Many people have favorite vacation traditions, whether it is the Nutcracker or the Spectacular Christmas of Radio City, a visit to New York to see the tree at Rockefeller Plaza, or simply enjoy vacation decorations in their local community. For people in the Grand Philadelphia region, these traditions can include the experience of Christmas magic at Longwood Gardens.
Even if I have not lived nearby, in recent years, I have visited Longwood Gardens at Christmas a few times, once in family and once with friends. My mother is an accomplished gardener and it was a joy to take her to Longwood Gardens for Christmas as part of her gift.
As this is such a popular event, be sure to follow the following advice to get the most out of your Longwood Gardens Christmas experience.
Christmas at Longwood Gardens
For those of you who are not familiar, Longwood gardens is one of the first botanical gardens in the United States, covering more than 1,000 acres in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, in the beautiful and historic of Brandywine Valley (also famous for its mushrooms!)
As with many attractions in this area, Longwood Gardens formerly belonged to one of the bridge families, Pierre S. du Pont, which began the tradition of opening the field to visitors. He left most of his succession to the conservation and maintenance of these gardens and the foundations continued to open the gardens to the public (for fees, of course.)
A Longwood Christmas is a mixture of interior and exterior botanical displays, hundreds of thousands of lights, fountains that dance to seasonal music, organ music, holiday songs and even special events such as breakfast with Santa Claus. The screens change every year, so even if you have visited once, it is always fun to come back because it is a new experience every time.
When is a Longwood Christmas?
The special celebration of Longwood Gardens “A Longwood Christmas” opens to the public on November 22, 2024 and continues until January 12, 2025. The gardens are open every day from 10 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., but the timed entry reservations and the tickets are necessary.
What is the best time to visit a Longwood Christmas?
The closer you get to Christmas, the more he is busy in Longwood Gardens, especially on weekends. To avoid crowds and cold, I would recommend visiting a Longwood Christmas at the end of November or early December. A mid -week visit will have fewer crowds.
To enjoy the gardens during the day, but also to live the magic of a Longwood Christmas after the lights light up at dusk, I would recommend buying tickets for the mid-afternoon (since it will be dark from 4.30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.) in this way, you get the best of both worlds, but you can also avoid the cold late at night. An entry ticket between 3 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. is ideal.
By entering right now, you can avoid the incredibly long lines that come out of the highway until the entrance later. In addition, you can park at a distance from walking (avoiding a wait for a parking shuttle).
How much does a Longwood Christmas cost?
Handed down entry tickets are necessary for the entry to a Longwood Christmas. Prices are likely to change, but for 2024, the price is as follows:
- Adults: $ 42
- Youth (5-18): $ 23
- Children (4 and less): free
To get your ideal time slot, it is advantageous to make reservations in advance. Print your tickets at home or use your mobile phone for a paperless ticket office. The gardens are open rains or swells and if the weather is not ideal, you will enjoy warming up or drying in many tropical rooms of the conservatory.
There are also hearths and warming points in the park where you can wrap your hands around a hot cup of hot cocoa to remove the cold.
How long does it take to walk in a Longwood Christmas?
How long do you spend exploring A Longwood Christmas It depends on the crowd, the number of photos you want to take and how cold it is! Plan to spend at least an hour walking in the greenhouses of the four acres Conservatory. You will probably want to spend an hour or two walking in the park while enjoying hot chocolate and looking at the fountains or dancing breads.
An exhibition by Christmas Longwood to see
There is so much to see in Longwood Gardens at Christmas, but there are a few places that you certainly do not want to miss. If you visit children first, you may want to hit the model train area (take a card or download the interactive card before leaving the reception center to orient yourself.) Otherwise, I would recommend starting with the Conservatoire so that you can see all the beautiful plants, trees and decorations in daylight.
The veranda
The Conservatoire is an ideal place to obtain family photos in front of some of the beautiful Christmas tree exhibitions, which is another reason to go while the sun is always absent. Also make sure to consult the event program at the start of your visit to see what special events you may want to attend.
For example, you may want to develop seats for organ performance and holiday songs. Otherwise, opt for the flow and wrap your way through the acre after the acre of beautiful screens. In the main hall, you will find a demonstration of Christmas trees.
In the exhibition hall, you will see a large table for a sumptuous Christmas ball, with a different theme each year. Along the way, you will see orchids, roses, tropical plants, bonsai demonstrations, Chinese gardens and much more.
Tree Houses and Garden Railway
Head outside because it is black to enjoy one of the most beautiful lights of lights that I have ever seen. Some sites not to be missed are the tree hut (very fun to climb with children) and the Garden Railway with a huge outdoor exposure of miniature trains (perfect for all fans of Thomas The Train.)
Fountaine of outdoor theater
There are beautiful exhibitions of fountains throughout the field, but you cannot miss the Fontaine lounge at the outdoor theater fountain. With 750 jets in changing patterns, these illuminated enlightened and sound shows take place every five minutes after 3.30 p.m.
Just arrive when the previous show ends to get a good seat. I would recommend a seat in front so that your photos and video are not all the people with cameras held in the air in front of you.
Eat Longwood Gardens
To make an evening from a visit to a Longwood Christmas, you can take a dinner or snacks in one of the restaurants in the gardens. There are food stands with hot chocolate, chicken milk and other candies. For something more substantial, try one of these:
Coffee
THE Coffee Offers ready-to-eat sandwiches and salads, selections of hot entrances, freshly prepared desserts and the delicious Longwood Gardens mushroom soup (it’s really incredible.) There are interior and outdoor seats and reservations are not accepted, so the seats are the first arrival, the first-sale.
1906
1906 is a gourmet restaurant in Longwood Gardens. Appointed in honor of the year, Pierre S. du Pont (1870-1954) bought the land that was developed in the Gardens of Longwood, 1906 offers seasonal dishes using local and durable local ingredients. Reservations are recommended, especially during a Longwood Christmas. It may not be ideal for children, but if you visit gourmets, I strongly recommend that you make reservations for 1906.
Tips for visiting Longwood Gardens at Christmas
- Buy your tickets in advance – Longwood Gardens requires timed entry tickets for a Longwood Christmas. The ticket slots are sold, so buy in advance to get the time and date of your choice.
- Plan your visit to arrive around 3 p.m. – In this way, you are ahead of the crowd, can see the gardens day and night and avoid cold end of evening temperatures
- Visit the Conservatory first – After a quick walk through the field, you should go to the conservatory. With 4 acres of flowers and plants in the unique bike, you will easily spend 1 to 2 hours inside. After your trip to the veranda, it should become dark and you can fully enjoy the lights and the fountain show in their full glory
- Diaper – It will be quite hot in the conservatory, but there is a good chance that it is cold outside at this time of the year. Make sure you dress in layers and bring hot hats and gloves.
- Hit the bathroom after the conservatory – The conservatory has an entire corridor of individual bathrooms, so stop at the stand before going in the cold and worrying about finding toilets later
- Book your dinner reservation in advance – If you dine on site at Lovely Dining room 1906Make sure you reserve your reservation when you get your ticket, otherwise, be ready to stand in the long queues in the cold just to get a hot chocolate or a snack at the coffee. If you can hold dinner until your visit, there are many options in Westchester nearby and I would recommend the Avalon restaurant with all my heart (and their two wood chimneys could warm you!) If you want to have lunch (and make a little gift shopping) before your visit, wherever you eat, make sure to try something with mushrooms!
- Camera – You will really want to bring your camera to capture all the beautiful screens.
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Tamara Gruber is the founder and publisher of We3Travel. Former director of marketing and travel advisor, Tamara is a award -winning and expert travel writer recognized in family trips. Tamara is a member of Satw, Natja, Ifwtwa and Adventure Travel Trade Association, and headquarters to the Board of Directors of the Family Travel Association. She is also the publisher of YourTimeTofly.com and the co-host of the Mavens Travel Podcast Podcast.
