VERO BEACH — Calling all train enthusiasts – young and old alike. McKee Botanical Garden will feature a special HO scale model train display from Friday, April 13, through Sunday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and Sunday from Noon to 5 p.m.
Don’t miss this exhibit on display for three days only.
The HO Group, consisting of train enthusiasts from Stuart to Palm Bay, will each build their own 4-foot wide by 3-foot deep module, creating a combined 20-foot by 30-foot display including two or three trains running at any one time.
Each module depicts a different scene reminiscent of the good old days when monster steam engines pulled long freight trains with a caboose, like the Union Pacific’s Big Boy.
Luxurious passenger trains will also be represented, including the California Zephyr, the Super Chief and the Twentieth Century Limited. The trains will travel through the mountainside passing by a coal mine and rock quarry, as well as the countryside, including a pineapple plantation in Florida. The HO scale trains are half the size of O scale trains.
The dedicated and enthusiastic members of the HO Group meet almost every Wednesday and Saturday morning to enjoy some nostalgia, camaraderie and a chance to put their passion in motion.
Benefit from one single admission price and enjoy both the HO scale model train display and the It’s A Jungle Out There! Exhibition. This amazing exhibition features 24 beautiful African sculptures handcrafted specifically for McKee by Wildlife Garden Creations and is on display throughout the lush tropical surroundings of the Garden in 17 different locations.
The collection stems from a passion for Africa, its people and wildlife, and includes 14- and 16-foot tall giraffes, an 8-foot tall male and 6-foot tall female adult elephant, and two 2 ½-foot tall baby elephants, a full-sized hippopotamus and rhinoceros, two 5 ½-foot tall gorillas, as well as a life-sized lion and lioness, a zebra, two large and two small crocodiles, a pair of owls, a pair of cranes, a pair of peacocks plus an eagle.
It’s A Jungle Out There! is on display now through April 29.
Admission: $12 adults, $11 seniors, and $8 children ages 3-12. McKee members and children under 3 free.
Hours of Admission: Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday Noon- 5 p.m., and closed Monday. The last admission ticket is sold at 4 p.m.
McKee Botanical Garden is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to nurture and enhance a historic garden in a unique tropical setting for the education, enjoyment and enrichment of all. McKee Botanical Garden is located at 350 US Highway 1 in Vero Beach.
