The New York Historical Welcomes the Holiday Season with Toys, Trains, and Story Time

A young child gets a closer view at Holiday Express. Courtesy of The New York Historical

Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection on View Now – February 4, 2025

The holiday season begins at The New York Historical with the return of Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection and a variety of family-friendly story times and crafts.

Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection
The annual wintertime tradition of toy and train displays for kids of all ages returns to The New York Historical this holiday season! Acquired in 2014, the Jerni Collection includes unique, handcrafted and hand-painted pieces dating from approximately 1850 to 1940, and features prime examples by leading manufacturers that set the standard for the golden age of toy trains.

This year’s Holiday Express features an exciting preview of our new permanent train gallery, All Aboard! Highlights include an unusual German elevated station from 1895 with a raised track and platform accessed by serpentine stairs, believed to be the only known example made by the manufacturer, Märklin. Also on view is the rare Onion Dome station, featuring a bulb-shaped dome inspired by Mughal, Eastern European, and Middle Eastern architecture. 

Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. 

Family Programs
Holiday and train-themed family programs take place throughout December and January. Learn about winter traditions in 18th-century America—like the fact that decorating trees for the holidays wasn’t a common practice until the mid-19th century—at a special Living History event on December 14 and December 22. Hablemos: Trenes y juguetes en español // Trains and Toys in Spanish on December 15 welcomes families to celebrate the holiday season in Spanish with train-themed educational activities.

Later in the month, December School Vacation Week (December 26, 27, 31 and January 1 from 3:30-4:30 pm) features a hello song, fun interactive activities, a train-themed story book reading, and a train-themed craft. Each day will feature a new craft activity and book, with titles like The Polar Express, Larry Gets Lost in New York City, Subway Sparrow, and How to Train a Train. A special Holiday Expressedition of the “I Spy” Family Guide is available at the Museum for families to explore the exhibition together. For details, visit the DiMenna Children’s History Family Calendar.

About the Jerni Collection
Since its acquisition by The New York Historical in 2014, the Jerni Collection has become a highlight of the Museum’s holdings. Assembled over the course of five decades by US collectors Jerry and Nina Greene, the Jerni Collection is considered one of the world’s leading collections of antique model trains and toys. It includes unique, handcrafted, and hand-painted pieces dating from approximately 1850 to 1940, and features prime examples by the leading manufacturers that set the standard for the Golden Age of Toy Trains, including the German firms of Märklin and Bing, as well as the American firms Lionel and Ives.

Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Exhibitions at The New York Historical are made possible by Dr. Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar Tang, the Saunders Trust for American History, the Evelyn & Seymour Neuman Fund, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. WNET is the media sponsor.

About The New York Historical 
New York’s first museum, The New York Historical is a leading cultural institution covering over 400 years of American history. Our offerings span groundbreaking exhibitions; peerless collections of art, documents, and artifacts; acclaimed educational programs for teachers and students nationwide; and thought-provoking conversations among leading scholars, journalists, and thinkers about the past, present, and future of the American experiment. The New York Historical is a museum of museums and a collection of collections. We are home to the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, the Center for Women’s History, the DiMenna Children’s History Museum, and the future American LGBTQ+ Museum. We elevate the perspectives and scholarship that define the United States’ democratic heritage and challenge us all to shape our ongoing history for the better. Connect with us at nyhistory.org or at @nyhistory on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Tumblr.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies has sponsored the annual Holiday Express exhibition at The New York Historical since 2014.  Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2023, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and X.