NYBG Holiday Train Show 2014

A lot of times I leave some of the less happy details off the blog. Well, I'm going to tell you, this was a tough trip. I was really looking forward to taking James because he loves trains, and the holiday show seemed like a really special thing to do during the holidays. Based on the website, the tickets for the three of us were supposed to be about $50 which we debated. After all, James is still only 3 and unlikely actually remember this trip, and Miranda hates the car. But we figured he'd enjoy it so we made the effort.

When we got there, parking cost $15, and the tickets for the three of us were $72 because it was a "peak" day. It was December 23rd, so actually there weren't very many people there at all. Also it was raining. I was beyond angry. I tried to rally, I tried... but I have been very very tired from getting up to nurse Miranda for 8 months. I did not rally.

James is still pleased.

When you view a place through a $87 glasses, it's not surprising that it fails to live up to the holiday spirit. It's prohibitively expensive for a lot of families. Even as empty as it was that day, the line through the trains was slow-moving and a little boring for little kids, so James kept trying to escape us and cut the line. I did not enjoy telling him 500 million times to wait with us. Having most recently gone to the awesome Manhattan Children's Museum, this felt a bit ill-conceived.

James is having fun (train coming!), I am fake smiling.

Um, is that a train or a rolling cookie tin?

Look, I understand, that my kid is 3, and also not the best behaved 3-year-old ever, so maybe it was just not ideal for us, personally, but you should be warned.

Checking out normal trains with a new buddy.

Also when you arrive they take a nice family photo in front of a green screen. On the one hand, it's a really nice photo, and the photographer was great. On the other, why is it in front of a green screen? We're at the Botanical Gardens? Why can't we take a real photo? Also, the photo costs another $22, which is almost exactly the amount that we were ripped off for "peak days" so I just couldn't bring myself to pay for it. This made me even sadder. (Vicious spiral now....)

Here's 3 of 4 family members instead.

Okay, this thing is amazing.

Also, all of the settings show the modern settings of the city made in natural materials which is wonderful art, but gives everything a vaguely creepy feel. Haha. There was a children's craft area elsewhere, which was pretty good. They suggested that there was a train/tram/trolley to ride elsewhere on the property but if this was the case, we never located it.

The steam engines of hell.

Oh look, it's a little body of water the children cannot go near. That makes sense.

A train he can't sit in! Or do anything with! Yay!

Being who I am, I complained to the NYBG. To their credit, they refunded the $24 and changed the website to reflect the real prices. I don't feel a lot better, especially since I passed up the photo, though I'm happy enough to have the $24. But I don't think this will be a yearly tradition... if we go back at all.

• Children's Museum of Manhattan - December 2014
• James goes apple-picking- September 2014
• Also in the Bronx, the Bronx Zoo- October 2012