NYBGIncluding New Details on Unprecedented Garden-Wide Takeover by Internationally Acclaimed Artist KAWS in Summer 2027

Bronx, NY — The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) today announced its lineup of major exhibitions through the summer of 2028 and released new information about summer 2027’s KAWS, an unprecedented exhibition from the internationally acclaimed artist that will span the Garden’s 250-acre landscape.

New exhibitions announced include The Orchid Show, featuring renowned landscape artists Andy Cao and Xavier Perrot’s glass, crystal, stone, and orchid designs in early 2027; and PLAY!, in summer 2028, that transforms the Garden into a larger-than-life playscape with interactive displays by contemporary artists, such as Cj Hendry. Additionally, this winter will mark the 35th anniversary of NYBG’s popular Holiday Train Show®, and preceding it in fall 2026 is the debut of the Garden’s first-ever Día de los Muertos trail, featuring vibrant floral displays and sculpted iconography from the joyous Mexican celebration of life and family reunion across worlds.

The previously announced and highly anticipated KAWS exhibition next summer will be the largest scale presentation of the internationally acclaimed artist’s work to date and among the most ambitious exhibitions ever mounted by NYBG. It will include more than 24 sculptures, including newly commissioned works and pieces never before exhibited in North America.

“We’re excited to welcome visitors to these upcoming exhibitions here at NYBG where they can discover beauty, joy, and inspiration in a place like no other,” said Jennifer Bernstein, CEO and The William C. Steere Sr. President of the New York Botanical Garden. “Each of these shows builds on our long history of collaborating with leading contemporary artists to present thought-provoking and visually dynamic experiences in the spectacular setting of our historic landscape and living collections.”

Reflecting NYBG's work at the intersection of ecology, design, and the arts, these exhibitions accent the Garden's annual slate of programs that welcome visitors to explore 250 acres of seasonally changing landscape and 50 living collections.

NYBG offers a Two-Year Membership that includes unlimited visits to the Garden and free admission to its must-see exhibitions. The Two-Year Membership also provides early access to ticket presales, exclusive NYBG merchandise offers, and helps support the Garden’s vital work in plant science and conservation. For more information on membership to NYBG, visit www.nybg.org.

Additional details on upcoming exhibition highlights, listed in chronological order, follow below.

EXHIBITION AND ATTRACTION HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2026–2028

Día de los Muertos

October 3–November 2, 2026

With vibrant marigold blooms and colorful ofrendas, the rich traditions of Mexico’s Día de los Muertos come to the Garden for a celebration of memory, life, and renewal—new this year at NYBG. Explore a trail of floral displays and artfully arranged calaveras, listen to the music of the holiday on weekends, and experience joyful moments of reflection among fall’s golden foliage and festive pumpkins.

Holiday Train Show®

November 14, 2026–January 10, 2027

After more than three decades, the Holiday Train Show continues to delight as New York City’s favorite winter tradition and a can’t-miss adventure. The timeless magic of rail travel fills NYBG with seasonal cheer as model trains travel over famous bridges and through familiar City settings, bringing nearly 200 twinkling landmark replicas—including new surprises for 2026/2027—to life under the glass of the warm and welcoming Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Get up close to see these miniature masterpieces, each one meticulously crafted from plant parts like palm fronds, pinecones, and cinnamon sticks. Outside, explore a glowing mountain-scape brimming with even more trains and picture-perfect moments. Whether young or old, the Holiday Train Show has sparked wonder in generations of visitors—and it’s the City’s best way to celebrate the season with all your loved ones.

The Orchid Show

February 6–April 25, 2027

Escape into a realm of shimmering color and light at The Orchid Show, where landscape artists Andy Cao and Xavier Perrot reimagine nature’s ephemeral moments in glass, crystal, stone, and orchids. See twinkling sculptural installations hanging from above and laid out below, each framed by thousands of blooms in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Wander through caverns and among scenes of otherworldly beauty, get up close, change your perspective, and lose yourself in delicate, dream-like reflections.

Artists Andy Cao and Xavier Perrot are known for juxtaposing unexpected materials to make places for dreaming that blur the lines between art and landscape. Their works release and refract light, transforming inherent imperfections into beauty marks.

KAWS

May 22–October 24, 2027

Both iconic and iconoclastic, internationally renowned artist KAWS takes over the New York Botanical Garden in an unprecedented exhibition spanning the Garden’s 250 acres, the largest scale presentation of the artist’s work to date and among the most ambitious exhibitions ever mounted by NYBG. More than two dozen sculptures, including newly commissioned works and pieces never before exhibited in North America, create whimsical and contemplative encounters throughout the Garden. The exhibition blurs the boundaries between contemporary art and the Garden’s living collections, inviting visitors to experience KAWS’s often playful, yet deeply reflective practice amid one of New York’s most extraordinary natural settings.

PLAY!

Summer 2028

In Summer 2028, PLAY! beckons visitors to unplug and step outside at NYBG. Climb, jump, race, and reconnect with the joys of the natural world as the Garden transforms into a larger-than-life playscape. Follow your curiosity—not the paths—as you experience countless ways to delight your senses and get moving across Garden grounds. From outdoor games to interactive works by contemporary artists including Cj Hendry, at PLAY! you’re encouraged to touch the art while discovering the fun in nature!

Cj Hendry (b. 1988) is a New York-based artist from Brisbane, Australia, known for her hyper-realistic drawings and immersive, experiential exhibitions. Her work explores material culture and transforms everyday objects into playful, thought-provoking installations. With celebrity collectors, sold-out shows worldwide, and a waitlist of over 3,000, Hendry has become one of the most sought-after artists working today.

Arts at the New York Botanical Garden

Gardening throughout the ages has been closely related to scientific exploration and innovation, the visual arts, architecture, and cultural and aesthetic movements. Through pioneering interdisciplinary exhibitions that bring together plants, rare books and manuscripts, and works of art, NYBG illuminates the deep and enduring relationships between plants and people. These exhibitions, along with their accompanying public programs, highlight the powerful connections among gardening, the arts, and human well­being.

About the New York Botanical Garden

The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) has been a connective hub among people, plants, and the shared planet since 1891. For 135 years, NYBG has been rooted in the cultural fabric of New York City, in the heart of the Bronx, its greenest borough. NYBG has invited millions of visitors to make the Garden a part of their lives, exploring the joy, beauty, and respite of nature. NYBG’s 250 acres are home to renowned exhibitions, immersive botanical experiences, art and music, and events with some of the most influential figures in plant and fungal science, horticulture, and the humanities. NYBG is also a steward of globally significant research collections, from the LuEsther T. Mertz Library collection to the plant and fungal specimens in the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, the largest such collection in the Western Hemisphere.

The plant people of NYBG—dedicated horticulturists, enthusiastic educators, and scientific adventurers—are committed to helping nature thrive so that humanity can thrive. They believe in their ability to make things better, teaching tens of thousands of kids and families each year about the importance of safeguarding the environment and healthy eating. Expert scientists work across the city, the nation, and the globe to document the plants and fungi of the world—and find actionable, nature-based solutions to the planet’s dual climate and biodiversity crises. With eyes always looking forward, they train the next generation of botanists, gardeners, landscape designers, and environmental stewards, ensuring a green future for all. At NYBG, it’s nature—or nowhere.

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The New York Botanical Garden is located at 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York 10458. For more information, visit nybg.org.

The New York Botanical Garden is located on property owned in full by the City of New York, and its operation is made possible in part by public funds provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. A portion of the Garden’s general operating funds is provided by The New York City Council and The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. The Bronx Borough President and Bronx elected representatives in the City Council and State Legislature provide leadership funding.