Longwood Gardens Reviews

Beautiful! Happiness, decorated , joyful, fountains, trees, you need a reservation right now because of the pandemic. If cold, bundle up, not all buildings were open last time, so you may want to call.well worth the visit.

My husband has gardens that could rival a botanical garden (we have a garden tour every year), so it is hard to impress him but he was very impressed with Longwood Gardens. Our experience would have been better with a paper map (a thing of the past). We started with lunch and there were several lunch options. My husband and I had pulled pork sandwiches at the cafe, and our grandson had pizza from the beer garden. Nice place for outdoor dining. Not knowing where we were going we started at the Meadow Garden; took us awhile to find the really nice gardens we came for. We spent about 3.5 hours there including lunch. We could have spent more time

We spent a couple hours and loved it. Well worth the $22 entry fee. Great paths and places to watch birds. Loved seeing the purple martins. The fountains and flowers are phenomenal. Would definitely go back.

We were just there yesterday. Spent about 7 hours there. We did see all the major gardens and fountain shows. None were disappointing. I definitely will be returning to see the gardens during a different season. Since the map is electronic, bring a phone battery charger as it is a drain on the battery. I was also clicking pictures at every new garden which also drains the battery. Beautiful place, very clean. Highly recommend.

Of course there are few blooming flowers or trees around the vast grounds in March. But they are pleasant on a good-weather day. And the multiple greenhouses have plenty to find in bloom. There is a huge, brand-new greenhouse, which is not fully planted yet, but is quite airy and bright, unlike the jungle-like "old" greenhouses.

Out of season, the admission price is lowered, slowly rising as spring advances. I think the next increase after our visit was for the annual bulb or chrysanthemum show. The timed-tickets are recommended to be bought in advance. Note that some unwelcome Pandemic practices have been continued: You cannot bring in your own food, and you cannot re-enter after you leave the park. The food inside Longwood is quite good and varied, but not cheap.

The huge parking lot has four Level 2 car chargers, quite close to the entrance. But they are not likely to turn over during the day, especially since you have to make a formal, special request to be allowed to re-enter after moving your car.

(I may have reviewed Longwood before, but at least five years ago.)

Maybe it is us, but we are not understanding all of the rave reviews. Very boring. Not alot of colorful flowers at all. Fountains were nothing special. Expensive once you are inside. Will not be returning.

We met friends midway and returned to Longwood. Even in the rain we had a nice time although limited outdoors once it poured. There is the new pavilion which was so interesting to see, a lily pad area that has been brought back and of course the gardens which are gorgeous. The water show is wonderful too.

We ate lunch in their new restaurant and loved the food.

Unmissable! Need to go back - so much to see. Inspiring! Also had lunch at the onsite restaurant and it was delicious - must go back there too.

I have seen many gardens during my life and surely these rank at the top second only to the Bouchard Gardens in Victoria BC. The conservatory was the high point for me closely followed by the amazing water show by the fountains. It exceeded my expectations. We came in the fall and I can only imagine how beautiful it must be in late spring in full bloom. This is a place you can return to year after year at different seasons. Well worth the price. A must see.

Spectacular flowers, rooms, history, walks and more. We spent close to 4 hours exploring this estate with plenty of views, places to sit, opportunities to learn through signs, guides, and videos. Clean and well organized considering the masses of people they handle. Great job. Even the rest rooms are memorable!

We got there early in order to get a good parking space. I knew that we could not leave once we were inside and thought that we would be a little bored while we waited for the Illuminated Fountain Performance to begin. 8 HOURS AT LONGWOOD AND NOT ONE COMPLAINT!! Everyone enjoyed themselves and we can't wait to go back. The only thing that surprised us was the amount of people in the cafe. Apparently, everyone at the garden got hungry at the exact same time. But there was live music outside and we were able to enjoy that while we waited.

I'm not sure why we never heard of this place until now but it will definitely be on our calendar every year from now on. I don't see an option to add videos to this review, however, if you click on my profile, you will find the link to my YouTube channel and find the videos there.

We arrived around 2:30 PM and the place was packed. We parked in a lot so far away that I didn’t even know it existed. However, we had no trouble getting in without a wait since we had timed tickets. There was still plenty of room inside to move around and see all the light displays that we were interested in. Longwood Gardens really outdid themselves with the lights and all the lovely poinsettias and other plants. Plus the Christmas trees! Wow!

Every time we visit Longwood Gardens, we find something new. Every season, every day is different. Even different times of the day bring out a different kind of beauty!

It was a perfect day to visit Longwood Gardens. The weather was perfect. We arrived early and stayed until late afternoon. The outdoor gardens were blooming with mums and many other fall flowers. The trees had all the foliage colors of fall. In the Conservatory were more exotic flowers, shrubs and trees, orchids and cacti. We did not miss anything and visited all 6 districts including the cafe and wonderful gift shop. We watched 2 "dancing" fountains shows and enjoyed the organ program. Fall was beautiful here and I'm sure every season has its own charm and beauty

Not cheap but an amazing display for Christmas. Lots of history here and you will marvel at what it must take to decorate and maintain this place... I guess hence the not cheap.
The exhibits are meticulously assembled and the Holiday Spirit flows throughout. Hard to get tickets close to Christmas. You can get them online but you should plan on buying them a month in advance. Don't wait until the last minute. !!
I could see us going again after a few years.

My wife and I have a three-year old and 17 month-old twins. Longwood Gardens is a great and beautiful place to go! It has vast and beautiful opens spaces and fountains. The staff are all friendly and inviting. My only suggestion to travelers there, and we plan to return many times, is that they bring their own food. The concessions are a bit pricy and of mediocre quality, at best.

My wife & I have visited gardens all around the world. We have our favorites & sometimes we have to make a change. That happened with Longwood Gardens. It is an absolutely beautiful botanical garden! We had planned to visit another museum the day that we visited Longwood. Any idea of leaving prior to the end of the day went away quite quickly. There is so much to see & explore. The gardens are a delight to the senses. How this isn't rated a full 5, we will never know. Do yourself a favor & DON'T MISS THIS GARDEN!

The nighttime lights and fountains show was spectacular! We did it July 1st so it was American theme for the Holiday weekend. The music and fountains were coordinated beautifully. I got a 5:30 timed pass to enter gardens. Planned to eat and explore the gardens before the 9:15 show. LG is a happy place for me. We are members and visited gardens with a 8yo and (2) 12 yos. We didn't pack chairs and tried to find a place for our blankets around 8:50. It was packed but we did find a place. Leaving was like getting out of a concert. Lots of staff directing cars but lots of them. Loved the live music while eating in the Beer Gardens.

Recently visited for the first time. The gardens and conservatory, etc are presently decorated for Christmas. The place is awesome and amazing. Highly recommend.

Wasn't going to stop here, but there was nothing on my itinerary nearby open on that day, so I visited and was happy I did. Longwood now has some lovely natural areas that I didn't remember having seen on past visits. The open fields were beautiful and swallows swept overhead. Formal beds also very nice. I find the fountains synced with music tacky. I didn't go inside the conservatory because it was just too beautiful a day to be inside.

Wear sensible shoes and a cooling towel if you have. LOTS of walking. If you have knees that are going, be prepared-some paths are fairly uphill. At 72, overheated. Had to stop to cool down. This is a lovely place. Get the mushroom soup at the Cafe. Bets I've ever tasted-truly. Staff very pleasant, although some patrons talked very loudly throughout the evening fireworks show, little respect for others or the production itself. Talked throughout. Why buy a $53 ticket then if you're not going to watch the show? Best to try to purchase tickets closer in to the show itself where viewers may have more interest in the program and may be quieter. Parking at a distance. Be prepared to walk Exit well organized from Gardens.

We attended a concert and went to the gardens beforehand as entry was included in the ticket price. Naturally there are fewer flowers in bloom in Summer than Spring, but it’s still beautiful and the conservatory is always impressive no matter the season. We didn’t realize until we arrived that we’d receive wrist bands and would be able to re-enter (this is specifically for the summer concert series I believe), which was great as it allowed us to go back to our car to get blankets/coats. Highly recommend their outdoor concerts!

This place is quite the spectacle in a good way. The day we visited there was an organ recital that was very cool! (Check the schedule so you can be sure to catch the next one.) The array of plants and gardens is quite impressive and superbly well maintained. I wish I had their green thumb. Easily could spend more than three hours here. Be warned: It is a fair bit of walking so if you have children or older folks, it can be taxing.

This is a premier garden!! The creativity and attention to detail is one of the earmark traits of these gorgeous gardens. Any horticulturalist around the world knows about it and desires an internship there.

It opens at 10 am.
Staff processes admissions carefully (somewhat slowly).
The observatory is under construction so the flowers to see are somewhat limited but beautiful.
The new orchid room is much larger.

We enjoyed our stay at long wood garden. The tree and flower collection was well labelled and beautifully arranged. The paths are well maintained and are a great place to walk and talk in relative privacy.. the water show was beautiful to see but the musical accompaniment was horrible.. the songs were not fit for children.. but it was so loud you about couldn't understand some of the words which was fine..

Amazing place. We had 11am reservation. (Timed reservations necessary to prevent crowding) Admittance will be 30 mins before or after your scheduled time. We were let in at 10:20, probably because was midweek and not totally booked. We had 2PM lunch reservations at the restaurant, 1906. We were wondering how we would spend the time. Not a problem.
We entered at 10:20 and left a few minutes before closing at 6pm. Amazing place and fantastic meal at 1906.

It's a curated garden and different experience than the NY Botanical Garden which is more 'natural'. Both great experience. The Longwood experience will change all the time as they are constantly replacing the plants, not necessarily the natural seasonal progression. If you return in a few weeks, we were told that it would look entirely different.

As for the restaurant, 1906. Delicious lunch on the covered deck facing the woods. Everything was very thoughtful from the brioches cooked in a clay flower pot to the beautiful edible desserts in an edible flower pot.
We had beet salad, pea soup, chicken, trout and the raspberry lemon dessert. Nothing to complain about.

I would recommend outdoor seating.
The decor of the dining room was nondescript. Nothing offensive but nondescript but outdoors was almost like being in the woods

Love love love!!! One of my favorite places on earth. This place never disappoints. I’ve been coming here since I was a child!

There were so many different kinds of flowers all manicured to perfection. Rich smells and beautiful blooms

I did not know these gardens and I spotted them through a tour guide. The reality was a wonderful surprise. It is one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever visited (and yet there is no shortage of them in Europe). You have to allow at least half a day to enjoy the whole thing (and I regret not being able to stay in the evening for the lights games). It is better to book your tickets on the internet because there can be a lot of people. I particularly appreciated the water jets (ask about schedules) and the greenhouses exceptional in their size. It is really a jewel of the United States, too little known to Europeans.

Longwood Gardens was such a lovely place to visit during Christmas. The lights, decorations, and trees were very uplifting. You can grab a hot chocolate and walk through the different parts of the gardens. My favorite part was the West Conservatory, which was full of flowers and greenery. Be sure to visit their website to stay informed about events and dates, and schedule your visit ahead of time! They also offer a membership, which is a better deal if you're purchasing entry for two.

This place was amazing, This garden was huge, between the gardens and the fountains there was so much to do and see. The admission was $25 which IMO was worth it because you could really spend a whole day here (We spent almost 5 hours here) There is alot of walking around, so be prepared for that, We did almost 13,000 steps here. Most of the paths are paved so it is accessilble.

Dont miss the fountain shows, There were 2 of them, The fountains were done to Music

Longwood Gardens is an absolute treasure and one of the most breathtaking places to visit in the region. Every corner offers something extraordinary—from the meticulously designed flower gardens and serene meadows to the stunning conservatory filled with rare and exotic plants. The grounds are perfectly maintained, and it’s easy to spend the entire day wandering, discovering new beauty around every turn.

But the true highlight—and an absolute must see—is the 8:15 pm fountain light show. It’s nothing short of spectacular. The fountains dance in perfect harmony with music and brilliantly choreographed lights, creating a performance that feels both grand and intimate. The combination of water, fire, light, and sound transforms the evening into something magical—you’ll find yourself completely captivated. It’s the perfect way to end a day at the gardens and an experience you’ll never forget.

If you’re planning a visit, be sure to stay for the fountain show. It’s not just an attraction—it’s the crown jewel of Longwood Gardens.

We went there on a members only Thursday before the thanksgiving holiday. It was not crowded. Some parts of the park was closed. We had lunch at the cafe and walked around the engineering room where the water pump for the fountain show is housed and the vegetable garden. The bell tower still chime at half hour and on the hour. The conservatory is closed. We still managed to have an enjoyable half day walking around the French influenced garden design. We have been here twenty plus year ago. It is good to see the place getting better with age.

The Longwood Gardens is the undisputed #1 must see attraction in Kennet Square, Pennsylvania, the #1 premier horticulture garden in the United States and one of the most beautiful destination of the world.

Founded in 1906 by Pierre S. du Pont, a hugely successful businessman, philanthropist and member of the affluent and eminent du Pont family, the Longwood Gardens features an extensive collection of exquisite plants, exotic flowers, a world renowned conservatory, and superbly engineered and well designed French and Italian style fountains.

In May of 2021, I brought and treated my wife and myself for a visit and self guided tour of the Longwood Gardens and we cherished every moment of our experience there. We instantly fell in love with the garden’s conservatory and captured great pictures of its infamous indoor hall, numerous plants, trees and flowers, the well-acclaimed “Green Wall” and Indoor Children’s Garden.

In addition, we also had the chance to visit and view the garden’s spectacular fountains, such as the ones featured in the picturesque “Italian Water Garden” and of course the ones located at most magnificent site I’ve ever seen, the Main Fountain. My wife and I were blessed and fortunate to capture great pics and videos of the thrilling water work display at the “Main Fountain.”

Last but certainly not least, my wife and I also visited and toured the lovely home of Pierre S. Du Pont. We learned much about his business success and the immense contributions he made to the field of philanthropy and the Longwood Gardens.

If you are an admirer of beauty, consider yourself to be horticulture enthusiasts, a fan state of the art fountain based engineering and looking to be wonderfully entertained in an enchanted location, then you must definitely not hesitate to visit and explore the Longwood Gardens. You will cherish this experience forever!!!

Longwood Gardens is just gorgeous. We visited on a day where there were intermittent rain showers, but the rain could not deter from the beauty of these finely manicured gardens. There was a water show by the fountains that was fun to see and the tree houses were great for the kids (and for shelter from the rain). The colors were so brilliant on this dreary day and the archetecture of these pretty grounds was mesmerizing at points. Even if you are not a nature lover, you can’t help but be impressed with Longwood Gardens

This was our first time to Longwood Gardens. It was a very hot day, but there is plenty of shade and sitting areas to rest in. The buildings are open and very enjoyable to walk through. Even in the summer there is plenty to see. We spent 4 hours there on a hot day. It is worth timing your time there to see the two fountain shows. While there, we upgrade our one day ticket to a season pass. We will be back for Christmas time! All the staff was very pleasant.

Longwoods is just magical! The meadow is gorgeous and all the planted gardens too. Although I find the conservatory overcrowded it is stunning. The old buildings bring a charm to the natural surroundings. If you’ve never been… GO! If you have, go again you’ll discover something new every time you visit

Secured by the benevolence of Pierre S. du Pont (founder), the 1,100-acre Longwood Gardens transforms its core 75 acres into a Christmas wonderland. Over half a million twinkling lights and 30+ miles of strands illuminate the grounds, fountains, trees, and four acres of conservatories. One picture can’t capture the magic and fantasy of the mystic land I walked within this Thanksgiving.

It is a good place to visit during pandemic. I think mid May could be a little too early for the best flowers. Though it was May it was a very hot day.....would try and avoid days in the 90's

We visited during the last weekend of their Christmas season in early January, and all the displays were fresh and beautiful. The conservatory was stunning - the fire and ice display was outstanding, and the main areas were lovely. They had a number of unique offerings, including pointsettia trees and yellow pointsettias.
The rest of the property was interesting, too, although we did not stay until after dark to see all the lights.
We've visited in winter before, and the conservatory is always a delight on cold days.
The food in the cafe was okay - make sure to try the mushroom soup. Unfortunately, it wasn't terribly hot, and the sandwiches had more bread than fillings.
The gift shop always has unique and interesting offerings, and the entire experience is lovely.

My best friend and I traveled to Longwood Gardens to celebrate a birthday, and we were blown away by both the architectural and floral beauty! This is easily the lushest garden I’ve ever been to.

Our group had previously toured the Biltmore together so we were not sure that this garden and grounds would keep everyone happy.... it did! We were there for the fall mums in the conservatory and it was just exquisite....

The gardens were amazing, though some of the venues were not clear on where they were. Overall it was a great experience. this is a place that you need to go at least twice. Once is not enough. I don't know why you can't come back in if you want to go to the car for something or if you want to eat lunch in your car.

It was a great day to walk the gardens. It was sunny but not hot and humid, and the breeze was enjoyable. It is great to see the bees and butterflies pollenating

Have to agree with earlier reviews. While the grounds, lighting and conservatory decorations were gorgeous, it was so over crowded, it was difficult to really enjoy at night. Large groups of people just standing in front of entryways & exhibits, even blocking some of the walkways, oblivious to others. Many scooters in small spaces. As for the food, it is long lines for the cafeteria, which offers barely ok food. The outside kiosks offer only pizza, of the inedible type and at exhorbitant prices. $15-17 for a tiny personal pizza that is basically under baked cardboard. If you go, pack your own food, snacks & water We did see some with small soft side coolers. Overall, all mixed bag. Go for the beauty, pack your patience.

Not impressed. Yes, there were some flowers. The chiming tower was nice. The water lily display and the talk was informative. Bonai tree displays were good. Nothing impressive about the fountains. You can see dancing water for free in Vegas. The last water and light show was around 30 minutes and was set to songs. We only knew one. We wanted to get a pizza at the Beer Garden and listen to the live music. Well, it had rained so we went to the cafe. No one knew if they were offering more pizza. It was sold out. First, we were told to go to the Beer Garden, then another employee said, no more will come out here. So no one knew what was going on there. Wish they were sold out after all, the pizza was $14. for a very small and not good tasting pizza. The worst thing about being here is you're trapped once you're in. Why? Why can't you leave and eat at the picnic area? Why can't you go back to your vehicle and put on more sunscreen? Had to carry everything with you. I couldn't even go into the gift shop without having to go get a 45 minute "pass". No thank you. I guess you don't want me spending money in the gift shop. There were water refill stations. Would not go back.

Longwood Gardens has been a family favorite destination for decades. My husband was raised in the area and we often come to visit family and always include a trip to Longwood. This year was different! We made a reservation for a time slot, arrived at opening time and waited in line distanced safely from other visitors, ALL wearing masks appropriately. The Conservatory was just as magnificent as always, but now with one way traffic patterns which made it more enjoyable, in my opinion. The giant lily pads were in their glory! All the other rooms were open and the flow of visitors was just right. Outdoors we enjoyed two different fountain shows, walked the woodsy paths near the meadow, marveled at the impeccable grounds, and felt very, very safe. Longwood is a national treasure! They have taken every precaution to make your visit and enjoyable and safe! Bravo!!

Ticks! We’ve been going to Longwood for years and we will go again… I hope! But, today, we came home loaded with ticks. The one thing we did differently today that we usually never do is take a walk through the wildflower paths and visit the tree house. We had a visitor with our family today and he had never been to Longwood, so we wanted to make sure he saw the entire place. That was a horrible mistake! The path with the tree house that leads to the Pierce Du Pont house is where we believe we picked up the ticks. We collected 14 of them! Longwood, we love you and we will be back again, but this trip was a disaster!

The BEST landscapes water fountains Christmas lights and historical place I've ever been I could literally go there every weekend and be fine with it, it's absolutely ridiculously awesome. The staff is great. The best experience ever the best landscapes point blank! It's great for all ages from 2 years old to 92 years old it's great you must go!!!!

Christmas at Longwood is always beyond amazing. Arrive late in the day so you can see all the lights. The only downside is that the pricing for this "event" is twice the normal admission, with no reduced amount for seniors. It will also be crowded so prepare to walk. A lot. And that's just from the parking lot. Plan to spend at least 2-3 hours there

I have visited the gardens many times over the last 6 years. I have enjoyed every visit! There is always something new to see and the displays are well done. I have brought guests here and they always enjoy it. The fountain displays are fun! The dining options are pricey, but are delicious and presented nicely.

We had no idea that this treasure existed.The gardens are gorgeous, stately, diverse, and extremely well maintained. There is a huge greenhouse and beautiful open meadows walks with songbirds. Highly recommended.

My Family would go to Longwood after Church when I was a child. My last visit was probably 50 years ago. Some things I had forgotten and was reminded of them when I saw it again. Very nice, I highly Recommend. It was very hot the day I was there. Be prepared to walk a good bit. The entry price may seem a bit high, but when you see the Facility and realize all that they are presenting and maintaining you will find it well worth the Price.

Finally visited in the season of Christmas and it definitely did not disappoint. The night was unusually mild and no issues of being to crowded. So much to enjoy, so much to take in especially if you have never been there. I was there in June and by far the top of the season. I had to experience it again and I would go back over and over and over again. Such a grand journey through the gardens of Longwood.

Staff all friendly and asking how they can help. Been a while since our last visit so the wow factor still very much present. Parking easier than I expected. Had tickets for the fireworks/ fountain show which made my wife laugh like a little girl for 45 minutes. Tried too late for reservations at 1906, but The Terrace Cafe was surprisingly good. Had a mango salad and the salmon entree. Both were large portions and beyond expectations.

One of the best light displays we have ever been to. Acres and acres of lights with plenty of indoor space to get warm. Two must sees the dancing light displays set to music and a magnificent organ with a view of the pipes and bellows.

I was really looking forward to this garden. We have been to over 20 gardens around the world. I LOVE gardens. I can spend hours looking around. Calling this a garden is unfair.

This is a park. It's closer to Central Park than to a botanical garden. There are few formal gardens - most of the property is a meadow trail or trees. No real gardens to meander through. The best flowers are past the fountain - not labelled on the map. The conservatory is under construction. Yep - no mention on the website. It will be under construction till 2024.

The worse price is the TOURIST TRAP of illuminated nights. The website encourages you to spend 3-4 hours. So I booked 5:30 tickets planning to stay for the 9:15 night show. We arrived at 5, and I was bored by 6:30. Yep - after 1.5 hours I was bored. I kept looking at the map wondering what I was missing!! So we went to the beer garden for the music. This is most packed part - clearly other bored people waiting for the fountains. Buying 12 oz beers for over $8. Sports venues are a better value than this beer garden! There is no reentry - so you are stuck - bored - spending more money waiting for the night fountain show.

WHAT A COMPLETE AND TOTAL RIP OFF! I CAN NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE AT ALL! SO MANY GREAT BOTANICAL GARDENS IN THE WORLD - but this park is pretty boring. WAY OVERPRICED!

This place is absolutely stunning! The grounds are huge and there are so many different areas that each have their own individual beauty. I can only hope to come back some time when its less peopley so I can get some better shots!

We absolutely loved our visit here! The waterlilies were beautiful, and the conservatories and all the fountains and water features were fantastic. Be prepared to do a lot of walking, and be aware that there isn't much shade so you'll be in the sun a lot. I hope to come back and see it in the evening sometime!

Went due to celebrating 35th wedding anniversary. The 1st weekend of Longwood Christmas. Beautiful and magical. A must go! Staff is helpful and friendly. The Cafe has delicious food. My husband and I had a Wonderful time!

gorgeous grounds with amazing fountains, night fountain show is spectacular , would innately recommend

Other than beautifully decorated trees indoors, there was no Spirit of Christmas! The focus seemed to be on outdoor illumination, which was nice, except for the lit-up balls on the ground. The pastel theme reminded me of a 1980s Easter experience. There was no artistic or creative representation of CHRISTMAS, no Santa, presents, the 12 days of Christmas, elves, deer, nutcrackers, etc., anywhere. It was blah...again. Pass.

Simply amazing. Was a bit busy for me so next time will go
During the week. Would
Be a great date night. Food, drinks and all are on point. This is a don’t miss. Excited for the reno !

Fun place for the entire family with all types of vegetation and fountain shows. The evening show with colored lights and music was fantatstic! The cafeteria had quality items nd reasonabl priced for such a place. We wlaked over 6 miles in one day.

What an amazing site! Had time to spare while the rest of my group attending a training. Decided to go to the gardens to check them out. So beautiful and serene. Clean. Bathrooms were also very clean.

I have no idea what people are complaining about concerning “one way” herding or surly security. I experienced none of this. Quite the contrary: all the staff was extremely helpful and there was no “one way” herding. Tulips were peak. Daffodils were fading. Plenty to see. Even though part of the conservatory was closed for renovation, there is a huge amount of conservatory to see. An abundance of riches. Don’t let the closing of part of conservatory keep you from coming to this extraordinary place.

so there should only be one rating for longwood and thats a five star this place is beyond amazing will return for sure

Our 8 year old daughter could not have had more fun at the nighttime illuminated fountain show, featuring Disney music and the best fountain work I've ever seen in a garden environment.

The gardens themselves are beautiful and well worth spending a few hours exploring, and it was great that they had a full service cafe/restaurant on premises so you can really make a day out of this. Longwood is an absolute gem among gems in the prestigious Brandywine Valley.

Longwood Gardens is exceptional. It's so enormous. Compared to other botanical gardens in the United States that cost about the same admission, Longwood Gardens is 20 times bigger at least, and has so much more to offer than any other botanical garden with the same cost of admission. It's phenomenal what they have created there and you will be wowed!

My son's family has been members of Longwood Gardens for several years now and have invited me annually as a guest to accompany them to the Christmas display. It's always been a pleasure, despite the often frigid temperatures, but this year's visit was especially delightful. One of the upsides of the Covid restrictions was the decrease in numbers of visitors. That allowed the adults as well as the children a much less crowded environment. It also allowed us a lot closer parking spot, as well. We enjoyed all of the displays, including the conservatory which was, understandably, closely monitored re numbers of people allowed inside. I really think that this trip in 2020 was the best of all of them due to this situation of fewer visitors. It's a magical environment and one that all ages can appreciate. As a testament, the two young children with us ran ahead again and again looking for familiar locales. Longwood never disappoints!
I'm sure we will be back again next Christmas season, but we'll probably be among a lot more visitors.

This is a MUST visit. I went to their Christmas show and it was like being in a movie. Absolutely gorgeous exhibitions and I would go again in a heartbeat. Just spectacular!

Although it was a very hot day, Longwood Gardens did not disappoint. With the availability to visit indoor, cooler areas, we arrived around 1 and stayed through to the nighttime fountain show. The new experience spaces are awesome - well-designed and relaxing. We also had the opportunity to dine at 1906, which was a great experience overall. Great wait staff and really good food. It had been at least 7 years since we last visited. It won't be that long again!

While in the area for a wedding, my cousins and I visited this spectacular garden. We had limited time, so we concentrated on the Conservatory District and the Idea Garden, as this place is immense. The Bonsai Courtyard is fascinating. The room with the orchids shouldn't be missed. We enjoyed the delightful Fall displays of pumpkins, gourds, and mums. The staff were knowledgeable and happy to answer questions.

Longwood is absolutely amazing. Their gardens are immaculately maintained. It's beautiful and relaxing. The history of the gardens and the relationship to Dupont is showcased in the Dupont Mansion. The fountain shows are a can't miss. I even love their cafe which has the best mushroom soup I've ever had. I really can't say enough about this place and I can't wait to see what it's like when their Reimagined project is done - they're upgrading their conservatory which is already amazing! Don't let the construction deter you - there's tons to see and it doesn't detract from the magic.

What a wonderful experience viewing the 110,000 Tulips planted this year. It was magnificent. A beautiful array of colors. The gardens are pristine, and the area is mostly level and easier for those who might need to use a scooter or wheelchair.

Did not disappoint, as always, even with renovation going on in conservatory. Got to see fountain display. Lovely grounds. Conservatory was amazing.

What more can we possibly add to the literally thousands of 5 star reviews? This was our first visit and it will most definitely not be our last. Beautiful gardens, grounds, fountains. Seemingly endless paths to wander and explore. We spent 8 HOURS here because once you see all there is to see during the day and have dinner in the wonderful 1906 restaurant, it's a whole different beautiful experience once the sun goes down. I can't wait to visit again.

After having visited The Morris Arboretum earlier in the day visiting here was the icing on the cake. Wonderful flowers overwhelming natural beauty. One could stay here all day just take in the lovely landscape. If you love nature and flower eye candy you must visit.

If you go to the other section, you are not to go back to the previous one. One way all along. Very expensive foods and drinks. Security are the bosses here. Not the flowers.

Amazing experience this visit was a wonderful experience for my kids and I we love all the lights event and the shows were amazing

Beautiful place! The garden is like a sanctuary, gorgeous, specially the indoor display. The outdoor display is just ok during the winter, which was a little bit disappointing... But still worth it the visit, there's a lot to see. Be prepared to walk!

Oh my, this beautiful garden sets the standard for public gardens in the U.S.

We visited on an exceptionally hot August day but managed to spend close to four hours walking the grounds and conservatories.

It is well worth a visit and we look forward to returning!

A beautiful place for a day out with the family. Kid friendly. Christmastime is so pretty!

The timed entries are anxiety inducing if you're coming from long distance, and it certainly does not deter the gardens from overwhelming crowds, so I'm not sure why they haven't removed this, as it was implemented due to Covid. They will refuse entry if you arrive before or after your "window" which is bs. Entry fee is expensive! Average income families will not be able to afford this, especially larger ones. Avoid the food, it's outrageously overpriced and absolutely abysmal in quality (the mushroom stew was one of the worst things I've ever eaten, with an $18 price tag! better quality and flavor out of a can of progresso). The coffee tastes like dirt. No coolers allowed so consider bringing a backpack with packed lunches - sandwiches and maybe a soup thermos, water bottles, and snacks, since there's no re-entry if you leave (making it impossible to go get actual affordable and palatable food until you're ready to call it a day). The gift shop prices are laughable and embarrassing. Saw a tinsel tree in there that looked like it was from the dollar tree for $52. Mittens for $68 (I knit, and it doesn't cost anywhere near that for supplies and effort). A lot appeared to be mass produced stuff, nothing special. A couple of the ornaments I looked at had made in China tags, so not like these are handmade or boutique items - the mark up is bonkers. Terrariums, which are relatively inexpensive to make and fun to arrange as a diy project, being sold for hundreds of dollars. Oi. Oh, and expect to have a lot of patience, because the amount of self absorbed pos people who will walk into you before they will move aside just a little bit and allow for oncoming pedestrians on the footpaths are off the charts. And we're talking grown ass adults, not kids, who you'd think would have a semblance of common courtesy. Also too many incompetent and entitled parents who haven't instilled any boundaries or behavioral norms in their children and letting them run amok whilst staring at their cell phones and day drinking. Visiting on a weekday might make it less overwhelming and more pleasant overall,if you can.

We still go for the tradition and nostalgia. The new bonsai garden is neat. Not the same as previous years and pre-covid sadly (especially miss the live organist and Christmas carol song along!) but still a lovely place to visit. However, if my children didn't love it so because it reminds them of their childhoods, I would not spend the time and money anymore.

Enjoy!

Great water fountains that are timed for quite a show. The well manicured trails have exotic plants along the way. The Dupont home is worth a tour.

Be prepared to walk, but see almost any/every plant under the sun. What doesn’t grow in the natural PA landscape is in elaborate conservatory greenhouses. The lily pads and fountains are exceptionally beautiful...be sure to check them out. Definitely worth seeing!

Longwood Gardens was stunningly beautiful and just amazing at every turn. See the bonsai garden. We were there the Tuesday before thanksgiving and rain was predicted so that may have held the crowds down as it was not crowded at all during the day. More People were arriving around 4 for the tree lights but we were leaving around that time. You could easily spend all day. No food or backpacks or coolers are allowed inside but they have refreshments in several areas. I read some reviews below about unfriendly staff. That was not our experience. The lady at the front desk that checked us in was very friendly. A shout out to the volunteers (Frank and Craig) who were quite friendly and took our picture and also to Judy over in the DuPont residence. As other people wrote below, wear comfortable shoes and bring some water. Can’t wait to return in warmer weather to see roses and chrysanthemums.

visited for the evening fountain show. The theme for that night was Lady Gaga and Madonna. The sound was a little off due to one of the speakers being blown but the show was still a must see event. The last song of the night was "Born this Way" and the show had rainbow colored lights to go with the song, it was very fitting! Highly recommend.

This repeat visit to Longwood Gardens reminded me of how magnificent this place is. The pictures on the website don't do it justice. The grounds are glorious as were the conservatory and the fountain show.

Longwood never fails to impress. But I want to highlight a wonderful experience. Along the way through the conservatories, I dropped a sweater and thought it was gone forever. Good news! On their website you can enter description of lost item and your contact information. They called me and we picked up the sweater the next morning. What a wonderful way to handle lost and found.

As longtime fans of Longwood Gardens, my partner's and my most recent visit was another wonderful experience. Our ticket times were for 10:30 AM; we covered most areas of the gardens, the open parts of the conservatory, took a long lunch at the restaurant, grabbed a drink at the beer garden, and got seats for and watched the 9:15 PM fountain show during this visit. This was our first experience navigating the Gardens with accessibility needs, in addition to it being first experience navigating accessibility needs in public together, and we were extremely pleased at how enjoyable our visit was! The staff throughout the Gardens were incredibly courteous, professional, and kind in ways that really enhanced the quality of this visit for us. This review will focus on 2 elements, navigating the property with a rented ECV, and attending the nighttime fountain show.

PART 1 (ECV experience):

During the first half hour of our visit, my traveling companion realized a small mobility issue they were experiencing would prevent them from fully enjoying the visit without a mobility aid. While ECVs (electric scooters) and manual wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-serve, free (optional donation) basis in the visitors center, my partner did not realize they needed mobility assistance until we had made our way out to the Italian Water Garden (a substantial walk from the visitors center). At that point, he realized he was unable to continue walking and would have great difficulty returning to the visitors center on foot to obtain a mobility device. The lovely staff member stationed at the Italian Water Garden, who helped us to learn about our mobility aid options, radioed security, who provided a shuttle ride back to the visitors center for my partner.

The mobility aid rental folks in the visitors center were incredibly kind, helpful, and accommodating, especially given that my partner had never rented an ECV before. While ECVs/wheelchair rentals are first-come, first-serve, there were still a number of both available around 11:30 AM on a bustling Saturday morning. My partner found the ECV easy to use while navigating outdoor paved paths, the conservatory, restrooms, etc. He charged it once during the 9 hours or so he was using it and the battery seemed to keep a charge very well. As a tall and muscular person, he found the seat very comfortable throughout that entire length of the day.

Staff members and volunteers throughout the property were courteous and helpful, helping us to know routes that were/were not accessible, etc. My partner was able to walk for short distances, so was fine parking the ECV outside the restaurant and Pierce-du Pont house and walking inside, using restrooms while walking, etc. Please note that due to the terrain and historical nature of some parts of the property, not all areas are accessible: for example, the Pierce-du Pont house (if memory serves), the Chimes Tower interior, the Hillside Garden, some areas of Pierce's Woods, some areas of the Meadow Walk, etc. Maps and signage throughout the property helped us to find alternate routes for unexpected non-accessible areas, and the paper maps as well as the online map clearly mark non-paved paths, steps, etc.

PART 2 (Nighttime Fountain Show):

For us, this is a must-see feature of any visit to the Gardens. I highly recommend viewing the different scheduled themes/songlists in advance and planning your visit around that! Bonus: this is FREE and does not require a separate ticket (except for shows with fireworks, which is another story). Describing the experience or viewing video of it online does not do it justice - the choreography of the lighting, fountain shapes, and fountain fire(!) elements to the music are truly breathtaking.

There are some chairs available on the Conservatory terrace, but I would advise bringing your own seating (blanket or chairs, etc.) as crowds can get dense and there is no seating on the large lawn area below which is much more popular. Seating can be set up beginning at 12 PM; though language on the website and on-site indicates that no exiting and re-entry is permitted once you enter the Gardens, it seems that visitors are allowed to exit and re-enter on event days solely for this purpose as an exception.

On previous visits, we had not brought our own seating, and were lucky to find seating on the Conservatory terrace just prior to the show. So for this visit, because we were unaware of re-entry policies described above we planned to bring in our own chairs and our timed tickets were for 10:30 AM (remembering seating setup is allowed beginning at 12), we sucked it up and stuffed some ultralight compact folding seats in a big backpack so that we didn't have to tote big folding chairs around for 90 minutes+ on a super hot day. If we had known about the re-entry exception, we would have brought our larger (seats not as close to the ground - important factor when you're super short like me!) camping chairs in the car, exited, and brought them in at 12 for setup. While a few seats began to get set up right at 12, I would say there was tons of prime real estate still available by 3 PM or so (theme was music of Dolly Parton, so a moderately popular event).

Longwood is usually listed among the top ten gardens in the world, and for good reason - it's always stunning. We've visited Kew, Butchart, Keukenhof, the National Orchid Gardens in Singapore, and Versailles among others, and can attest that Longwood is in good company.

We visited during their chrysanthemums exhibit, and it was beautiful on a sunny, autumn day.

We took a break and enjoyed visiting the organ and organ museum, and staying for an automated concert - an unexpected pleasure.

Lunch in the cafe was excellent - the Kennett Square mushroom soup was the thickest I've ever had, with lots of mushroom slices.

Staff was pleasant and helpful.

Make sure you get reservations as sold out the Saturday we visited. Limited visitors so not crowded and lovely as ever. Enjoyed the fountain show.

First time coming here. The grounds are beautiful. My favorite section was the observatory with all the trees and the different sections. They had all the fire pits going and live music in certain sections. Can’t wait to come back and see the park in the daytime.

Amazing gardens! Even though it is later in the season there was still plenty to see. The conservatory was one of the best I had ever seen. There are so many water features in the conservatory and through out the garden. We spent all day and I think we saw most of the garden. I would like to return to the garden when the new conservatory is completed. If you are a garden person I would plan on spending all day. Each of the docents were also very helpful. We ate a snack in the cafe which of course was ‘overpriced’ but the prices were what I expected. We went on a rainy day so the gardens were not crowded. We did not get to see the light show which I think would be nice to see. .

Definitely a must see type of place. The property is beautiful and breathtaking. The garden, the difference plant species, and the water fountain are amazing.

It's been years, like 45 since I last spent time at Longwood Gardens. My husband has never been. It was a crystalline October Sunday and we enjoyed this beautiful day, walking and searching the outside, but mostly the conservatory offerings. When the fountains and classical tunes started, the world there seemed to stop and we were allowed to enjoy their performance. After moving out of the area, I'd forgotten how wonderful a day here could soothe the soul and brighten moods.

This has been one of the most unforgettable botanical experiences ever. We planned a whole trip to DC and Pennsylvania around coming to the Longwood Gardens after recent reviews I found online. While we came during off-peak time, the garden was still amazing. The conservatory is well-maintained even during early Spring. The flowers were beautiful, especially the wide variety or tulips and hyacinths. We walked for hours and felt that we still had more to explore. Wear comfortable shoes! This may be the best botanical garden we have gone to in the United States.

Longwood Gardens is a great place to relax and refresh for people of all ages. It is one of the most beautiful botanical gardens I have been to. The place has stunning displays (changing with seasons) throughout a year, meticulously maintained grounds, and vast variety of plant species. The orchid house showcases many colorful orchids, and from time to time, there are new variety of orchids on display. The summer fountain shows are amazing. A self-service cafe and full-service dining room are also available onsite. If you plan to come here often to see different sides of the Gardens in different seasons (also check out their wonderful Christmas display), I would highly recommend the membership. Well worth it.

Finally had time while visiting in the local area to go to Longwood Gardens. Very large area that really would take a full day or several days to see everything available.

Very nice to have clean bathrooms, cafe, etc. available after entering. Water fountain show was very nice and would probably be even better in the evening with lights.

Summer day was hot so walking out in the prairie wasn't a good option. Walking in the woods in the shade was nice and most visitors were not there.

It was disappointing to see parents not control their children and allow them to climb around in sculpted bushes/trees, and to strip leaves off of branches. So sad.

Would return in the future when it cools down to see the rest of the grounds we didn't visit.

We enjoyed seeing everything, especially the flowers in the greenhouse. I brought my scooter which helped me see more. We hope to visit again.

After talking about it for several years we finally decided to visit at Christmas this year. We got a great package deal with a local BnB. It was the week of Christmas so the place was packed, but other than inside the crowds were no problem. We arrived around 2:30 and stayed until after 7. It was great!
We ate at the cafe; the food was very good and the service was too. We're used to mediocre food at closed venues, this was a happy surprise for us. A bit pricy, but good. After walking in the cold for a few hours we got a hot chocolate and that was also good, not watery like we expected.
The lights were amazing, there was entertainment, and overall it was a good time. We recommend it to everyone.

Hughes Gardens with extensive areas to walk and explore. It has an extensive collection of trees, bonzi, orchids, and an incredible

These are the best gardens! Because it is over 900 acres, everybody gets spread out and it is not crowded. We arrived at 10:00 (had a 10:30 arrival ticket) and there were probably 50 people in line waiting to get in. Once you get past the entrance and rose arbor, people get spread out. We love the Italian Garden and it still amazes us, even though we visited about 18 years ago. Since the weather was rainy and cool, and we were there on a Saturday, the Conservatory was crowded. We still took the time to admire everything. So much beauty that it is overwhelming and hard to put into words. I took a lot of photos. The short videos were interesting and we will definitely be back when the Crystal Palace is completed. We were here for about 4 hours and had no problem parking the RV in their parking lot.

Christmas 2020 display.
Well organized. Timed entrance, advance tickets required.
Masks required.
Stunning displays.
Not over crowded because of timed entrances.
Really a beautiful experience in a less than beautiful year.

Half of the Conservatory is closed for many more months. Many fewer azaleas than I remembered. Favorite rhodendron path now closed. Probably better named LONGWALK GARDENS. We clocked 3.8 miles and skipped some trails. Probably best to visit Thur-Sat evenings when the Fountain & Light show is own. Also view the Open Theater Fountain show which occurs @ 1015, 1215, 1415 & 1615h.

If you have never experienced the magic of a Longwood Christmas, you must go to Kennett Square and see the beautiful displays firsthand. Besides all of the amazing outdoor light displays, there is the Conservatory and duPont house to explore, live music, fire pits, food and drink for purchase, and whimsical tree houses to check out. Be prepared for the crowds, dress warmly with comfortable walking shoes, and you are guaranteed to have a memorable time. We just visited on 1/1/23 and spent three hours exploring the grounds and gift shop.

This is an amazing place. We came at 3 pm, left our chairs on the lawn and walked around to see all the plants. We made sure to catch the shows and had dinner at 1906, very expensive restaurant, but if you can afford it- by all means go there. They also have a cafe you can try.
They do not allow to re-enter, which is a shame, as we wanted to get our coats before the show.
We enjoyed the light show at night. Amazing!

I was here in 2011 also. This time, part of the conservatory was being remade, so was unavailable to the public. So, the big question is: Was it just as good or better this time, or did it disappointingly fail to live up to previous expectations?
The answer is: It exceeded expectations, in spite of everything not being available. If I lived anywhere near here, I would pay for membership. This place is immense, incredible, and has plenty of surprises.
Where to begin? There are numerous small gardens encompassed in a massive acreage. There are two fountain gardens. One is immense and puts on shows timed to outdoor music, reminiscent of the Bellargio in Las Vegas. The other, at the opposite end of the place, is an Italian Water Garden.
There is a meadow one can walk through, a woodland, a greenhouse, various buildings, a small topiary garden, children's garden, flower garden, and many other places. So much to see and do.
There is a small cafe, restrooms throughout, and guides available walking around to assist you. Also, a gift shop. Plan on spending time here. I was here for about four hours, and didn't take it all in. Saw the other things last time. I don't remember seeing a tram, or public transportation, so plan on walking...a lot!

We visited on a Saturday since that was when we could get timed entry tickets. They were sold out for that day and the place was very crowded. The gardens are lovely and the home is more of an exhibit relating to horticulture (very few family related items). It having lunch, I would recommend waiting until about 2PM. The cafe isn't very large and it was very chaotic trying to get food. Pizza can be gotten at the Biergarten. I would recommend about 3 hours to visit and walk around the grounds.

This is a beautiful property with manicured grounds. The Tulips were in full bloom when we visited in late April. Very nice walking trails made for a pleasant visit.

Despite the sold-out crowd on Mother's Day, things never felt TOO crowded. The fountain shows were beautiful, as were the various themed displays. I'd love to come here every season.

It was very hot, and I wish I had worn better shoes, but this place was amazing! I can’t wait to go again! It was a microcosm of a lot of beautiful places I have beenin the world!

Longwood Gardens is beautiful in each season.
Beautiful flowers and well kept grounds. Just wish they had more stakes identifying each flower.

If you're on vacation and don't have a ton of money to spend, consider searching out a local botanical garden. They are always pretty affordable, you're guaranteed to see something beautiful, and you'll leave relaxed. This particular one was exceptional, and I've been to many across the U.S. There are so many stunning and interesting spaces. Be prepared for a LOT of walking and give yourself plenty of time. I didn't dilly-dally, and it took me 7 hours to see almost everything. It is well laid out with great signage and maps. The only thing I was disappointed in was that there was no schedule posted for the one shuttle they have that takes you out to the old barn. Everytime I went by where the shuttle was sitting, nobody was there, and the volunteers I asked did not know the schedule, so I didn't get to the farm. Other than that, I had a terrific time. I really appreciated the super organized way the café was set up and I thought the prices were reasonable. The food was good, too! Would go again and again if I lived in the area, and I surely wish I did.

Love this place. Just beautiful at Christmas time. The most unusual poinsettias and there are different ones each year.

Had wanted to visit here without realizing how large the gardens are. All the fountains are beyond description but make you feel as though you on an Italian estate. Be sure to plan your tour of the gardens around the time a fountain show occurs. If you are there after dark the fountain show is lit up. There are 3 impressive tree houses that you can climb up into as well as going through the DuPont home which tells the history of the family and gardens. The large trees of many species alone are worth the visit not to mention all the flowers and plants. The glass conservatory is mind boggling with so many different displays. The lily pond is a one of a kind and the living plant wall is amazing. Make sure to view the pipe organ that is an engineering masterpiece. So many places to visit in the gardens that you hardly know which way to go first. There is a terrace area that sells food and drinks. While we were there the polkadelphia band entertained with music that you could hear while walking around some parts of the garden. Parking here is free. Many places to just sit, rest and take in the gardens!

Two seniors visited Longwood Gardens on the Saturday of Halloween weekend and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We spent from about 11am to after 9pm there visiting the outside gardens, the meadow garden, the conservatory with their yearly Chrysanthemum Festival, the DuPont house/museum, the fountains (both during the day and at night for the light and music shows) and still did not see all of the gardens. Debated giving 4 or 5 stars but decided on 4 stars for the following reasons: 1. The crowds—the gardens got very very crowded after about 4pm when more people arrived to see the nighttime fountain light and music shows plus the Light: Installations by Bruce Munro, a limited time set of LED art installations that look spectacular at night. 2. The amount of people that did not wear masks (probably 95%), especially in the conservatory at night—it was literally wall-to-wall people inside. There is still a COVID pandemic ongoing. This made us extremely nervous and we wore masks. 3. The amount of (I assume) rental electric carts and baby strollers on the narrow pathways, especially after dark. We literally encountered 50 or more, most driven by people that had no regard for anyone else on the paths. 4. The inadequate lighting on the paths at night especially on the way down to the Large Lake where several of Munro’s LED installations were set up. 5. The fact that you cannot leave the gardens and get readmitted, so if you are planning to stay for the light and music shows, this time of year you need to bring heavy coats and carry them around all day. 6. The very expensive food in The Café restaurant—it cost us over $42 for two vegetarian stews in bread boats plus two coffees. I shudder to think what that meal would have cost in their fancy 1906 restaurant. There is also a large beer garden that serves food and drink outside that did have a band on the night we were there. Overall we enjoyed ourselves. YMMV.

I’ve been here a few times over the years, it’s always beautiful and quite informative. We recently visited during the Xmas season with of all of the lights, despite the cold, everything was lovely. For history lovers, Longwood Gardens does a great job at explaining the life and philanthropy of Pierre Samuel Du Pont.

Gorgeous place, great weekend getaway, very safe during covid-19. The beer garden is open outdoors for food & drinks, cold drinks for sale in many areas, and you can bring in food/drinks. The workers were cleaning/sanitizing tables as soon as people left, and kept groups 6 feet apart. Through out the gardens, workers are making sure people keep 6 feet apart. The park was "sold out" when we were there, but there was lots of room, easy to keep social distancing. Every hour, there are fountain performances where the fountains are set to music, absolutely beautiful. We stayed for the nighttime illuminated fountain performance at 9:15, and they were amazing. The park closes right after the nighttime fountain show, and there was no traffic getting out of the lot. Many hotels nearby. Great weekend getaway!!!

Truly amazing place, quite crowded for a Sunday. Tulips were extraordinary and the vibrant colors were delightful to see.

My boyfriend and I went early in the day but I would recommend later in day so you can see it lit up at night . It's beautiful to walk around but very cold other than in the conservatory. Food is also very expensive .

Our Longwood Gardens experience was amazing. Even though the weather was not great, we were able to enjoy our experience immensely. Everyone at the gardens is pleasant and helpful, and the displays are magnificent. We especially enjoyed dining at the 1906 Restaurant. The food was delicious and the presentation was lovely. Our waitress, Cheyenne, was exceptional. She was friendly, knowledgeable, and very accommodating. She really helped to make our experience memorable.

Save your money for now. The entire place is under major renovation. 1/2 of all the interior space has been totally destroyed. All the areas outside the main conservatory are gone. No more tropical plants...bonsai, greenhouses, water features, banana trees, orchids etc....nothing. Not a WORD about this is mentioned when you buy the full price tickets. You dont know that everything is gone until you already spend your money. NO mention of this is on the website. Even the retaurant was down to hotdogs and chicken fingers. What a huge waste of money.

For a winter weary Mainer this was a wonderful treat. Beautiful exquisitely kept gardens. Lovely place to stroll and be amazed by the riot of color.

Very nice Gardens. People were friendly and willing to help. Fountains were not running yet and there was construction at the Conservatory.

Words can't describe how beautiful and how worth it to see this garden is AMAZING we are here on our East coast RV trip and I decided to check this Garden out and it was worth making the trip here which was 50min were we were

DO NOT TAKE YOUR PROPOSAL, MATERNITY, OR COUPLE PHOTOS HERE. BEWARE OF PHOTO POLICY CHANGE: If you plan on taking any photos, professional camera, iPhone, or android OF PEOPLE— you have to pay a $250 permit fee to take photos OUTSIDE ONLY with a staff member following you around for less than 2 hours. If not, staff will harass you and tell you to put your cameras/phones away. No photos inside even if you pay the $250 fee. Applies to professional or “amateur” photography. Ridiculous.

Spectacular Longwood Gardens never fails to impress Be sure to allow at least 2 hours to experience it all. And visiting during Christmas affords an evening wonderland of lights and cheer.

FOR AN EVENING OF LIGHTS AND DELIGHTS, CHRISTMASTIME AT LONGWOOD IS A "MUST SEE'! THIS FORMER DUPONT ESTATE IS NOW LIKE A CASTLE OF FLORAL EXCELLENCE.

We understand it takes a huge effort to keep this place in tip top condition. But the prices charged too high. The place is far from in tip top shape.

This is must a place with is without words. There is so much to see and enjoy. It is a class act. I've been here 2 times before and I'm still amazed when I go back.

I've never got out of my way to see the water show during the day since I was busy exploring the gardens. This time I happened to catch it and it was fantastic. The put the show to fun music and it was just a blast. Standing on the Conservatory balcony is a great place to see it. I will not miss it again when I return.

The Conservatory is a is also a highlight. There are many sections each with a treat. They were showcasing the bonsai azaleas in the conservatory (the bonsai building is current being renovated) . There where 8 on display all in amazing bloom. I never realized they even had bonsai azaleas and one was 80 years old.

Other highlights for us where the Italian fountain garden and flower garden walk.
Also the Pierre du Pont park house has a short video on Mr. Pierre du Pont that was quite interesting.

There is quite a lot for all ages to enjoy including kids. I would think they would love the fountains, of which there are many, the lake and the lillie pond to name a few areas. Also the tree house and the castle come to mind.

We spend about 6 hours exploring on a very hot day and really enjoyed our selves.

We traveled to Longwood Gardens to view the holiday displays and decorations. Longwood Gardens is a botanical garden of over 1000 acres. During the holiday season Longwood turns into a holiday spectacular of Christmas trees, lights, fountains, miniature villages and much more. You can wander through all the buildings, learn about the history of Longwood and immerse yourself in the splendor of the season. You will be overwhelmed in the beauty.

I have been here many times over the years, since I live about 2 hours away. We love coming here for the scenery and the horticulture. This past time was somewhat disappointing.

Stunning gardens. The Conservatory is beyond beautiful. The fountains in front of the conservatory is breathtakingly beautiful. We toured the other parts of the gardens before seeing the conservatory. Saved the best for last. Highly recommend this garden if you are in the area

How anyone can rate this less than five stars, I have no idea. I purchased an annual membership for a friend, and so glad I did.

Longwood Gardens is HUGE. Expansive. Rolling, varied, sprawling, yet well organized. The gardens have so many species of plants and flowers, so well curated and intermingled creatively and perfectly.

There is also a huge conservatory full of plants and sculptures and fountains. They also have a meadow and several forest walks and tree houses.

The cafe is pretty nice for garden/museum fare. They have a lot of sandwich and salad selections, cold drinks, a hot bar (I had salmon, salad/succotash, and roasted potatoes), a desert case, and grab and go sandwiches. All fresh. Expensive, but that’s what to expect in places like this.

They also have fountain shows (day and night) which are entertaining and spectacular! We went during the day, but can’t wait to go back at night.

All of the staff were super helpful in directing us to the best viewing spots. And while again, it is sprawling, and you could spend days here, the biggest attractions are fairly tightly woven around the main conservatory and fountains (for those who have limited time and mobility). They do have scooters to rent too.

The gift shop is well thought out and has some really nice (again, expensive) stuff.

Worth every penny. And the membership would pay for itself in just a couple visits, plus it gives access to special events (holiday parties, cocktail mixers etc).

Enjoyed our visit today - absolutely gorgeous weather and everything decorated for Christmas. Did miss a lot of what was shut down - bonsai area, tropical area, roses area, etc. - because they are expanding, but I'm sure on our next visit we will have lots more to see when they are finished.

Visiting Longwood Garden’s for the light fest. There’s so much beauty and calmness at this place. The greenery is astounding. the waterfalls are sight full. The plants and flowers are magnificent.

Stunning gardens and very interesting history of their creation by Pierre Du Pont.

We started at the Visitor Center with our timed tickets and decided to do the Flower Garden Walk first to see seasonal flowers in bloom as well as admire the fountains. Then we continued to the Meadow, which is vast and there is a beautiful 2.5 miles trail around the Meadow, but we did only a small part of it.

Our next stop was whimsical atmospheric Tree House - you can climb the stairs and take good photos from the platform with benches.

Then we went to see the magnificent 90 year old Main Fountain Garden. My favorites were the intricate fountains with cross-crossing streams of water forming a shape of a vase. And the rose garden as well as Azalea walk were spectacular.

The most impressive part of the Gardens is its rich Conservatory with rare tropical plants, gorgeous flowers, lush greenery, and amazing multi-color lilies in bloom.

There are dining options, The Café and The Beer Garden, were opened when we visited, but we were not hungry, so I cannot comment on the quality of food.

The gift shop is charming and offers a wide variety of souvenirs.

The parking lot is enormous, so you will definitely find a parking spot.

We spent almost five hours walking in the Gardens on a beautiful sunny and cool day. It wasn’t enough, so we will be back.

This is not a great time to see long wood gardens. Between the cold weather and a lot of construction.. there was not a ton to see.

Visit when weather is better and there is not a lot of construction.

Beautiful grounds that were decorated for Christmas. What a wonderful night walking through the pathway filled with color

the RUDEST, MOST UNPROFESSIONAL STAFF EVER! Now I'm out $85! Will scam you out of your money and be an a$#hole to you in the process. Might look pretty, but not worth the risk!

Purchased tickets in advance because they were running out of time slots. Something came up out of my control and wasn't able to make it. Called the office and was not only refused a refund or change of date well in advance before the date. It was the RUDEST, MOST UNPROFESSIONAL STAFF. They refused to listen to anything. I hope they're sued to bankruptcy.

I've been coming here since I was a child. I haven't been here in many years but am glad I came back. Everyone looked so happy walking around here. I love the conservatory. The Cafe was pretty overpriced for the quality of the food but everything else was nice. I sure got my steps in!!

My friends and I went to the Gardens recently and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because when it was time for the organ concert, the organist was a no-show and none of the staff could tell us anything. We sat there for 25 minutes waiting for nothing.

Otherwise, the rest of the trip was fabulous. The Carillon/bell tower was lovely and the bells were beautiful. The flowers were over-the-top gorgeous, especially the tulips. I took tons of photos and we enjoyed the Japanese garden, the European gardens and the treehouses immensely. We spent about 5 hours there and that was just enough. It was also a really pretty sunny day which made us enjoy our time there even more.

I come here whenever I visit the area! Allow 5 to 10 minutes to walk from the car park to the entrance. Might bring snacks, and a battery pack for your devices. Good WiFi near the main attractions and Webb Farmhouse. First day of A Longwood Christmas! Afternoon sunlight and some great fall colors still left. Good cream of mushroom soup and cornbread in the cafe. The Forest Walk was OK with city shoes. Needs more restrooms with more stalls. Restrooms in the pump house or near the 1906 Room are less busy. It would be good to buy savory snacks from food carts as well as sweet treats. Even I can have too much hot chocolate! Quite difficult to enter or exit

I just don’t know where to begin…The massive crowds? Underwhelming grounds? The cost for massive crowds and underwhelming grounds ? Yes. All of this.
It was like an overcrowded amusement park for flowers. The conservatory would have been enjoyable if we weren’t herded like cattle forced to snake around in a single file line due to the number of other people crammed inside.
Much of the area surrounding it is also under construction. Possibly hidden somewhere in there are palacial gardens that I can imagine rival some in Europe. But, not these gardens- there are concrete structures being constructed? Destructed? I don’t know- perhaps both.
The tulips and daffodils would have been glorious if others weren’t crowded and unmoving in front of them. I can only imagine what the grounds look like after a full season of being trampled on as the damage to the grass is already starting to show.
Perhaps it would be best to have reservations like they do at Christmas for the light show so that people can actually enjoy the grounds without fighting strollers or people who just have no consideration that others are there to enjoy it too.
We were in and out in an hour and a half. I would NEVER consider doing this in summer when the heat and crowds would be unbearable.

A very pleasant experience. The most impressive area is the tropical plant arboretum which is really large. Also, we were there in the day , but the nighttime light shows and installations are probably very impressive based on what we saw. We did get to see two dancing fountain shows which reminded me of the fountain at EPCOT, just not quite as large. The Gardens and buildings are expanding which will make it larger than the already massive size of this what I believe was a land grant from the Duponts. It will be more impressive to see in a few years. A great place for kids who can run free, picnicking and observing the birds and bees amongst the beautiful flowered meadows.A fairly impressive lunching area is also on site well as observation posts. The set up is such as to almost build to a crescendo as you go from the mild to the final garden area even if you wander off the main path. A pleasant day.

Longwood Gardens are a very formal type of garden. The entire setting is thoroughly designed and neatly kept -- think a French chateau versus a rambling English garden. I think I expected more perennial plantings than we saw. The annual plantings are lovely and colorful but a little one-note in some areas.
The water gardens - the fountain gardens may be a better term - were just wonderful with the gentle sounds of moving water, and the fountain 'performance' was quite a spectacle. The Italian water garden is smaller and more tucked away - very sweet and romantic.
I did love the Conservatory - it has a bit of wildness to it in the over-planted almost jungle quality in the main spaces. The silver garden and the orchid room were truly beautiful.
We enjoyed refreshments in the Terrace area - Beer Garden and Cafe. I expected food and drink to be pricey here, and they were, but not outrageous. It was a pleasant day to site outside. Staff were masked, but 99% of visitors were not. Staff was very attentive to cleaning tables and chairs as soon as the spots were empty.
I'm sure the gardens are really special at Christmas.
I'd long wanted to go to Longwood Gardens, and am glad we did.

Having a membership to the gardens allows us to enjoy this treasure year round. It is an ever changing setting to enjoy the beauty of nature and get some exercise. Limited timed admission during the pandemic keeps the crowds down and makes it seem safe.
There is beauty to find both inside and out.

A notable place. References can be obtained from better homes and garden. RockEfellowships will revise their pictorial.

Beautiful place!
I loved the roses. In the greenhouse there is a children section that is also fun for adults.
The chimes tower is the best part you can enter it and go down the stairs. Make sure to stay until it chimes. There is also a small waterfall on your way to the tower.
It is a very big place so it could take all day.
The food is expensive.
When you go you might see Amish couples on a date.
The water show with lights was included in our ticket with our tour group and it was nice, but it got long and repetitive near the end. I also do not like hip-hop music.

long wood gardens is a beautiful place go on thrusday friday sat or sunday to see the fountians show at night on till end of october

As always, the tulip display was spectacular! We saw the vegetable garden and tower for the first time. We've always gravitated towards the conservatory and the other side of the gardens in the past. The only negative was that it became very crowded as the day went on making it hard to see the tulips.

We've been waiting for cooler weather to return to this wonderful place, and now is a perfect time. The walkways are well marked, and the outdoor gardens are in full fall bloom. We picked up our "snack" lunch (available at the dining area, bought ahead online) and walked over to the fountain area where we sat on benches and waited for the 1:15 fountain display, while eating our lunches. The indoor displays were less spectacular than they are during the winter season, but still beautiful. We missed the presence of volunteers who are usually there to answer questions. The Covid-19 rules (masks, distancing) are clear and staff circulates to ensure everyone follows them.

Longwood is always lovely the covid19 has taken a toll on the gardens. We were looking forward to seeing mum's, dahlias, and other colorful fall flowers. There were long stretches of dirt with a sign that said spring planting. The area where the dahlia were displayed was filled with out of control weeds. The conservatory was lovely but didn't have enough seating for elderly attendees. They have done a good job of thinking through how the cafe should work but the food was not very good. The noodle salad was so cold that ice could have formed on it. It was almost inedible.

Our late April trip was the perfect time to visit this year to see the glorious colors of tulips in full bloom. The weather forecast was promising when we purchased tickets online a few days in advance, and the day turned out to be as beautiful as expected. We wandered the grounds at a leisurely pace for many hours and left satisfied with a historical as well as floral experience. The tulip gardens and formal east conservatory were my favorite places. Allow plenty of time to visit Longwood.

We love visiting several times a year and are always amazed at the transformation each time! Allow a Minimum 2 hours.

We visited during the fall mum show (actually our 3rd visit this year). Unique and interesting display of some of my favorite flowers both indoors and out.

Very well done in these times of social distancing. There was a line to get in that moved very quickly, spacing was clearly marked. I was able to show my ticket to a person behind a safety shield, no touching anything. Outdoors in the gardens it was easy to social distance, everyone was wearing masks when they were near others. The staff were conveniently placed around the property to make sure that things were running smoothly. Even indoors they did a good job of setting up a one way path through the conservatory so that there was no two way traffic. There were a good number of people but not enough that you felt that you needed to be near others. Nice Job Longwood!!

Out for a nice night with friends. Longwood is beautiful and no one can deny that but the clientele that goes to the events have a stick up their you-now-what. We got in trouble for giggling by the guy in front of us, and upon departure from the parking lot got cursed at by a man and woman in their car that we were trying to get ahead in the line to exit the parking lot -- we were only trying to get in the line somewhere so that we could wait with everyone else -- very uptight people who should just stay home! SO much anger at other people. Staff at Longwood was very friendly though.

I have always wanted to go to this place. We were nearby and decided to make a day of it. I wish I could have been there at night for fountain show with lights, but they had a fountain show at 10:00 am that I really enjoyed. It's a lot of walking but everything is really beautiful! From the fountains, to the conservatory to the gardens. Beautiful day to walk around. You have to get your tickets in advance so make sure to make a plan. We went at around 9:30 am and left around noon. I highly recommend if you have the time!

What a wonderful way to spend the day! I was happily surprised to find the walking trails to the great meadow. This natural setting, coupled with beautiful flower beds, gives visitors the best of both worlds. The outdoor beer garden was a lovely setting and I enjoyed the live music. So happy to see the orchids on display.

The grounds people, management, everyone seems to have forsaken these gardens. Security seems to be running the show. People with walkie talkie being rude to paying visitors.

The Christmas display is just beyond beautiful. The Conservatory was so special. It was raining pretty hard so we didn't get to enjoy the outdoor lights but we viewed them through the windows. They were awesome. This is a don't miss experience.

In the summer heat, the Dupont estate and Longwood Gardens are breathtaking.

Huge space with fountains of all sizes dancing to the sound of rock and roll music. and if you stay until 9pm, you will be amazed at the most dazzling and amazing sight of dancing waters amplified through colors, and torching fires.

The spring flower blooming season is in full display. At this time, there are 200,000+ tulips at their peak opening period. Walking just this portion of the magnificent gardens will consume about one hour of time and reservations for a specific time of visit are required. Having season tickets enables multiple visits during the year to be comparatively inexpensive. The flower displays are always changing so something new to see throughout the year. Self-serve wheel chairs are available for persons who are unable to walk the paths.

We went to these gardens on our last day in Philadelphia, only because it was recommended as one of the 30 things to do within 1 hour of the city. We spent there just a couple of hours, but it was enough to leave us completely in awe about the variety of plants as well, the general layout and architecture of the buildings and the incredible attention to detail and overall aesthetics of the place. We intend to go back as in reality you'd need at least a couple of full days to do justice to these gardens.

Longwood Gardens is such a beautiful place to explore! The fountains were amazing, with water shooting high into the air and creating a really impressive display. It was so peaceful walking around and enjoying the scenery. The gardens are full of colorful flowers and unique plants, and everything is really well cared for. It’s a perfect spot to relax and take in nature. I highly recommend visiting—it's a place you won’t forget!

This was a dream come true to finally go to these gardens. Everyone in the group was thrilled to see the different gardens. The highlight of the trip was the wisteria was in bloom and smelled heavenly. There were a few people working in the gardens and were happy to answer questions. There is plenty of places to sit if you get tired of walking. There are some very interesting trees as well as the flowers. It is amazing the amount of work they do here to keep the place looking pristine. Well done! Should definitely give yourself at least 4 hours to see all there is to see.

Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA never disappoints. Been going there yearly for over 35 years. It's a must see if you are a first-time visitor to the area. Leave yourself plenty of time (4 hours) to enjoy the whole grounds. Wear good walking shoes. We like heading there in the afternoon and then staying through dark to catch evening fountain shows. The train display is a favorite. Don't forget to walk over to the pump house behind the fountains. If it's really cold, head to the conservatory to get out of the weather. Christmas display is spectacular, but really any season of the year Longwood has something for everyone.

Amazing from start to finish!! Great place for anyone any age. Meticulously kept. Lots to see and do . Will definitely be going back

Visited for Christmas display. Had early arrival time as we booked late. So we got best of both worlds. Hiked the property during the day. We walked around the meadow and found beautiful views and away from any crowds. While still daylight hung around beer garden for refreshments and lunch. No line. As the sun sets and lights turn on more people arrive but we retraced some of our steps to view the beautiful lights. 8 miles in, we feasted with our eyes . Christmas lights are spectacular. Full day in at Longwood with good workout too!

We had a good time at Longwood Gardens today. Unfortunately because it's late in the season, some of the fountains were closed. The flowers and plants were spectacular. The next time I go I will pack a lunch because the sandwich that I bought there today was over $14....ouch! It took us just over 2 hours to go through all the gardens. We hope to go back next Summer when more flowers will be in bloom.

Must visit, very well run and very interesting. The grounds are well kept and roaming staff are very helpful and friendly

The conservatory is always delightful and this weekend's visit was no different. The staff do such a wonderful job keeping the displays all just perfect. Also appreciate the precautions taken during the pandemic. Timed tickets. Limited number of people in the conservatory at one time.

This place is boring. Very boring for visitors. Even the staffs are so bored, they bully the visitors.

We recently attended Longwood Gardens during their extended Longwood Christmas season. We purchased tickets online. When we arrived at the gardens we parked in the lot and proceeded to the main gardens entry. Here they had the walkway roped off and marked for social distancing. Once inside, we were instructed to self-scan our tickets & proceed into the gardens. Restrooms in the main entrance were closed as well as the main entrance to the gift shop. Printed garden maps were NOT available. You could take a picture of their garden map OR use their mobile map on your smartphone. Also, during this time: once you exited the gardens, re-entrance was NOT permitted (no handstamp).

In the gardens, we enjoyed the spectacular light displays. We particularly enjoyed the open air theatre water show to Christmas songs. It is one of our favorites. We attended several of the shows since they run every 15 minutes throughout the evening. We also enjoyed the light show in the main gardens and the light show in the woods by the Cathedral Treehouse. The Meadow Boardwalk walkway between the Italian Water Garden and the Lookout Loft Treehouse was really neat with HUGE glowing balls and a magical walk-thru tunnel. We also enjoyed the garden railway. That is one of the kids favorite things to see.

The main conservatory is beautiful & a nice place to warm up on a cold winter night. The smell of the flowers inside is heavenly. The added Christmas décor and trees really puts that special touch on it. We were a little disappointed to see the ballroom empty with just the organ standing by itself. We love getting to sing Christmas Carols here along with the organ music. Even though we did not get to do a sing-along, we noticed that Christmas Carols were being pumped in overhead throughout the Conservatory. This was really heartwarming.

Social Distancing in the conservatory: The MAIN pathways of the conservatory were manageable and felt OK. However, some areas of the conservatory were WAY TOO congested. I felt most uncomfortable in the passage with the Bonsai trees. This area is narrow and confined. People were congregating around the windows to look in. It made it hard to social distance . It was almost impossible to walk around them to pass them & get into an area with an opening as the line just zig zagged into the fruit greenhouses, which is also narrow in terms of pathways. Note: Children's Garden was closed due to the pandemic. MASKS were REQUIRED in the conservatory and recommended outdoors.

Overall, we enjoyed our visit with Longwood Gardens. We were there for around 4 hours total from start to finish. We enjoyed the holiday lights, water fountain shows and the conservatory. We did appreciate the timed ticketing that was offered this season, as it did seem to help with crowds. Guests were pretty spaced out around the outdoor spaces. It felt really safe. However, even with measures in place, some areas of the conservatory still felt crowded and uncomfortable. We did not visit the Cafe or Beer Garden. 1906 was still closed due to the pandemic. We did stop in the gift shop on the way out. Merchandise felt rather sparse compared to prior visits.

Bottom Line: I would recommend for a Longwood Christmas & we will be back.

We really enjoyed our visit to Longwood Gardens. We have never been here before and was pleasantly surprised by the beauty and variety within. From flower gardens, to water features, to wooded areas and meadows, to ponds and tree houses, the land was simply beautiful. The conservatory and the lilly gardens were astounding. Longwood is much more than a 'flower place' as my husband often refers to such places. He loved the gardens as well and that's saying something. Lol.
We visited on a Thursday, so we stayed for the Festival of Fountains. Amazing 30 min show at the main fountain gardens. If you visit in the summer, you must stay for that!
We were there for 7 hours, which included many breaks due to the heat and dinner at the Terrace. We didn't see any of the meadows because there was no shade and it was too hot.
We'll definitely be back. I'd love to see the gardens at Christmas time and in the Spring. Definitely visit the gardens, you will not be disappointed.

I’ve visited Longwood Gardens many times, and I’ll certainly plan to return! It’s a consistently beautiful, well-maintained, relaxing, and educational destination for anyone who loves gardens. I highly recommend Longwood Gardens any time of year!

Absolutely beautiful botanical gardens with miles of walking paths, many with shade, many with sun. There are 2 pools of water with shows, each about 5 minutes, with music synchronized to the jets of water, similar in nature to the Bellagio in Las Vegas. There are flowers everywhere, that both look and smell beautiful. They follow CDC guidelines, no masks if you are vaccinated, and no test; they trust you.
You need a timer ticket to get in.

The whole place is wheel-chair and stroller-friendly, with ramps and/or elevators everywhere,

Free parking,

Very well with the time and money,
The website says that a part of the park is closed for renovations but we spent the whole day with plenty to see and do.

Longwood is impressive in any season, but the Christmas decorations are a joy for the entire family. This is a tastefully done display without any dancing reindeer! It does have many impressive displays, and the Conservatory decorations are the star of the show.

TIP: Take a break at the Cafe to warm up!

So beautiful. Visit until May 1st to see the spring flowers, but it’s worth returning to in different seasons to see how it changes.

I visited Longwood Gardens in the 80s, before my son was born, and decades later he took me back to visit. I found it as beautiful as I did many years ago. I really enjoyed the Bonsai Chrysanthemums exhibit and the pervasive fall colors! And I was able to take as many pictures as I wanted. I just read a recent review of somebody who was unhappy about their photography policy. When I visited last month, they had it posted at the entrance. I may be wrong, but my understanding of the policy is that they don't allow professional photographers taking wedding pictures or something similar. I took my old Canon SLR (Mark IV) and took pictures of my family with no problems. I noticed that other reviewers posted their pics in TripAdvisor so I am posting mine.

Came here right after Xmas to enjoy the night light show with friends. All tourists were spread out and wore masks. We came on the 26th and that day was very cold. The masks actually kept our face very warm.

The lights were beautiful and great. Some even dance with music and water. Make sure you bring a camera that has night picture mode and bring a power bank with you. I charged my phone up to 80% in the car but when I left, I had a mere 20% power left. I could not stop taking pictures!

Longwood Gardens is beautiful any time of year. We were lucky today that it was the last opportunity to see two features. The first was the flower walk with gorgeous purples, reds, blues, oranges, yellows and of course greens. The current summer flowers will be replaced starting tomorrow. I addition to small identification signs by some of the plants, there were staff around today who could respond to questions. The second event that is ending its season is the fountain display. We were able to catch one of the shows where fountains on several.kevels sent waters up and around to the accompaniment of classical music. An impressive sight. There is even change afoot in the conservatory. Some expansion construction is going on that limited access to some displays, but fortunately samples of tjobgs like orchids and bonsai were brought out into the main areas. Adding lunch and a visit to the gift shop topped off an enjoyable, entertaining and educational visit. 

Be careful where you stand or you will get soaked during the excellent water show. The grounds are beautiful and well marked. It is a great place to enjoy an afternoon with the family.

Truly a magnificent experience. The Gardens - amazing. The Greenhouse - stupendous. The grounds are immaculate and there is a great sense of peace just walking around the paths.
The Bell Tower chimed for quite some time at 2pm.

Not a big flower guy... but this was amazing!

Headed up here on this cold spring day for some warmth and flowers. Was looking forward especially to the tulip fields which did not disappoint. A bit pricey at $25 but worth it. Great date idea or way to be depression.

Worth every last penny. Lush plants every step you take. Perfectly taken care of. A pure joy to experience. Can’t wait to go again!

First trip in spring was great. Went to see fountains and gardens. Had a wonderful lunch, perfect weather low humidity. Bought the garden tour DVD and definitely will come back as I did not see everything. Good intro trip. Envy people who live nearby to be garden members.

We went in the evening for the nighttime fountain show. It was wonderful. We saw both the 8:15 and 9:15 shows. The colored lights and music joined with the dancing water to make a unique show. We were sitting close to the fountain and regularly received misty overspray on our heads and clothes. All part of the ambience! We did not walk around the gardens at all since one member of the group has mobility issues. If I am in Philadelphia again, I will walk around the gardens to see what we missed this trip.

Always great to visit this beautiful garden. The tulips on main flower garden walk and in idea garden area are amazing.

They go all out for Christmas! Don't miss the fountain show! Check out the decorations in the conservatories! Lots of things that change colors!

I love Longwood Gardens. It is my Gold Standard for garden experiences. I know I should never compare one garden to another as they are all different and unique in there own way BUT I find that I always do compare. This happens because Longwood goes above and beyond to create an awesome experience for the customer.

This visit was for one of the Fireworks and Fountains shows. I had never attended one of these shows so did not really know what to expect on my visit. I was pleasantly surprised. There are two choices for seating - lawn seating or assigned seat. My visit was solo so I chose the assigned seat. Price was not too bad for one person, but may be considered pricey if you are paying for a family. The cost includes the show and all day access to the garden which I feel justifies the cost of the ticket.

Since I had all day access, I spent several hours wandering the many paths of the garden before attending the show. Some of my favorite areas are the Italian garden, Conservatory, Pipe Organ, and the treehouses. The treehouses are very cool!. There are several located at different sections of the garden. They are well built to allow big kids to enter. Each is uniquely different. It was fun to "hunt" for each one so I could see what it looked like.
Oddly enough the Pipe Organ is actually interesting too. I know what you are thinking but it is worth a quick look to see all the "pipes" used for the organ. Very unique thing to see at a garden.

Food is available on site. I chose to order a Portobello sandwich in the Beer Garden area. I added one of the decorated shortbread cookies for dessert. Prices seemed a bit high to me. I liked that there was plenty of outdoor seating and wine or beer was available should you want alcohol.

I highly recommend a visit to Longwood. I am never disappointed with the garden and there seems to be something new each visit. It is well worth the price of admission.

Visited Longwood on 4/24/2025 from Wayne NJ, about a 3 hour drive. No need to repeat here all the accolades of Longwood Garden - recently rated the #1 Botanical Garden IN THE WORLD. On this date, the Tulips were in full bloom, a specular display. A Bonsai Garden was recently added, with some unbelievable specimens including several breath-taking bonsai azalea. As our visit was late April, the fountains were not yet operating, so we will return for those.

A word of advice - plan to arrive at the Gardens opening at 10am with pre-purchased tickets - as we did. We left about 11.45am and it was already very crowded and the line of cars to enter the Gardens was about 1 mile long. So unless you wish to walk a 5k from the parking lot - get here early.

We went in the late afternoon on a very hot Sunday. We saw a day time Fountain Show and the night time Fountain Show. The night time Fountain Show was amazing. I thought it was better than fireworks. We listened to Irish Music at the Beer Garden and dinner of Poke bowls at the Cafe. Everything was wonderful

Beautiful place, I always enjoyed going there, although I haven’t been in years.

Except 2 things really stuck out to me this time:

First was that it was crowded. Very crowded. And I’d say at least 33% of the adults were unmasked indoors. This made me feel uncomfortable and unsafe and really detracted from the visit. The only apparent concession to the pandemic was ample hand sanitizers.

Secondly as I’m now in my mid-sixties I noticed the almost complete absence of HC ramps and hand railings in outdoor places. I figured with the big renovation there would be some ACA based upgrades. Maybe they are coming, but they were not there currently.

Gardens were beautiful! Loved the Conservatory, Flower Walk & Fountain Show. I am taking off one star because we were looking forward to renting "scooters" to ride around the gardens, but when we got there, it wasn't until half way through the rental process that the cashier explained to us that "scooters" were actually motorized wheel chairs for people who could not walk the longer distances. We were very disappointed. That should be clarified and re-worded on their website. We also were frustrated to walk all the way to the Italian Water Gardens only to find them empty. If a display is out of order or not active for some reason, it should be noted on the map or guests should be notified upon arrival so they don't spend the time walking there and can focus on other areas. Other than that, the gardens were lovely.

Anytime I'm back to the East Coast, I would not hesitate returning to this spacious, flower filled gardens. This is Heaven on Earth for the immense joy, happiness, peace and calm to experience. I especially love the Tulips garden.

My husband and I went with another couple who live near the gardens. They go often but this was only our third time. But we were surprised that we were even more mesmerized and enchanted on this visit.

The ingenious design throughout the property sets it apart from any contender for the title of best garden. From the conservatory to the private bathrooms; the architects and planners of both buildings and gardens exhibited masterful minds.

We toured the buildings then walked the meadows. Each was visually compelling and the meadows walk had the additional attractions of birds and butterflies.

From young children to elderly, there was something for everyone.

This was our 4th visit but first during the Pandemic of Covid. I was impressed with how they limited the number of people and managed the flow of people especially inside the conservatory. I found many sitting opportunities where I can take in the sounds of birds and scents of the surrounding blooms. Had many photo opportunities. No crowds. Awesome spring day was had. We enjoyed our packed lunch on the outdoor grounds and left with wonderful memories. Nice weekend getaway. For an overnight stay, next time, I would consider the Brandywine area along 202 for more dining and shopping options. I would tour first and finish up with the overnight.

Longwood Gardens is an absolutely beautiful, immaculately maintained garden paradise. The grounds are huge and the gardens are varied (meadow, forest, rainforest, desert). You could easily spend all day here and not see everything. The fountains and water features are incredible and definitely make time for the fountain show. The restaurants have fresh healthy food and vegetarian friendly options. Wear your walking shoes and bring a camera. Longwood is not to be missed if you're in the area.

These are absolutely amazing gardens
We spent more than 3 hours wondering round the different arrangements, visiting the large central hall with its cactii, and other arrangements. The music venue with its huge organ is well worth a visit
The dancing foutains were spectecular
It was a shame we could not stay for teh drone display but the tickets had sold out
The only downside was that the cafe food was not that good and it was expensive

This place is absolutely awesome. Lots of walking trails and fountains and many gardens with large varieties of flowers for all seasons. The Huge Conservatory is absolutely beautiful with several rooms of varying flowers. We have been twice now and look forward to going sometime during Christmas season. We have heard it is spectacular.

We came once again to see fireworks and gardens and like the first time it rained most of the day and we only got there maybe an hour beforehand. This time, however, we were lucky that the rain stopped as we were driving from our hotel and the skies cleared allowing for a lovely, but short visit to the garden before the fireworks and fountains show. The last time the sky was so cloudy and there was so much fog and the fireworks themselves created so much smoke that we barely saw the fireworks and I don’t even remember seeing the fountains, at all. This time we were blessed with perfect viewing conditions from our excellently located seats. Both the fountains and the fireworks did not disappoint. They were truly magnificent. My only suggestion here is that if they could have the fireworks go off closer to to the fountains you could see both at the same time, instead of constantly having to choose one versus the other. This would have made the experience vastly better and less frustrating. The music, which started weakly, got better as the show went on, but they should do a better job on their selection next year. Quibbles aside, it was one of the great evenings of my life and worth the hefty price tag, not to mention the 3.5 hour drive there and the cost of the hotel, to boot. If we are alive and able to visit again next year, G-d willing, I think we will make another pilgrimmage, barring conflicting plans.

I enjoyed my second visit to Longwood Gardens. The flowers, plants and Christmas displays/lights are pretty neat. It was sold out, but they do a pretty good job controlling the flow of people through the buildings (for the current covid concerns). Do the conservatory building in daylight and then later after dark. It is really different with the lighting. Pretty in both settings.

The Conservatory was extremely hot and humid ( as expected) but our friends wanted to see all of it. Thank goodness the new addition won’t open until November. The bathrooms in the conservatory are individual and separated for either male or female usage. Only 2 were “ accessible “ and a long wait.
We walked to see the Italian Fountains but there were not a lot of benches. Being 75 I became very tired and hot. The gardens are beautiful but it was a very long walk to them.
When I return I will focus on one section of the Gardens and not attempt to do everything. Probably will skip the conservatory.
They have a policy that once you are inside the gardens you cannot go out to the parking area and re-enter. They probably should re look at that and have some guidelines. For example, you can return within a time window 15-30 mjnutes if you need to get something from your car, or eat a lunch. No food allowed in the grounds.
There were busloads of school children and they processed them quickly.

Beautiful!. Grounds were meticulously maintained. Conservatory was exquisite. Every kind of plant and flower you can think of was there: Fountains, topiaries, woods, meadows, tree houses, lily pads, Tropical, desert, etc. Lots of walking. Would love to experience this place in every season. A must see! The food was all pre-made due to Covid but reasonably priced and lots of tables available. The admission price is a steal.

For the price of admission, the attraction is average. The food at the consession builting is waay overpriced for poor quality.

The focus away from plants (like the beauties we photographed) to the ornamentation sort of dried and stand alone was a real disappointment. Re-direct your focus towards the living breathing plants!

We went to Longwood at the recommendation of a friend. It was gorgeous! I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys plants and trees and beautiful landscapes! Wear comfortable shoes as there is lots of walking.

It has been 10 years since my last visit but the gardens continue to wow me. We went first to the fountain to see the 3:15 pm show and that is best viewed across the way closer to the Conservatory to see the full show. We then meandered around the grounds and took pictures of the waterfalls, the castle and of course the flowers! We followed that up with the conservatory where the orchids are in full bloom and then made our way over to the Beer garden where there are three options for dining. We then had time to see the other gardens on the other side of the park and then concluded our visit by seeing the night fountain show. It was 45 minutes long and awesome (although some variation in music and some narration would have been nice). All in all, we will be back!

We have been going to Longwood Gardens for over 50 years and I don't think I have ever thought to write a review. For the past 10 or so years we have become members and that makes it even more special. I would give this garden a 10 Star if that was possible. I probably go to these gardens on an average of once a month. I have never been there when there wasn't beauty all around. In fact, there are always workers pulling weeds, deadheading or planting new plants, so no matter when you go, you see different flowers, plants and trees. Even in the cold months, the conservatory is beautiful. Christmas at Longwood is beautiful - both the conservatory and the outside light display. At the present time there is construction going on, so there is not as much conservatory as in the past, but there is still lots of outdoor beauty to behold. The fountains are special and beautiful and the evening light shows are fantastic. The place is quiet and peaceful (except for the construction site, which can't be helped). There are 3 large tree houses, an inside children's play area and an outside children's play area, so it is a great place to take kids. Our grandchildren loved it when they were little. We even love to visit the beautiful vegetable garden. I have never met a staff member or volunteer who was not kind, helpful and polite. We live about 1 hour away and I would go even more often if I lived closer.

Fantastic gardens, a must see if you are nearby. Even interesting for kids too. They also have a beer garden open for lunch during the weekend.

What a magical place!! Seeing all the decorations and the magnificent lights, along with Christmas carolers walking the grounds I swear you feel like your in a Hallmark movie!!!

My wife and I visited Longwood today, a beautiful February day, in the low 60’s. We have visited many times before, Unfortunately, Longwood is now more concerned about profits than customer friendliness. Before the pandemic, there were family picnic grounds that could be used in the middle of a visit. You could exit, eat, and return. The pandemic forced Longwood to require timed entrance tickets to control crowding. Very logical. Allowing people to exit and reenter also needed to be suspended to control crowding. But now, the pandemic is behind us. Longwood still requires timed tickets, which is OK. But, once you leave, you may not re-enter. You must either eat at THEIR cafeteria, restaurant, or haul in your own food IF YOU HAVE RELIGIOUS, DIETARY, OR ALLERGEN RESTRICTIONS. If you have these, you must report this and get a special wristband. Currently, the cafeteria and restaurant are under renovation. Not to worry though, you can still buy a hot dog and bag of chips for $7.50 (plus beverage). A few sandwiches, soups, fruit cup are also available. Entering Longwood is now like entering a stadium, where food is greedily priced and you are captive. There was a time when Longwood actually benefited the community. Small nearby restaurants made a living off Longwood visitors. Today, my wife and I complained and a Manager kindly gave us a “special pass” to leave and return. We found a lovely place in. Kennet Square called “Hanks”. The food was delicious and, if you wanted a hot dog, it was $2.95. We told the Hank’s manager about our experience. He laughed and said “Yeah, after all, they are a nonprofit”.

Always a must-visit venue whenever in the area, even with the current construction. (Conservatory is currently under SERIOUS construction).

A holiday must. Longwood does it right! Great food in the cafe. With the purchase of your timed entry ticket, you can stay as long as you like. We arrived about 3pm, had dinner about 5:30-6pm and stayed until 8:30-9pm. While it was very busy, we never felt it was too crowded.

Had such an amazing, relaxing day at the Longwood Gardens! The flowers, the variety of plants to look at.. amazing!
And don’t miss their “musical” fountains. Spectacular show!
Also highly recommend their “1906” restaurant.

#realtorTatyanaMakarov

Many people have reviewed Longwood Gardens and have raved about the grounds. However, if you have not seen Longwood Gardens during Christmastime, and at night, you are missing out.

Stroll around the grounds in the dark. It is a site to see. Enter the mansion and be amazed by how it is decorated.

You will not be disappointed.

It was fall when we visited Longwood Gardens, so some of the outside gardens were missing their flowers, but the property was beautiful. We took advantage of seeing the various lakes and ponds and overlooks and tree houses before returning to the magnificent French-style fountains and the conservatory. We were there just before sunset, in time to see the dancing fountains accompanied by music. It was magical. The conservatory was memorable, with flowers everywhere. But the highlights were the fern walls lining a long corridor, the rather remarkable rest rooms, and the children's indoor garden/play area. A gracious hostess guided us there just before closing when we had to leave. We would like to go back in spring or summer when the outdoor areas will be gorgeous.

Everyone raves about Longwood Gardens, and it is absolutely worthy all the praise. Plan your visit to include the evening dancing fountains. We were most impressed by the thoughtfulness and considerateness of the staff.

You will spend a full day here. Get ready to do a lot of walking. Gardens are beautiful. My biggest issue is that you have to wear a mask in the greenhouse which is stifling hot,...to the point I and my husband just simply could not breathe. You must check out the lilly pond garden (in the green house but outside so you can breath there)-I have never seen the amount of flowers or the size of the lilly pads. Amazing. Tip: Order the picnic pouch. Pick it up when you arrive, then pick a great spot in the gardens and enjoy a wonderful snack. We will go back but chose a cooler time of the season so that we can breathe.

What an incredible experience any time of the year. Each season is different. Christmas may be my favorite.

True Philly area treasure. Best in the country. Beautiful grounds with flowers, fountains and falls. Conservatories impressive. Watched amazing fountain show at night.

Longwood Gardens is open and amazing!!I came with 3 teenagers and we had a thoroughly satisfying, long visit. The formal gardens, rose gardens and water lilies are soothing for the eye and soul... Great buildings and structures to explore too... Just get your tickets for a reserved entrance time and then spend the day strolling at your own rate. Outdoor dining under canopies or picnic packs is available too.

We love this place... beautiful property enjoyable by garden lovers young & old... can easily spend a half to full day depending on your speed & interest. Aside from the gardens, the fountain shows are really nice too, and kids LOVE those.

I wish the on-site food options included more allergen info / allergen friendly options. I feel we would be more likely to stay longer if this were the case.

Visited late June to see illuminated fountain show. Gardens are beautiful even with areas closed due to construction. My favorite spot is the water gardens and it didn't disappoint. Beautiful. Currently there is no reentry which meant I was there much longer than planned. You're allowed to set up a spot in the viewing area and leave to enjoy the garden. My chair was undisturbed for hours. The only thing to mar experience was price of food. Not allowed to bring anything in so feel somewhat captive as can't leave. Still recommend. Fountain show was stunning.

Lovely for a slow walk in very scenic areas. The meadow garden has far fewer people. Masks required most everywhere.

This is a fabulous place to see beautiful gardens, fountains, etc. Also, the formal restaurant and the cafeteria (which has added a beer garden since my last visit) offer delicious food at reasonable prices. Also, the staff is very helpful.

My only complaint is that once you leave, you can't return unless you get a special pass. By the time I was able to get one, it was too late to help my elderly brother-in-law put together a scooter so my invalid sister could see the gardens.

I do not understand why they do not have those wrist bands so people can come and go as they do in other places.

Love these gardens. This was a perfect time of year to seen them; the water show was beautiful and the grounds immaculate. We went to an area we had not seen before and really enjoyed the beauty.

New sections are beautiful. We loved the outside bonsai courtyard. The holiday lights and decorations were great as usual. See 1906 restaurant review separately. The renovation of 1906 is also beautiful. Was a little disappointed I could not find a senior discount online when I booked the tickets.

My husband & I have visited Longwood Gardens at least a dozen times in the past 40 years, going at different times of the year to see the seasonal features. Each time we visited, the gardens sported a different look, which was always a delight. We visited most recently in late May, on a cool and overcast Thursday afternoon, using timed tickets to enter at 12:45pm.

Although the spring bulbs were gone, and the flowering trees and shrubs here were mostly done blooming (other than the beautiful tall “Princess” trees with their lovely lilac flowers), the grounds were so attractive, with lush lawn areas and stunning huge specimen trees and conifers throughout. It was a pleasure to stroll the grounds and enjoy the different areas and features we encountered (i.e. Peirce-du Pont House, lakes, meadows, conservatory, the various fountains, chimes tower, treehouses, topiary garden, bonsais, etc.).

We caught two fountain shows (a short one at the open-air theater and a slightly longer one at the main fountains area); the times are staggered so that it is easy to catch them both. (We had planned to watch the evening illuminated fountain show, too, but since it began to drizzle by then, we did not stay for it.)

We always love the conservatory, and even with the area under construction, the building was packed with plantings; the expanded orchid exhibit was wonderful. (This building now contains numerous private and family bathrooms.) There is an interesting pipe organ exhibit in that building; we caught an “automatic” organ performance, too.

The Peirce-du Pont House contains a good exhibit inside about the creation of Longwood Gardens and also showed two short films. Don’t miss the small but stunning miniature dining room on display in the video room.

Since we spent eight hours here, we had both lunch and dinner at the Terrace. The Café provided us tasty salads, and for dinner we enjoyed pizza from the beer garden stand. (Be aware that the prices for food & drink here are on the high side.) The visitor center contains a nice gift shop and also showed a few different films on a continuous loop. Throughout our visit, we encountered very cordial and helpful staff members. There is ample free parking. All in all, this is a wonderful place to visit!

Awesome gardens, revamp/under some construction so some of the displays were closed. Can't wait to see new Bonsai gardens in 2024!

Stunning arboretum grounds little less than an hour away from Philly. Went with wife & daughter to this amazing place. The glasshouse flowers and cacti with their myriad colours, shapes and sizes were fabulous. I am not vey familiar with horticulture nor do I possess a green thumb but these gardens are just too magnificent to describe in words. And the finale was a lovely show of the water fountains to

Longwood is an enormous botanical garden, but there are several nice places to rest your feet and get a bite to eat. We found a welcoming "lounge" when we had not made a reservation for lunch. First class menu and service, plus recyclable straws for a totally green experience.

Stunningly beautiful! Visited in winter and summer, both were equally fabulous. The winter light show and the summer light show are beyond compare

We had tickets for 3:30pm admission and due to my inability to follow directions, we got an even better parking spot!!! We were there the day after Thanksgiving so knew it would be crowded. Lights were amazing and grounds are spectacular. Quite a bit of congestion at the entry/exit point....but still a wonderful evening. My advice, take the kids for a magical night.

Beautiful garden especially the conservatory with a large water fountain in front. When I visited on September 13, 2024, there was a 25 mins water fountain show with music at 11am. I also ate at the cafe on site and enjoyed their mushroom soup a lot, the price of the cafe food is reasonable and no tip since it’s self service. I stayed for 3 hours for the day but you can easily stay for longer.

Gardens are beautiful, cafe food surprisingly good. We wanted to visit the gift shop for presents and souvenirs, but the stench of chemical scents on the products hit us like a wall when we tried to enter. A negative ending to what had been a fabulous adventure. The roses in the garden smelled amazing - the gift shop smelled cheap.

We went for the night light show and came at 4:00 to see the gardens while it was still daylight. I was enthralled by the organ and simulation and the docent in the back room...what a nice surprise. Cafe served a wonderful fresh salad that was amazing and we listed to a delightful band in the beer garden. When dusk arrived we stayed to watch the major light/music performance at the fountains...magical. Then we tried to find our way back to our car and was quite disoriented in the dark. Once we found a staff person, we were all set. It was a great experience and I would go again! Tip: take and chair and blanket to wait for the most important light show. It gets very chilly and there is nowhere to sit along the main fountain. Standing is tough for older people.

Among the more than 1,000 acres of display gardens and naturalistic forests and meadows at Longwood Gardens, the Conservatory (a giant greenhouse) is the star, with the water show in Main Fountain Garden a close second.

Like so many gardens in the Brandywine Valley of Delaware and Pennsylvania, this one has a du Pont family connection: Pierre S. du Pont (great grandson of DuPont company founder E. I. du Pont) bought the Peirce family farm here in 1906 to save its trees, then eventually turned it into a display garden. (You can walk through the somewhat-interesting Peirce-du Pont House, which dates from 1730 and was expanded by Pierre du Pont.)

The Conservatory contains 4,600 different plants and trees. There's a large water lily area, a Palm House, a Camelia House, an Orangery, a Mediterranean Garden, etc., and rotating displays featuring plants in bloom.

We caught the water show in the Main Fountain Garden at 11 a.m. (it's shown throughout the day, and there are night performances). Choreographed to music, the leaping, twisting fountains are quite spectacular.  Pierre du Pont created this after seeing similar water shows in Europe as a child.

TIPS:

* Longwood Gardens has two conservatories. Don't confuse the huge 1921 Conservatory next to the Main Fountain Garden with Longwood's original 1914 conservatory connecting the wings of the Peirce-du Pont house.

* Time your visit here for various bloom periods. For instance, chrysanthemums are featured in the fall.

* Check Longwood's schedule. Be warned: It is closed on Tuesdays. It is, however, open year-round. The Main Fountain Gardens don't operate year-round; in 2020, they were turned off in late October/early November and will resume in May 2021.

* You're expected to use an online map here. We found that cumbersome and lacking in easily accessible detail. Before you come, go online and print a map to carry with you.

* This is the Disney World of botanical gardens. In addition to the water show, there's an open-air theatre, a restaurant and a beer garden.

Beautiful Conservatory! Absolutely lovely gardens. Brilliant grounds. Enjoyed the Jazz and Wine concert under the stars

It has been over 20 years since we walked through Longwood Gardens...what a treat - so much to take in! We spent a wonderful day just wandering and learning! Thanks!

I am never bored visiting the Gardens. New pathways, plants, flowers and fountains are always discovered. My findings today are posted below. Ripe bananas on its bunch took me back to the islands and Eye of the Water a total surprise, my friend was not ready to leave after four plus hours. Of course, 9000 steps on my Fitbit was a booster as well. Kudos to the management and staff, for making the necessary adjustments to make us feel safe to visit again, even during this pandemic.

We’ll worth a trip. An absolutely wonderful experience. Christmas decorations where vert we’ll done. Don’t miss the Conservatory, the decorations where over the top. A must do trip to take during the Christmas season.

The gardens themselves are excellent, there are many paths to wander around and see the plants and flowers. One of the things that makes it exceptional are the fountains. They operate during the day but at scheduled intervals they come to life to music - it's quite amazing. You can visit the rooms housing the old machinery too.
In addition there are large conservatories filled with plants but what we didn't expect was a huge organ in one of the buildings together with an organ museum. Another amazing feature of the place.

At the time I am writing this, there are about 4,500 reviews of Longwood Gardens on this site and about 90% are 5s. Many of the ones less than that rate the attraction a couple of years ago when some of the major attractions were closed for renovations. Most (but not all) are open now, so you should come to this wonderful set of gardens.

Longwood Gardens is huge. It was a large arboretum that was saved from logging by Pierre Samuel duPont and converted over time into what it is now. DuPont was the head both of duPont and General Motors in the 1910's and 1920's. We tried to find out something negative about him, such as an industrial accident or something, but it turns out he was a genuine philanthropist without any scandal. In addition to Longwood Gardens, he donated millions to Delaware schools.

This park covers just short of 2 square miles with many gardens and interesting flora throughout. We came on an overcast day and it was still beautiful. If you can come on a sunnier day it will likely be stunning. Grab a map (or download one) because you'll likely need it. We saw armies of gardeners working on the various beds, which seemed to be impeccably well-maintained.

One of the first attractions as you start involves large fountains and a display to music. It turns out that John Philip Sousa was a friend of the DuPonts, so there is a personal connection. DuPont, an engineer, designed much of the park, including the fountains. They also have night displays with lighting, but we were here in the daytime and did not experience them.

We spent about a half day here, but I can imagine spending an entire day as there is so much to see. It is not only beautiful, but also interesting for the many different specimens, different garden styles, and various buildings.

One thing some visitors might miss is the "eye of water" on a hill top to the side of the visitor center. Here, they diverted a creek through a tunnel that comes up inside a Japanese style building and garden.

This is a fun day out that has many nice surprises and a general good feeling. We hope to return on a nice spring day again.

I've been here about 3 times. One time was in April of that year and the weather was PERFECT. Warm and sunny. The flowers were all in bloom. Another time was around New Years. The indoor buildings were still decorated for Xmas. But very cold outdoors and nothing to see. I still would rather come in the warm months. Also pay for renting the scooter as this is a big place (if you need it).

Frankly, I didn't know what to expect. Also frankly - we will be returning again and again and again! The sheer scope of the place begins the awesomeness of the experience. Literally every corner of every exhibit and every building were amazing (allow the whole day!). We saw oldsters, parents, young couples (one marriage proposal!) and kids, kids, kids all smiling and laughing with delight. Their educational opportunities are really fine, too. Oh, and good food and a beer garden! Go, Go, GO!!!!!

We ended up with a rainy spring day to visit. Currently, timed tickets must be purchased in advance online. I recommend doing this early to ensure you get the time you want.

The location is well marked and there was plenty of parking. We showed our tickets and were quickly admitted. They are not giving out maps (due to COVID...). This presented a big challenge. The online map is terrible and not well marked. If you want to wander around you will be fine. If you want to ensure you explore all the areas you are interested in, you will struggle to have enough information without a map.

We started inside at the conservatory. The flowers were beautiful. This is the area that Longwood excels at. They were fresh and artfully arranged so that each area and nook and cranny exploded with some new and perfect delight. At this time, roughly half the inside conservatory is closed for construction. This is noted on the website but kind of hidden so it was disappointing for us to learn once we arrived.

There was an unexpected and well done exhibit on the organ, its history, and a peek into its mechanics that we thoroughly enjoyed. My teenage son noted that as one of his highlights at Longwood.

We explored a good portion of the rest of the grounds while dodging rain and fog. We had another disappointment to learn the fountains are not yet running. I understand now that makes sense due to the season, but this also is not well communicated on the website and was a surprise to us.

We visited the casual café for a light snack. Wow, the prices were super high. I expected the usual mark up for a captive audience but this exceed anything I imagined. They prohibit bringing in food so plan accordingly. The entree we shared was of good size and quality and we opted for ice water rather than a $4 bottle of soda.

The gift shop is currently closed.

Overall, a beautiful place. I just wish they focused more on customer service and communication.

Wish we went during spring bloom a few weeks earlier or so for outdoor colorful foliage views. Inside was nice and grounds are still meticulously groomed. Pay attention to details. Can do it in 3 hours if you’re not eating there or drinking in the beer garden and hanging out.

Went for night laser show for Taylor Swift - only knew 1 song- super disappointing especially because we pushed through the cold to wait. Show was cool but they should have played her top hits since it was only 5 songs. Go under fountains for a special treat. I think the maps could be better for how long a trail is etc. or a description of what things are; so many turns and didn’t know which way to go or how long it was. The only wait was the clock tower and only a couple minutes. Plenty of shade to hide if you need to. Tons of walking…….not into horticulture but clearly many people were. Quick overnight trip for holiday weekend since it was cold. Can see it being hot in the summer. Very chill place

I am glad to have finally experienced Longwood Gardens, it had been on my list of things to do. Overall, I would say it is a fine place. The tulips were in bloom and they were certainly lovely. The conservatory is a standout, so much to see, really pretty. We experienced a short "waterfall concert" at the open air theater, as we happened to pass by, which was fun. We ate outdoors at the beer garden - the food is very expensive and the quality was not stellar, but it was an experience. The staff was extremely pleasant and helpful throughout our visit. My favorite part of Longwood, and the only part that really stole my heart, was the truly lovely meadow and the meadow trails. So peaceful! We enjoyed our rest stop halfway at the stone house, which was so charming. There are some neat tree houses, and also a nice little forest trail to walk through, which was enjoyable. I took one star off for the following: Once you enter Longwood, you cannot go back to your car and come back. We were there on an unusually cold April day (people had on gloves!) and if we wanted to go back for more clothes, another sweater or hat, perhaps, no luck. Also, they advertise picnic tables for you to eat your own food, if desired. However, once you enter the picnic area, you cannot re-enter the gardens. So, why even go to their picnic area? You might as well leave the premises and go to any park or restaurant. As mentioned above, their food is pricey, and what I had was not gourmet. Unlike Winterthur, which gives you two days to visit, Longwood only gives you one with your ticket and if the weather is not good, you are stuck or have to pay a penalty to make a change.

The fountain show was my favorite part of our visit. We enjoyed the conservatory, gardens & the DuPont home. The employees were very friendly and eager to help you find your way around.

Never been to Longwood Gardens so myself and three other slightly senior ladies made a day trip of it. The grounds are pristine, the staff were extremely helpful in pointing us to different parts of the park. I really enjoyed the Dupont house on the premises and watching the video detailing the vision of Dupont in creating Longwood Gardens.

The Christmas displays both outdoors and inside the atrium were spectacular! Enjoyed the train display. Followed up with dinner at 1906. Excellent cuisine, drinks, and service with a flare of creativity much like the decorations. Order tickets in advance.

Beautiful gardens and house. Great place to see beautiful flowers, get some fresh air and enjoy getting some exercise. We also had lunch at the cafe. Menu was pretty broad and food quality was good. Also has huge, enclosed conservatory if weather is cold or rainy.

Overall beautiful garden, water fountains, and green house. Outdoor space well maintained, fall colors are awesome. Indoor speces are crowded, entry is not controlled, there are congested hallways, no staff to oversee that. No 6ft signs. Masks are theoretically mandatory, probably 50% of people didn’t care about that, no staff available to enforce that. There were 4-5 separate engagement/wedding photo sessions in the green house (obviously all without masks), creating further congestion. Small fountain show is very basic, the main fountain show is nice though. Overall nice garden, but insufficient covid-19 procedures.

We always try to go about every 3-4 months to see the change in season. The Gardens are always changing and offer such a variety of beautiful flowers, insect/butterflies and light displays! It never ceases to amaze me how we always find a new place to explore! I am not sure whether I like the Tulips or Christmas time Better... Treat yourself to a garden arrangement from the giftshop. My orchid from April is still blooming in July!

This time it was a winter visit. The trees were bare and covered with Christmas lights. stands sell hot cocoa and beer throughout the park. The highlight was the arboretum that was filled with beautiful Christmas trees and the walk through the meadow.

Place is beautiful. We’ve have been there during Christmas and trips festival. Staff friendly and place is clean and well lit. Only complaint is that your not allowed to leave and come back. We like to go out to eat and come back, but Longwood wants people to stay and eat their overpriced food. They say it’s because of Covid but all restrictions have been lifted.

This is a must do in Brandywine Country. Wear comfortable shoes since it is a lot of walking. The highlights are mostly contained in the massive conservatory. The plants are simply amazing. The staff/volunteers are fabulous.

Any time of year it’s a great time to visit Longwood. The always rotating garden and conservatory displays means there is always something new to experience. A must see if in the area

An amazing collection of plant life in all colors and sizes. All were beautifully arranged and displayed. It will take you a while to get through the grounds. It is expansive.

Beautiful lights and a lovely new conservatory just open with a more plant focused display than the trees and lights in the older conservatory. Had not seen any reviews for the new Taste of Christmas so I was hesitant to spend the extra money. But, for us, it was worth every penny. My husband and I are in our early 70’s and the ability to go in and out throughout the day, have something to eat and drink and renew our energy made the day an easy one for us. We were there from 2 pm until almost 9 pm and were able to see everything in daylight and dark. The restaurant is set up with a series of smaller buffet tables and we enjoyed the food and ability to sit at the tables near the windows and watch the light show outside, Not crowded when we were there last Tuesday. The menu is posted on their website so you can see what is offered.

Awesome fall colors on the edge of the meadow area.
Many perky squirrels.
The gardens are beautiful but getting to them is another matter! Hard to navigate from US 1 northbound to the gardens. There is no sign. If you are driving north on US 1, go under the overpass and take a slight right. Apple Maps recommends a right turn before the overpass that is too soon and it is tricky to find your way back to US 1.
Very difficult to navigate from the garden exit to US 1 southbound. I get lost every time even when using Apple Maps. I do not get lost elsewhere.
The last fountain performance of the night is the best, when the fountains are choreographed to Bollywood songs.
Longwood should work with Kennett Square, the state of PA, Apple, and Google to make it much easier to navigate between the Gardens and US 1. I take the wrong turn every time at Longwood, but never at other locations. By contrast, it is easy to navigate from I-95 to the Ladew Topiary Gardens using only signs.

Holy ticks! and not a single warning sign to be seen. That, paired with the fact that Pennsylvania is a leader in tick borne disease instances makes for just a great day at longwood gardens. Before finding tick latched on to my husband and I I considered giving Longwood Gardens 3 stars, but the more ticks I found the more disgusted I bacame. I've been wanting to come here for a long time and my husband and I came to visit for my birthday. Except my gift from Longwood was 9 ticks. 4 of which had latched to my husband and I already. Two we left in the Cafe before getting disgusted and leaving all together.
Put up a warning sign. If my husband or I end up with a tick borne disease, expect a lawsuit.

The family went up to see Trombone Shorty. What a great venue. Perfect night. The show was fantastic with a great solo by Pete Murano.

Now I understand why this is considered to be one of the best botanical gardens in the world. The history of the place is wonderfully displayed and the tender loving care is obvious.

It’s impossible to find words to describe how beautiful everything is here. I flew from out of state to meet friends to see the Christmas display and it was well worth the trip. Arrived during the day when it wasn’t quite so busy and stayed into the evening to see the lights after dark. Absolutely spectacular and amazing - highly recommend.

As always an enjoyable experience in one of America's best botanical gardens.
The autumn meadow, fountain show, and chrysanthemum festival at the greenhouse were excellent.

200 acres of beauty. Loved this place so much. Various gardens are scattered throughout, fountains, topiaries, a huge pipe organ, a bell tower, and more. There is a fountain show and a pipe organ show in the afternoon. The house is small but we rushed through because it was so hot in there. Spent three hours and could've wandered more but time ran out.

One of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! Worth the trip! Flower displays in the expansive greenhouse were absolutely gorgeous! The grounds and fountain areas astonishing. Went as a day trip but am going back to see the night time fountain display. Cafe on the grounds is gourmet and has something for everyone. My meal was delicious.

Everything was amazing. Just missed some tulips but everything else was in bloom. The favorite part was the Paulownia allee. We saw the 3pm fountain show and sat on the wrong side and ended up in the spray but on a sunny day it dried quickly. Quite a wonderful day.

Longwood Gardens is picturesque every season of the year. There are rainbows of tulips in the spring, spectacular blooms all summer, magnificent mums in fall, and the piece of resistance, Longwood Christmas, in November and December. The staff who design the gardens are true artists. All of gardeners work very hard keeping everything looking fabulous year-round. The variety of colorful lilies in the revamped Lily Garden are amazing. The new West Conservatory is beautiful with its clean lines and expansive view. The magical fountain shows are not to be missed. Every time we visit we discover something splendid and new. Longwood is truly my happy place. I just wish I lived closer so I could stroll through the gardens weekly.

Love Longwood Gardens in the Nightime and Daytime.
Purchase timed tickets online. We are members as we come to Longwood Gardens at least 3x a year.
The nighttime exhibits sell out quickly as this a family place to go, and friend place and couple place to go.
The nighttime colored fountain shows with music are so popular that I’ve seen people bring their own folding chairs and park themselves for a show.
The food is delicious in their food venues - salmon, pizza, desserts, hot chocolate, wine.
Now there are even concerts and gardens to be experienced.

There are electric carts for those who are walking challenged, and for those who want to see the vastness of this place. Charge is donation (?).

The only negative thing is that the gift and plant shop is quite expensive and there are no children’s items at all that are reasonably priced.

Longwood Gardens is a fantastic place to experience the beauty of fall. The colors are stunning, with vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows filling the landscape. If you enjoy walking, there are plenty of paths lined with flowers, towering trees, and scenic views to explore. It’s a perfect spot for anyone looking to soak in the peacefulness of nature and enjoy a refreshing outdoor experience in any season.
If you like to take photos it's the place to be.

Even during these trying times, it's hard not to rate Longwood Gardens as excellent. We visited on a beautiful, sunny day and Longwood was so refreshing. We strolled through the grounds noticing signs of spring everywhere and the conservatory was alive with color. The care and expertise of the staff was on full display and we were delighted with the color and assortment of things growing there. We hope to visit again soon when spring takes center stage.
We were disappointed with the offerings at the cafe. Covid restrictions meant that the buffet was closed and only table orders through our smart phone app were accepted...no table service. Choices were very slim, not especially good and certainly overpriced. However, our overall experience was fantastic and we'll be back soon.

It would be very hard to say a favorite part of Longwood Gardens, it's just magical all year round... Christmas is especially festive and merry with the fires going and the lights in the trees 2 stories high... Strolling thru the paths and trails with lit tunnels and balls of fading colors scattered thru the woods..
Glowing lanterns high up in the trees, it's just spectacular.
The Observatory is thrilling for any age. Fruit trees growing inside and bearing fruit. The smell of flowers in the air mixed with the evergreen Christmas trees is an experience that should be had by all.

LG is 5star, of course, but a 0 on Covid masking inside the very crowded entry hall and conservatory. Even employees weren’t wearing masks. Way too crowded for that nonsense. We were second guessing our trip the whole time. Not relaxing. I don’t expect people to mask outside, but inside? Yes. Longwood Gardens, I thought you were better than that.

The place is running on a handicap. There is not much to see as most exhibits are closed. The staffs seemed bored out of their brains. The cafe has prices right out of cafe in Monaco or some super rich playground.

I have enjoyed many wonderful trips to Longwood Gardens. I have visited in every season, except for the Fall. I always loved the gardens and found them beautiful.
When our senior citizen group offered a trip to the Gardens, my husband and I jumped at the offer to visit the garden.
I realize it was not the fault of Longwood Gardens but our trip was on one of the very hot, humid days in July. I did not enjoy the experience as I had in the past. There were no shade coverings for protection. Even though it was very hot, there was no tram service available. An employee of Longwood gardens did give out water to visitors who looked very hot. We did not see as much as we wanted to, because the heat made it difficult to walk for long distances. My granddaughter saw the fountain show last Summer and recommended we see it. The day we were there the show was only presented 3 times and our group came after the first show and left before the second show came on. We were quite disappointed to have missed it.
On a positive note we had a wonderful tour guide who escorted us around the conservatory. She had a great deal of information and was very gracious to all in the group.
What we saw was beautiful and the gardens was as well maintained as I remember.
On a cooler day, I would recommend Longwood gardens to all.

We chose to visit in the winter. The outdoor areas could have been entirely skipped. But what made up for that, was the FANTASTIC indoor Christmas garden displays. This alone was worth the visit to Longwood Gardens. Highly recommended during Christmas season - but stick to the indoor areas only.

The gardens are well worth a visit. You are able to take a leisurely stroll through the entire place. We were there in spring which means a lot was not in bloom but we still enjoyed it and plan a return in June. The conservatory is nothing less than spectacular. There is a nice area to have lunch and the cost is very reasonable.

We took a little trip to Longwood Gardens to get in the mood for Christmas! We were not disappointed. Well worth the trip. However, although we had timed tickets, it was packed and Longwood Gardens only requested my vaccine card and not my husband's or daughter's. I thought that was odd. I hope we don't get sick!

Longwood Gardens is a must see. You can easily spend a whole day there. Conservatory, Italian Garden, Flower Trail, Grotto - everything is gorgeous. Try come to Longwood Gardens when there is a fountain show. It would double (actually, triple) your pleasure. Water, lights, music, fire, and fireworks create amazing experiences.Just remember that some parts of the garden could be closed because of the fireworks.

Aunt Crystal told us about this place and recommended we go. She gave us good advice! Totally worth visiting-- lots to see, beautiful place, neat layouts, fountains, flowers-- paradise in PA! Even if you're "not that into botanical gardens," I'd recommend this place. You can pretend it's your mansion and its grounds and feel like a king or queen for the day!

We had other plans during our brief stay in Northern Delaware but one of the neighbors at the VRBO we rented in Bethany Beach told us to go here instead. Wow, so grateful for that advice! This place is amazing! We were on a 12 day road trip so it was fantastic to get some walking in. We left home the day after my first peony bloomed. Not to worry! Longwood Gardens had so many spectacular peonies in all different colors! They were fabulous! We loved the Italian fountains, the treehouse, the flowers, the trees, the succulent room, the big conservatory. We ended up eating at the outdoor cafe under the beautiful string lights. What a gorgeous setting! There was a bluegrass band playing our state song as we approached. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was amazing. We were talked into staying for the fountain show. They let me run to the car and get our beach blankets. It was fun but it was bizarre, to be honest. We stayed until they closed and really really enjoyed our time here!

This is a fabulous place to visit. and easy drive from NY. Beautiful flowers indoors & outdoors, a nice lunch facility and several fountains. Plan to spend 3/4 hours if you eat or picnic at the site.

Be prepared for long waits for outdoor seating at the under tent restaurants. Dining at one of the two available indoor cafe's had much shorter wait times to acquire a table.

Ordering outdoors is done via a cell phone app only if sitting at a table. That wifi based ordering system is very slow and glitchy due to so many people attempting to do it. There are no waiters to take your order. Or you can stand in a very slow line and place your order at a booth beside the tents to bring your order back to your assigned table.

The menu is mid expensive with a $15.00 pizza and $12 sandwiches. The mushroom soup was very good but small portion.

Tours of the glass house conservatory takes about 2 hours if you want to take all the plants, flowers, palm trees, cactuses in total. Very large orchid display room.
Restrooms are only at the entrance foyer to the conservatory so grab them first.

Virtually impossible to covid space at 6 feet minimum due to the narrow aisles and bunch up of slower lookers taking their time of course. Not much to be done about that due to the nature of the walkways and paths.

Be prepared to partake of a slow lunch at the three cafes as crowds are large for the restaurant's sizes and covid spacing. AS you are not allowed to picnic or bring in foods or drinks you will be dependent on their cafes if dining in the park.

Restaurants do not take reservations so standing in line for seating is your only option. Go very early or very late for lunch.

I would strongly suggest arriving at the park with your timed reservations at 10AM when the park opens. Not later unless mid afternoon.

Probably the best time of year to go to Longwood would be in the Spring or Fall when the outdoor gardens are in bloom and the temperature is comfortable. My visit was at the start of February, so I stuck mainly to the indoor Conservatories. But these were WONDERFUL! Loads of well-kept, well-marked, and beautiful plants, tropical and otherwise. Comfortable displays. A great cafe for lunch. Displays of the Dupont family compound including their ballroom, which had an organ with close to 2,000 pipes visible to visitors. I stayed for about 2-1/2 hours counting a stop in the cafe for lunch and had a most enjoyable time.

Longwood Gardens is beautiful during spring, summer, and fall with the loveliest flowers and fountains; however, it is magical at Christmas. The conservatory is filled with the most spectacularly decorated trees and other displays. After dark the real magic begins with many beautiful trees lit all over the gardens. It is impossible to describe just how breathtaking a walk-through Longwood is during the Christmas season. One must experience it to believe it.

We decided to take the kids to Longwood Gardens for their Sleeping Beauty Fireworks and Fountains event. I pre-ordered tickets on the morning that they went on sale, as these events tend to sell out quick. Online ordering was somewhat frustrating since I would place tickets in my cart and they would be gone by the time I finished check-out. This happened to me more than once before I was able to secure my seats. You have the option of general seating (lawn, bring your own chair) or reserved seating. Tickets are NOT cheap, but do include admission to the gardens for the day.

On the day of the event, we arrived about 5 hours before showtime. We parked and proceeded into the gardens. Here we were given wristbands to distinguish that we were fireworks and fountains guests. We spent the first 4 hours walking around the outdoor gardens, dining at the Cafe and Beer Garden. We enjoyed the treehouses, flowers, water features and gardens. Just before the sun began to set, we went into the conservatory to check out the inside gardens and the water lily garden. We then decided to head back over to the cafe for a snack before taking out seats for the show.

Overall, we enjoyed our visit with Longwood Gardens. The gardens are pretty. The fireworks and fountain shows are beautiful. They are a real treat. I would recommend Longwood Gardens to anyone visiting the Delaware/Pennsylvania area. We have visited in Spring, Summer and Winter this past year alone. Wintertime is my favorite at Longwood Christmas, but each season offers a different view of the gardens. They are constantly changing the displays in the greenhouse conservatories.

Absolutely beautiful place to visit. The indoor and outdoor gardens and exhibits of flowers, plants, and trees are incredible and extensive. A lot of walking is involved. The fountain light show at night is fabulous and is even better than the fountain show at Bellagio in Las Vegas. There is a large gift shop and two dining options (one casual and one more formal). This is a must see local attraction for everyone.

Beautiful Beautiful Beautiful....
These gardens are just a must see for all ages. The gardens, the fountains, the Conservancy, the Terrace...it must be experienced both day and night.
It is A LOT of walking - we walked over 6 miles in order to see the entire park during the day and then stay for the light installation and illuminated fountain shows.
You can bring chairs/blankets for watching the fountain shows. Do not miss the Orchid Room!

A visit to Longwood Gardens is like stepping into a living tapestry of horticultural artistry. From the meticulous design of each flower bed to the expansive meadows, every corner whispers a story of nature's magnificence. The harmonious blend of colors, fragrances, and textures induces a profound sense of serenity. Whether you're strolling beneath the towering trees, admiring the waterlily ponds, or simply finding solace in a secluded garden nook, Longwood ensures an experience of rejuvenation. A sanctuary for both flora and the human spirit, it's a testament to the timeless beauty and calming influence of nature. Highly recommended for those seeking a momentary escape from the clamor of daily life.

I visited Longwood Gardens today (12/28/2024) and rate my experience 1 out of 5 stars. I was extremely disappointed.

Firstly, tickets are non-refundable. It was raining when I arrived and continued to rain throughout my visit. In cases of inclement weather, customers should be given the option to select an alternative date, especially since many exhibits are lighted and outdoors.

One of the main attractions in Exhibition Hall this year (2025) is the Translucent Tree, a 33-foot-tall structure with 900 geometric hand-tied shapes. However, the tree is best viewed after sunset. My ticket was for the 10:00 am opening; am I expected to wait around for 7 hours to see a translucent tree made up of 168 bundles of cords?

The West Conservatory was also a big disappointment. I assume I need to visit the 32,000-square-foot glasshouse in the evening as well.

Lastly, I want to mention my experience at the Beer Garden. I ordered a beer and two bags of Herr’s Potato Chips, which cost over $15. This is outrageous, especially after paying $48 for admission.

Overall, I am just disappointed and may never visit Longwood Gardens again.

Longwood Gardens is a spectacular garden and conservation project located just a short drive from Philadelphia (or Wilmington). It represents several decades of investment and planning by Pierre du Pont who purchased the property in the early 20th century. The result is a massive complex of planned gardens, conservatories, water features, and buildings that are as impressive as they are large. We particularly enjoyed the gardens that were more "random" in nature and more likely to find their way into family yards. These gardens showed how symbiotic combinations of plants, including vegetables, herbs, and flowering plants, can make for interesting garden combinations. We also enjoyed a quick lunch at 1906 Restaurant located at the Gardens.

Absolutely beautiful garden! They had a lot of different little garden areas so around every corner there was something new and beautiful. The indoor garden was one of the best I've ever come across and all the little fountains were like little treasures you could find throughout the park.

My elderly parents have been members for years and we usually visit for the holiday display when I visit for Thanksgiving or Christmas week. Here are my tips 1. The conservatory is beautifully decorated for the holidays and is a don't miss. The Dupont house also is nicely decorated, though not nearly as spectacular. 2. The conservatory becomes very crowded as the day goes on, if you don't like crowds, particularly if you have family members with mobility or vision issues, book an early time slot, such as 10 am. This also holds true if you want to take family photos, 3. If you book a 10 am slot, when the Gardens open, expect a long line. It moves fast, but there is a line. 4. If you definitely want to see the lights at night, but also want to walk the conservatory when it's not crowded consider getting a membership if a return visit on another day is an option. 5. You need to buy a timed entry ticket to get in, evening and late afternoon slots go fast. You cannot enter during the holidays without a timed entry ticket even if you're a member (unless you have a special membership). 6. We were surprised to discover Longwood is open on Thanksgiving Day last year and chose to go on Thanksgiving last year and this one as the weather was nice and we figured the roads wouldn't be as crazy as other days that week. 7. This won't be relevant until next Thanksgiving, but we had a lovely traditional Thanksgiving dinner for lunch in the cafeteria. $30 for turkey, stuffing with fruit, mashed potatoes, green beans and sweet potatoes, roll and small pumpkin pie. Top marks for everything except for the pie, which was okay. We are not big eaters and found one dinner plenty of food for the three of us, though we also got some of their famous mushroom soup. At lunch time it wasn't crowded. They also had a salmon platter and a vegan platter, plus some cheaper foods such as chicken tenders and fries, packaged salads, etc. 8. There is also a restaurant, though that was sold out. 9. Don't miss the bathroom wing in the conservatory - it's unique. (This is year round).

Can’t believe we have never been here before. Beautiful grounds and fantastic story behind the gardens. So glad they had the foresight to preserve this property originally bought from William Penn.