Mitchell Park Domes host miniature world tour train show

Mitchell Park Domes will open a seasonal train show on Jan. 17 that shrinks the seven modern wonders into a lush, plant-filled layout stretching roughly 600 feet of looping track. The exhibit runs through Mar. 22, 2026, and blends model trains, scale props and more than 4,000 living plants to create an educational, family-friendly experience.

The show’s theme is a miniature world tour that spotlights the seven modern wonders of the world across a single continuous layout. Organizers built multiple vignettes with props and plantings to suggest each landmark, while the trains provide movement and connective tissue between scenes. The horticultural team framed the project to pair botanical displays with model railroading, aiming to introduce visitors of all ages to both plant care and the basics of layout design.

For model railroaders the exhibit offers practical value as a source of scenery techniques and layout flow ideas. Seeing how plantings are used at full scale to suggest terrain, and how multiple scales of rolling stock move through a continuous layout, gives concrete takeaways for benchwork planning, staging and scenic transitions. Families looking for a hands-on introduction to trains will find the exhibit pitched for all ages, with interpretive elements to explain plant choices and the basics of railroading.

Admission is required for entry during the run from Jan. 17 to Mar. 22. The Domes will post weekday hours and a schedule of special weekend events as the opening approaches, with an All Scale Train Show weekend and related programming planned during the season. Those special days typically bring multiple layouts, vendor tables and extra demonstrations, so expect higher attendance and more to see and buy.

Plan your visit with layout-minded goals in mind. Weekday visits generally mean quieter viewing and better vantage points for photographing trains and scenes. Save the All Scale Train Show weekend for swapping, vendor browsing and comparison shopping, and use quieter days to study scenic techniques and plant placement. Bring a camera, a notebook and measuring tape if you plan to adapt ideas to your own shelf, yard or tabletop layout.

Our two cents? Treat this as a scouting trip. Take photos with scale references, note how plant textures and colors read from 10 to 20 feet, and think about how moving trains change a scene’s visual rhythm. You’ll leave with ideas you can apply to your next build and a fresh appreciation for mixing horticulture and model railroading.