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Botanic Garden’s Holiday Spirit

Some trains move in unexpected ways. They zoom around curves, then stop and suddenly retrace their paths, to the delight of the exhibit's younger visitors. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

A replica of the garden lies in the Garden Court, a quirky, fun representation of the garden's own building. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

The fairies in the fairy garden meander slowly in a circle, adding to its magical feel. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

The fairy garden lures visitors deep into the building to see its charm. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

Visitors pause to take a closer look at the replica of the National Mall in the peaceful atmosphere of the Garden Court. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

In one corner of the West Gallery, a giant Christmas tree towers over the room, with a small village and poinsettias skirting its base. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

Some of the fairies in the East Gallery are seated among plants instead of being suspended in mid-air. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

Some trains have familiar faces, including Thomas the Tank Engine and some of his friends. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

Most visitors had their cameras ready, trying to snap a photo of the trains as they passed by. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

The United States Botanic Garden will be decorated for the holidays through Jan. 1, 2013. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

Fairies made from natural materials hide and float in different parts of the train exhibit. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

Some of the tracks form bridges from one part of the room to another, using holiday decorations to create the appearance of suspension cables. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

Long trains chug forward on bridges and tracks above the exhibit. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

The Botanic Garden offers tips on how to make a Christmas ornament with a plant growing inside - a miniature terrarium - and it has examples of festive versions hanging in the East Gallery trainscape. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

The landscape around the trains creates a fantastical scene for them to travel through as they make their way around the East Gallery. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

Trains weave in and out of tunnels in the East Gallery. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

The fantasy trainscape in the East Gallery is the marriage of two passions for Paul Busse and his Kentucky firm, Applied Imagination. Busse says he is a model train enthusiast who also harbors a deep appreciation for plants. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

The Supreme Court heads one end of a replica of the National Mall, which also features structures such as the Washington Monument and the Smithsonian Institution Building, also known as the Castle. The replica of the Mall extends between the Supreme Court and the Lincoln Memorial in the Botanic Garden Court. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

Capitol Hill has made its way across the street and into the Garden Court, where a replica of the Capitol building reflects what visitors can see when they enter and exit the Botanic Garden. (WTOP/Heather Brady)

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