Every year, it feels like something is missing until we visit Longwood Gardens, a historical garden and grounds in Kennett Square, PA. With different themed events throughout the year, it’s become a tradition for my family to go to this Brandywine Valley, Pennsylvania, attraction in any season. My kids are always thrilled to watch the trains go over the bridges and under the tunnels at the Garden Railway, admire the beautiful fountain shows in the gardens for the summer, and see the twinkle of over half a million lights for the holidays during A Longwood Christmas. We’ve found that the garden is different every season, making no two visits alike, and this year is even more special because beginning November 22, Longwood Reimagined will debut with new gardens, glasshouses, and dining experiences. Scroll down for info on what to do at Longwood Gardens, and if you want to stay local, there are plenty of gardens in NJ to visit as well. (featured photo credit: Eileen Tercha, Longwood Gardens)
Longwood Gardens: A Seasonal Delight
Every inch of Longwood Gardens is festively decorated every Christmas Photo Credit: NJ MOM
Feast your eyes on holiday delights at Longwood Gardens
For a real seasonal treat, take a trip to see A Longwood Christmas when it twinkles with half-million lights along Flower Garden Drive starting on November 22, 2024, through January 12, 2025. The gorgeous luminaria displays give the Large Lake a warm glow, and the 200-foot-long Meadow Tunnel, with nearly 20,000 sparkling lights, shifts from bright rainbow to soft colors for a galaxy effect. While outdoors, you can’t miss three decorated treehouses where kids can climb and explore. The largest Canopy Cathedral Treehouse (inspired by a Norwegian Church) is two stories, but when you reach the top, you are rewarded with gorgeous views of the lights and the lake below. Indoors, the East Conservatory is home to A Longwood Christmas exhibit with flickering lights and trees. The stunning Exhibition Hall, where the entire Conservatory has breathtaking attractions, is also a favorite with our crew. The highlight is the Music Room with silk paneled walls, larger-than-life Christmas trees, and a perfectly decorated fireplace mantle that could inspire anyone to create their masterpiece at home.
Lanterns and lights fill Longwood Gardens for the holiday season. Photo Credit: Longwood Gardens and @longwoodgardens
New delights for the holidays
New for 2024: The holiday season is the premiere of Longwood Reimagined with new spaces, including the renovated West Conservatory and outdoor landscapes. What’s also noteworthy is the popular on-site restaurant 1906 has moved into the new space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Main Fountain Garden. The restaurant will feature furniture crafted from reclaimed wood from Longwood trees and a reimagined menu with new selections and seasonal ingredients. And don’t miss the new Fountain Room, offering seasonal soups and salads, a kids’ menu, and a hot chocolate station with everything from fresh whipped cream to crushed peppermint and three flavors of hot chocolate.
The fountains at Longwood Gardens are quite a sight, especially the fountain shows during the day and the illuminated shows at night. Photo Credit: Becca Mathias, Longwood Gardens
A historic beginning and thriving future
In the early 1900s, wealthy entrepreneur Pierre S. du Pont purchased the grounds to preserve them after learning that the original Quaker farmstead was being sold. He created his first garden, a 600-foot-long Flower Garden Walk, and twenty years later, he built The Conservatory and opened the grounds to the public. Today, Longwood Gardens is known worldwide for its horticultural enrichment, and visitors come every year to view the indoor and outdoor horticulture displays covering 1,100 acres, divided among six areas, known as districts. Along with the outdoor gardens, The Conservatory District is the jewel of the gardens—it retains many of the original plants since its opening in 1927. It offers lush displays year-round in rooms highlighting the light and beauty of the building’s 19th-century architecture. We are always in awe of the fountain shows with dazzling displays at the Open Air Theatre or the Main Fountain Garden, which shoots out 35,000 gallons of water daily during spring and summer.
The Children’s Garden is kid-friendly and full of fun surprises. Photo Credit: NJ MOM
Just for kids
Secret stairways, hands-on water features, draping vines, and hand-crafted sculptures are just some of the unique things you’ll find in the Indoor Children’s Garden, where kids of all ages (and adults, too!) can explore a garden made for fun. Longwood Gardens originally built the indoor garden in 1987, and now it’s become a must-see during any visit. Pick up a paintbrush to “paint” the dragon’s teeth with water or “chase” the water up the fountains as the water hops from one spray to the next. Outdoors, your kiddos won’t want to miss climbing to the top of one of three tree houses, which will make you feel like a kid again. Longwood Gardens also has Discovery Boxes for purchase for ages 6-12, which include indoor and outdoor activities with materials and easy-to-follow instructions; boxes include anything from seeds to learning about insects in your own backyard. You can also print out activities with a bunch of coloring pages and activity sheets to do at home or bring to the gardens.
The Chimes Tower is a historic bell tower next to a 50-foot waterfall. Photo Credit: Scott Hummel, Longwood Gardens
Spring blooms
As the weather turns warmer and blooms begin to pop, it’s a great time to visit the gardens from late March to early May, when everything turns to color. It’s the time for flowering trees, tulips dotting the walkways, and the gardens bursting back into life. The Open Air Theatre comes alive in mid-April with a dazzling display set to music, and the Wisteria Garden alone is worth the visit in May to see the purple and white blooms. You also won’t want to miss the magnolias, ephemerals, and the Idea Garden (which now includes the redesigned Ornamental Kitchen Garden), with bulbs and artful botanical combinations opening up during the season.
Acacia Passage is a colorful spot in the Conservatory. Photo Credit: Becca Mathias, Longwood Gardens
Summer at Longwood Gardens
Summer is magical at Longwood Gardens, where the flowers bloom all season, and over 1,700 jets of water shoot into the air during the Festival of Fountains from mid-May to late October. At night is when the magic happens—the fountains illuminate, and the light and water dance along to the accompanying live music. You can also stroll through the Rose Arbor or cool off in the Conservatory when you and the fam need a break from the summer heat and check out the largest Aeolian organ ever constructed in a residential setting at Longwood Gardens. The organ comprises 10,010 pipes divided into 146 ranks, and its powerful sound echoes through the Conservatory.
The Chrysanthemum Festival takes center stage in the Conservatory in the fall. Photo Credit: Larry Albee, Longwood Gardens
Fall at the gardens
The changing colors of autumn at this Kennett Square site are worth the visit. Whether you are visiting for the Chrysanthemum Festival in late September to November (expected to return in 2025) or the Pumpkin Playground in October for interactive play and photos with the littles, the fall is full of fun. Another display we always look forward to is the Garden Railway (September 28, 2024-January 12, 2025)—this whimsical railway is a highlight during our trip. It creates an air of excitement and thrills for all of us when we see the dozens of diesel engines, steam engines, locomotives, and specialty engines zooming around the tracks. Littles and bigs can anxiously watch as trains weave in and out of tunnels and peek out from behind buildings on over 500 feet of track. And for Thomas fans, don’t miss everyone’s favorite train character and his friends zoom around the railway, which is a real treat.
The Conservatory is full of lush trees and plants all year long. Photo Credit: Becca Mathias, Longwood Gardens
What to know before you go
Tickets for adults are $42, kids are $23, and children under four are free. Timed Admission Tickets are required daily from opening to closing, and you can purchase them online. A Longwood Christmas and the new Longwood Reimagined are all included in the ticket price. Most paths are paved, and you can use strollers on the grounds; however, a few areas are inaccessible. The Lookout Loft Treehouse is wheelchair and stroller accessible. Private changing tables are available in each restroom, and there is a nursing room along the Green Wall in the Conservatory (FYI, there are substantial private bathrooms along the Green Wall). If you want to learn more about horticulture, Longwood Gardens offers classes and workshops for kids and adults, and there are online courses, too. There is plenty for kids to do at the gardens, from the Flower Garden Walk to the treehouses to the Indoor Children’s Gardens. They also have family and kid-friendly events and activities that you can print out before you visit.
You can’t bring in food, but Longwood Gardens has plenty of options. There’s 1906, a full-service fine-dining restaurant in a new location in Longwood Reimagined, offering an elevated dining experience with a new menu. More casual spots are The Cafe, an outdoor beer garden with wood-fired pizza, or a BBQ grill hut with burgers and dogs. There are also little stands throughout, offering snacks and small bites. No matter where you stop, make sure to enjoy a steaming cup of their famous mushroom soup, available in many food locations on the grounds. And don’t miss the new Fountain Room to take a break for desserts and beverages.
Learn more about Longwood Gardens through its website, Instagram, and Facebook.
Longwood Gardens
1001 Longwood Road
Kennett Square, PA 19348
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