Railway Garden
The Taltree Railway Garden is open from April 1 through October 31 from 8 am to 7 pm, with trains running from 10 am to 6:30 pm.
The Taltree Railway Garden features dozens of hand-crafted bridges.
The Taltree Railway Garden is an outdoor G (Garden)-scale model railway garden that engages visitors of all ages in an environment where they can explore, discover, play, and learn about horticulture and natural history. The Taltree Railway Garden encompasses just under an acre and tells amazing stories of American railroads in the context of a large display garden. Railway Lines include: Canyon, Mining, Mountain, Prairie and Steam Passenger .
Strategically-placed architectural limestone slabs form the varied topography perfect for specially-mixed soils and more than 500 varieties of plants.
Walkways surrounding the entire display are wide and comfortably-accessible for strollers and wheelchairs. Conveniently placed benches are sited beneath shade trees to enable guests to sit and enjoy the sights and sounds of the Taltree Railway Garden.
Bridges and Tunnels in the Garden
Mountains and towers, bridges and tunnels, and of course, trains, have transformed the landscape behind a charming 1920s-era depot into a magical place. A wide range of landscapes are carved into the site, offering a visual sense of trains running through canyons, mountains, and prairies.
The Taltree Railway Garden is comprised of 3,000 lineal feet of hand-laid track that ascends through 14 feet of elevation change. Seven individual train loops meander through the garden, going over and through 30 handcrafted metal and wood bridges and crossing multiple waterfalls and streams. With Taltree’s focus on the sustainability of our environment, this garden was also designed with a state of the art water reclamation system. Pervious concrete lines the 10 foot wide walkways through the garden, collecting and filtering water before recirculating it through the irrigation system.
The Steam Era
The Railway Garden will be built in three phases. Phase One is the largest and encompasses the steam era of railroading in America.
