holiday trees decorated by local designers and a gingerbread train depot. The Bridge Gallery features behind-the-scenes photographs of the exhibition designers, Paul Busse and Applied Imagination, Alexandria, Ky., creating the landmarks in their workshop.

The Krehbiel Gallery features an English country train platform with an old-world feel, including more trains and landmarks found on Chicago's North Shore. A short film chronicling the construction of the exhibition is shown in the Alsdorf Auditorium for those who don't want to end the journey just yet. Visitors can enjoy a light snack in Burnstein Hall or dining in the Garden Café. The Garden Shop features an array of extraordinary gifts, including a book on Wonderland Express, amidst the exquisite holiday décor during exhibition hours.

A "Winter Wonders" family drop-in activity will be held in Burnstein Hall from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, November 28, Saturdays and Sundays from November 29 through December 21 and daily from December 22 through January 4 (closed at 3 p.m. on December 24 and all day December 25). Station-based, hands-on activities include exploring snowflakes, conifer branches and cones, making bird feeders with natural materials and more.

Wonderland Express hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Nov. 28 through Jan. 4, 2009 (closed at 3 p.m. on Dec. 4 and 24 and all day Dec. 25). Exhibition tickets are available for the general public on October 22 onsite at the Information Desk in the Visitor Center and online at www.chicagobotanic.org/wonderland. Cost is $10 for adults and $8 for children (ages 3-12) and seniors (62+). Members pay $8 for adults and $6 for children (ages 3-12) and seniors (62+). Admission to Wonderland Express on Tuesdays through Dec. 23 is free. All ticket purchases are timed for entry. Parking is $15 per car; free for Garden members.

Wonderland Express is sponsored by ComEd, National City, Grainger and Drive Less Live More. The Chicago Botanic Garden is particularly proud to be partnering with ComEd in the use of all energy-efficient LED lighting for Wonderland Express. For more information on Wonderland Express, call (847) 835-5440, or visit the Garden’s website at www.chicagobotanic.org/wonderland.

Additional Activities to Enjoy This Holiday Season
(Wonderland Express Tickets Not Required)

Special Events
Wonderland Express special events include the sixth annual Reindog Parade on Dec. 6 in the Rose Garden. For three very special hours only, dogs are allowed in the Chicago Botanic Garden. Visitors parade their pooches in holiday costume for prizes, awarded by local celebrity judges. Cleverly costumed canines march the parade route – with Santa in the lead carrying a giant rawhide bone-- to celebrate the holiday season. Spectators are invited to line the parade route for a barking good time. Reindog Parade festivities include registration, judging, the parade and judges awarding prizes. Registration prices are $14 in advance; $19 at the door. Parade spectators pay for parking only. Registration does not include tickets to Wonderland Express. Parking is $15 per car; free for Garden members. Reindog registration forms will be on the Web site starting Oct. 22 at www.chicagobotanic.org/dog.

Other special events include Christmas Breakfast with Santa, Christmas Supper with Santa and a Hanukkah Dinner. Christmas Breakfast with Santa is from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays, Dec. 13 and 20 and includes a buffet breakfast, visit with Santa and Wonderland Express exhibition viewing before public hours. Christmas Supper with Santa is from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 11, 16 and 18 and includes a buffet dinner, visit with Santa and Wonderland Express exhibition viewing after public hours. A Hanukkah Dinner will be held on Monday, Dec. 22 at a family-friendly time of 4:30 p.m. and a more adult-friendly time of 7 p.m. and features a buffet dinner, 6 p.m. concert by the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band and Wonderland Express exhibition viewing after public hours. Prices are TBD. Tickets for these special events will be available to members only from October 22 through November 5 online and onsite at the Information Desk in the Visitor Center. Starting November 6, special event tickets will be available to the general public. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org/wonderland for more information, ticket pricing and to order tickets.

Family Programs
Families can explore all the different plants and plant parts needed to make gingerbread people during the Weekend Family Class, "Joyful Gingerbread," on Saturdays, Dec. 6, 13 and 20. Children can take home a ginger plant, decorate cookies, and mix up a batch of gingerbread to bake at home. Classes are from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. or from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden Classroom. Programs are designed for families with children ages 4-10. Fees per class are $20 for children; Chicago Botanic Garden members pay $17 for children. Accompanying adults are free and required; limit of three children per adult. Parking fee is waived for program participants. Registration is required at least one week in advance and is available online or via mail. Registration does not include tickets to Wonderland Express. For more information, visit www.chicagobotanic.org/forfamilies.

Lenhardt Library
There's more for families to see in the Lenhardt Library Exhibition: A Child's Flora: All About Plants for Young Readers open Friday, Nov. 28, 2008, through Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009. Children's books selected from the rare book collection will provide a glimpse into the ways nature has been portrayed for young readers. A free library talk on the exhibition will be given on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009, at 2 p.m.

Also, Storybook Felt Figurines: The Morrison Waud Collection will be on display from Friday, Nov. 28, 2008, through Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009. This exhibition in the Lenhardt Library features three exhibit cases of more than 60 miniature felt figurines that depict characters from fairy tales, nursery rhymes and classic children's stories. Figurines were a gift of Morrison Waud whose mother, Mrs. Ernest P. (Olive B.) Waud, created them. The Chicago Botanic Garden acquired the collection in 1998. Stories with multiple figurines include: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, The Story of Babar and the Little Elephant by Jean de Brunhoff, Elmer and the Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett, The Tale of Pigling Bland by Beatrix Potter and The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.

The Lenhardt Library is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. On Tuesday, the Lenhardt Library is open until 7 p.m. Closed on holidays. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org/library for more information.

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Editors, please note: The Chicago Botanic Garden's newsroom is online at www.chicagobotanic.org/pr. For digital images, contact Julie McCaffrey at (847) 835-8213 or at jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the green treasures of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 23 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year, except Dec. 25. Admission is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $15; free for members. On Tuesdays, senior citizens age 62 and older pay just $7 for parking. The Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Ill. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org, or call (847) 835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. Through the Division of Plant Science and Conservation, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers. The Garden's Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening programs provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. The Garden is also breaking new ground in urban horticulture and jobs training through a 15-acre project in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago called Windy City Harvest. The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the Award for Garden Excellence, given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices.