Lisle: Morton Arboretum's Enchanted Railroad

Lisle -- Last January, our family trip to Morton Arboretum to see the Husky Heroes resulted in a disappointed boy. Seeing the sled dogs in action was fun, even without snow. Unfortunately, the same crowds that came to see the canines also  the Enchanted Railroad display. By the time we had seen the dog demonstration and returned to the visitor center for our railroad tickets, the room was too full to admit anyone else for the day. For the past year, I have been promising that we will go to the Arboretum on a less busy day and get in to see those trains. Thank you, frigid January temperatures! On a day that no one wanted to be outside, we had a wonderful time seeing this year's Enchanted Railroad with no crowds at all. 

The Enchanted Railroad display features the garden-scale trains of the LGB Model Railroad Club, as well as a specially made engine by "Sean Kenney, artist and creator of the popular Nature Connects exhibit of LEGO sculptures displayed at The Morton Arboretum earlier this year." The model trains wind their way through scenes inspired by the arboretum's features and upcoming events in all seasons. 

My preschooler appreciated the kid-level view of the display. Instead of needing a boost from mom or dad, little kids can see the lowest tier of trains at their own level. For those eager fingers who needed to be reminded not to touch the trains, several buttons do allow visitors to run Thomas's train, set off fireworks, and start the spooky sounds of a haunted house. 

The Enchanted Railroad is open through February 21 and is free with admission to the arboretum. Pick up timed tickets at the Visitor's Center. 

Here is a peek at some of the train cars you will see:

Waterfall with a drive-in movie in the background, starring you!

Lego train 

Geneva: Model Railroad Display at Swedish Days

Geneva, Illinois -- Chicago's LGB Railroad Club returns to the Geneva History Center June 17 through 22 with the club's display train layout and other activities in honor of the 65th Swedish Days festival. The train is a large scale layout. The center will be open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and admission is $3 for adults and $2 for children. 

The Geneva History Center is located at 113 S. Third Street in downtown Geneva across from the old courthouse. 

Geneva History Center

The LGB club's Swedish Days layout

We stopped in to the Geneva History Center during Swedish Days to take a look at the LGB Model Railroad Club display. The club regularly appears at locations and events around the Chicago area, so we had previously enjoyed their large-scale layouts at Brookfield Zoo and Morton Arboretum. In honor of Swedish Days, this display included buildings adorned with Swedish flags and a small Kirsten doll of American Girl fame. These details and more than 20 others were included in a scavenger hunt for guests. Number one on the scavenger hunt, and seemingly most popular with viewers, was the coaling tower that repeatedly filled cars with "pearls."

When I was able to pull my son away from the display for a few minutes to look at the rest of the museum, he delighted in the dioramas of train stations from Geneva's past. One is just outside the building's Mary Bencini Room where the train show was held. The other is within the top-notch "Greetings from Geneva" exhibit in the main gallery. (This permanent exhibit on the city's history also included a hands-on design your own subdivision table that kept my future civil engineer engaged for quite awhile.) Once again, trains get us in the door and a little extra local history sneaks into unsuspecting young brains while they are looking and playing. That, my friends, is the reason I'm willing to keep feeding this passion for trains!