The Enchanted Railroad Adding Magic to the Morton Arboretum

Last weekend, we had a little time for an adventure. Hoping to catch a little spirit of the season, we decided to head out to the Morton Arboretum to see their Enchanted Railroad. I did not know what to expect from the Enchanted Railroad, but we really needed to get out the house, so I thought that it would be a good time to go and check it out.

My daughter was immediately delighted when we arrived at the exhibit. (This, of course, makes for a happy mommy!) To make things even better, they had a scavenger hunt. My daughter is obsessed with scavenger hunts, so she was in heaven!

Santa is on his magical ride.

I was amazed by all of the detail involved in the exhibit. Every time that we circled the exhibit, we discovered a new detail--someone having a snowball fight, a Santa nutcracker, a red fox, a moose, people snowshoeing, a pair skating, and more. The town area was particularly cute.

Why doesn't my town look like this?

The exhibit also had vehicles other than traditional trains moving along the rails. We spotted a monorail train, a truck, and a trolley. My daughter patiently watched the exhibit waiting for all of the vehicles to have their turn. There were many children that sat there, quietly observing the exhibit and trying to take in everything they could.

Look at the details.

The exhibit is not the largest train exhibit that I have seen. However, it was adorable and certainly entertained my daughter, so it was worth the trip. Additionally, the weather was mild, so we were able to take a short walk through part of the Arboretum. If you come when there is snow on the ground, you also have the option of renting snowshoes or cross-country skis.

The Enchanted Railroad opened on November 23, 2012 and will be open through January 6, 2013 (closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). The exhibit is free with admission to the Arboretum and free for members. You will need to stop in the Visitor Center first to obtain a ticket before entering the exhibit. The exhibit is located in a building right next to the Visitor Center. Restrooms are easily accessible in the building as well as the Visitor Center. Food is available in the Gingko Cafe in the Visitor Center. There is also a cute gift shop in the Visitor Center. If you are not a member, admission to the Arboretum is as follows: $12 Adults ages 18–64 ($8 Wednesdays*), $11 Seniors ages 65+ ($7 Wednesdays*), $9 Youth ages 2–17 ($6 Wednesdays*). Children under 2 are free! The Visitor Center is open daily 9AM-5PM through December and 9AM-4PM January-February. The Visitor Center closes at 3PM on Christmas Eve and is closed Christmas Day. Please note that the exhibit is closed both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Please check here for more details. Also, check the website for details on snowshoeing and skiing.

The Morton Arboretum is located at 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL 60532.