Holiday Installation and Historical Train Weekend Set for New-York Historical Society, Now thru 1/5

Batteries Not Included: Toys and Trains at the New-York Historical Society on Exhibit: To celebrate the holiday season, the New-York Historical Society is exhibiting nineteenth- and twentieth-century toys from the Permanent Collection.

The display will include a whimsical selection of cast iron, tin, and carved wooden toys and banks made between 1850 and 1945. Among them will be still and mechanical banks, wind-up, pull, and clockwork toys, toy soldiers, and a medley of trains, all topped with a Statue of Liberty still bank made between 1885 and 1920.

It runs today, November 26, 2013 - January 5, 2014, Tuesday- Thursday: 10 am - 6 pm, Friday: 10 am - 8 pm, Saturday: 10 am - 6 pm, Sunday: 11 am - 5 pm at the New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West between West 76th and West 77th Streets. COST: Museum admission: Adults- $18, Teachers and Seniors- $14; Students- $12; Children (5-13) - $6, Children (4 and under)- free. Pay-as-you-wish Fridays 6 pm - 8 pm. For more information: (212) 873-3400 or visit www.nyhistory.org/exhibitions/toys-and-trains.

SPECIAL FAMILY EVENTS:

Historical Train Weekend

Saturday and Sunday, December 14 and 15; 1 - 3 pm

Kids meet Conductor Bob, hear tales of the rails, and create their own engine car, caboose, or anything in-between. And don't forget to find all the "eye-spy" details in the amazing toys and trains on view in the New-York Historical Society's holiday installation. Ages 3-6.

Locomotive with author Brian Floca

Saturday, December 14, 3 pm

Join author and illustrator Brian Floca to hear and see his amazing new book on the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. Seen through the eyes of one family traveling west, Locomotive captures the excitement, newness, and change that this endeavor brought to America. Kids will hear about Brian's research, writing, and illustrating process, and will learn new facts about trains, steam engines, and the construction of the railroad. Ages 3-10.

ABOUT THE NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY: The New-York Historical Society, one of America's pre-eminent cultural institutions, is dedicated to fostering research and presenting history and art exhibitions and public programs that reveal the dynamism of history and its influence on the world of today. Founded in 1804, New-York Historical has a mission to explore the richly layered history of New York City and State and the country, and to serve as a national forum for the discussion of issues surrounding the making and meaning of history. www.nyhistory.org