Come along for a beautiful summer tour of Longwood Gardens with Bill and me. Longwood Gardens is a public garden in Pennsylvania located in Kennett Square about an hour outside of Philadelphia.
We had the joy of spending a day at the gardens in June 2025 and the tour lived up to our bucket list-worthy expectations. The gardens are magnificent, spanning about 1100 acres and showcasing more than 10,000 species of plants and flowers.
Longwood Gardens was created and named by Pierre S. du Pont who considered himself the head gardener of the gardens from 1870 to 1954. Today, Longwood Gardens is one of the most visited gardens in the United States of America.
Join me for a photo tour of the gardens, all of my favorite stops along the way, as well as a few tips for making the most of your visit.
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Tips for a Visit to Longwood Gardens
With the right preparation, you’ll be ready to make the most of your visit to Longwood Gardens, a bucket list item for garden lovers.
Before You Go: Purchase Tickets
Before heading to the gardens for the day, be sure to purchase advance tickets online at https://longwoodgardens.org/visit. General admission is currently $35 (8.9.25). All advance tickets are timed entry, meaning you’ll choose a specific time to enter the gardens.
Arriving early is best, especially in the heat of summer—you’ll have cooler weather, fewer crowds, and more time to explore the vast grounds. The earliest entry time is 10:00 a.m., but those morning tickets sell out quickly, so book well ahead.
Preparing for a Day at Longwood Gardens
Now that you have your tickets, it’s time to prepare for your visit.
The most important tip: dress appropriately.
Wear very comfortable walking shoes—you’ll be exploring more than 1100 acres of gardens on foot. Additionally, be sure to check the weather before you go in order to plan appropriate clothing for the tour:
- If it’s hot, choose lightweight, breathable clothing plus a hat to protect you from the sun.
- If it’s cooler, dress in layers so you can adjust throughout the day.
- And if rain showers are expected, be sure to prepare by bringing an umbrella, rain jacket and appropriate shoes.
If you enjoy photography, like I do, make sure your camera or phone is fully charged. Bring a backpack if you need one and carry a refillable water bottle to help you stay hydrated throughout your tour. You’ll find hydration stations throughout the gardens.
Exploring Longwood Gardens
When you arrive, grab a free map and take a few minutes to plan your route. You don’t have to stick to it perfectly—sometimes the best discoveries happen when you wander—but having a general direction helps.
During your tour, if you need to escape the weather, step inside the Pierre S. du Pont house or one of the conservatories. The home and some of the conservatories are noticeably cooler than time in the hot summer sun and both make for a refreshing break from the elements.
Also, be sure to plan a midtour lunch break. We stopped at The Café for lunch and enjoyed good food while relaxing in the air-conditioned restaurant.
A good meal will reenergize you before continuing your self-guided tour of Longwood Gardens. You’ll find a few great options throughout the gardens:
- Beer Garden – Cool off with a refreshing drink like their strawberry lemonade or your favorite chilled beer, perfect on a warm day. Or enjoy brats, pretzels and burgers while you dine alfresco.
- The Café – A quick, grab-and-go style spot with tasty food and a fast-moving line. You’ll find sandwiches, soups, and desserts plus hot entree choices. And don’t forget to try Longwood Gardens Mushroom Soup.
- 1906 – If you’re looking for something more upscale, make a reservation at 1906 for garden-to-table dining. It’s located beneath the Main Conservatory and overlooks the Main Fountain Garden.
Also, during our visit, top-notch facilities including bathrooms and hydration fountains were located around every corner of the park making it very convenient to take a break and stay hydrated as needed.
Final Tip for Your Longwood Gardens Visit
Be sure to take your time. Longwood Gardens is full of beauty around every corner, and part of the magic is letting yourself slow down, soak in the inspiration, and simply enjoy the day.
Continue reading for a look at some of our favorite stops of the day.
A Photo Tour of Longwood Gardens
There is so much to see during a tour of the gardens that it’s impossible to cover it all in a single blog post.
However, here is a peek at what I consider the highlight reel. Plus, a bit of encouragement to plan your own visit to Longwood Gardens so that you can discover your own favorites.
The Longwood Gardens Spectacular Rose Arches & Gorgeous Container Garden
Our tour at Longwood Gardens began at the spectacular Rose Arch. My photos hardly do it justice—only a video could truly capture the immense size of the arches as they sweep around a central area filled with breathtaking container displays.
I can’t imagine planting rose arches on our property, so will just settle on admiring them from afar and leave this gorgeous display to the experts.
However, I can easily picture the stunning containers from Longwood Gardens fitting right in at our country home and garden. The containers were overflowing with vibrant dahlias, and I fell in love with the cheerful strawflowers.
This combination is most definitely on my planting vision board for next summer.
Italian Water Garden Magic
After admiring the rose arch and being inspired by the strawflowers, Bill and I meandered through the gardens until we came upon the gorgeous fountains of the Italian Water Garden.
The Italian Water Garden was originally built 100 years ago, from 1925-27.
One of the most delightful stories we read was about Pierre S. du Pont encouraging his grandchildren to play on the steps leading down to the garden, then suddenly turning on the water so it rushed across them.
I can just imagine the pure joy of playing there as a child—or the delight of being a grandparent who could share that magical moment.
Color Drenching and the Flower Garden Walk
Next, we made our way through the 600 feet Flower Garden Walk to view the annual flower garden. I loved seeing how Longwood Gardens used color drenching to define different sections of the walk—bold, unified bursts of colorful blooms that drew us right in to Pierre S. du Pont’s imagination.
The standout for me was the Lantana ‘Athens Rose’, a plant variety I had never seen before our tour. It’s now on my must-find list for next summer’s annual flower garden at our home in Oklahoma.
Exploring the du Pont House
To escape the sun for a bit, Bill and I cooled off inside the du Pont house built in 1730 by Joshua Peirce. It was the first structure built on the property; attached to it is the first conservatory built at Longwood Gardens.
After a quick break from the sun inside the du Pont home (and a refreshing strawberry lemonade that I purchased at the Beer Garden), we headed to tour each of the conservatories.
The Conservatories at Longwood Gardens
The conservatories were spectacular. There was so much to see and learn.
I was in awe of the bougainvillea wall. We use a lot of bougainvillea on our own property but seeing how the conservatory showcased it was truly inspiring.
The containers were equally impressive—massive, overflowing spheres of blooms that seemed almost unreal.
Our Favorites at Longwood Gardens
We didn’t realize it when we planned our route for the day, but Bill and I saved the best for last: The Orchid House and the Water Lily Court.
The Orchid House
My favorite part of the conservatories and the tour as a whole was the Orchid House. I’ve never seen so many orchid varieties in one place, each more stunning than the last. I wanted to take them all home with me.
The Water Lily Court
After touring the conservatories, we made our way outside to the Water Lily Court, Bill’s favorite stop of the day.
The water lilies were breathtaking, and since our visit, we’ve added a few new varieties to our koi pond at home—an inspired souvenir from an unforgettable trip.
Our day at Longwood Gardens was inspiring. And we highly recommend that you add it to your bucket list.
Cheers to Retired Life, and as always, Happy Gardening!
X Penny Pennington Weeks
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