Conservatory District

Portions of Exhibition Hall will be closed all day Friday, April 25; and in the morning and after 5:00 pm Saturday, April 26, for the Pasión y Arte performance. The Ballroom will be closed Sunday, April 27, before and briefly after the 3:00 pm Tedde Gibson performance.

Aerial view of large conservatory complex with a glass ceiling

About This District

Wander through wondrous spaces under acres of glass, taking in the sweeping views of lush foliage and a kaleidoscope of color. Witness the beauty of otherworldly plant species, some of which have been with us since the Conservatory’s 1921 debut. Allow yourself plenty of time to linger, explore, and marvel at the expertise involved in the creation of our dazzling displays.

 

a lush green walkway in the conservatory with hanging baskets and columns covered in green

Gardens in this District

  • Acacia Passage
    sun shines through glass windows into a long hallway with green plants, yellow flowers, and hanging baskets

    Acacia Passage

    From the pendulous branches of the Acacia leprosa, puffs of sunny yellow emerge in February and March—offering a very welcome burst of optimistic color and fragrance amidst winter’s muted tones.

  • Cascade Garden
    A winding path cuts through a glasshouse filled with bold tropical leaves, finely textured glaucous plants, and columns of stone and plantings.

    Cascade Garden

    Inspired by an equatorial coastal rainforest, elemental simplicity reigns in the sole North American garden design by esteemed 20th-century landscape architect, artist, and activist, Roberto Burle Marx (1904-1994). A profusion of plants, water, and stone come together to envelop the senses, immersing you in a verdant mosaic of lush splendor. 

  • East Conservatory
    Sun. streams through the glass ceiling of a conservatory on a pathway lined with green bushes and tall plans with a hanging lamp

    East Conservatory

    Experience an unparalleled sensory journey through lush plantings, soaring classical architecture, and tranquil water features, including waterfalls, pools, and fountains under a half-acre of glass.

  • East Conservatory Plaza
    Two people sit along levels of freshly cut grass in the summer with green tress behind

    East Conservatory Plaza

    A feat of artistic vision and expert engineering, five tiers of sweeping, grass-covered terraces emerge like steps from the land, providing a grand transition from the forest to the Conservatory.

  • Green Wall
    A luscious wall of green ferns and other plants lines a hallway of doors

    Green Wall

    When nature calls, don’t miss this fern-laden glen of lush, vertical vegetation planted along 4,000 square feet. At the end of the hallway, a circular reflecting pool of marble awaits your gaze.

  • Indoor Children’s Garden
    a small fountain in the middle with building structures and green trees surrounding it

    Indoor Children’s Garden

    Let your kids get lost in a lush jungle of draping vines, drooling dragons, and secret stairways. Take a breather on a nearby bench as they shake their sillies in this whimsical realm of discovery.

  • Historic Main Conservatory
    A small blue Mecanopsis blue poppy stands in a garden bed in a glass conservatory with a green grass area in the background

    Historic Main Conservatory

    In this ever-changing indoor space of perpetual bloom and uncommon, elegant beauty, familiar specimens flourish alongside mature trees and hanging baskets of intricately grown flowers, while a sunken marble pool and lush green lawns beckon.

  • Orchid House
    Sun shines through glass and a metal trellis filled with orchids and green plants

    Orchid House

    Our new Orchid House is an open, gallery-like space with a new glass roof and restored interior and exterior concrete. Hundreds of orchids displayed in custom frame trellises and our restored bronze case showcase the beauty and diversity of our renowned orchid collection.

  • Silver Garden
    morning sun shines through glass windows into a conservatory room filled with desert plants along a stone pathway

    Silver Garden

    Designed by Isabelle Greene, a meandering pathway of slate snakes through rocky outcroppings of spiky, textural plants in otherworldly hues of platinum, cool green, and soft blue.

  • Bonsai Courtyard
    Outdoor bonsai viewed through overhanging branches of cherry blossoms.

    Bonsai Courtyard

    Contemplate the interconnectedness of art, nature, and perseverance as you wander this 12,500 square-foot garden featuring a ever-changing display of miniature trees. Selections of great rarity, ancient beauty, and vibrant seasonal interest are thoughtfully curated and displayed, inviting guests to slow down and take in the meticulous details. 

  • Waterlily Court

    Waterlily Court

    Opening May 9, 2025
    Showcasing aquatic plants from around the world, including South American water-platters and tropical waterlilies, this space invites an otherworldly experience of visual splendor and tranquility as you explore our stunning Conservatories. 

  • West Conservatory
    Cypress and Bismarkia trees rise above low planting beds and a central runnel

    West Conservatory

    A realm of unimaginable beauty and tranquility awaits beneath a soaring crystalline structure of contemporary design. Seemingly afloat atop sleek pools of water, airy pathways meander through colorful gardens inspired by the sun-kissed, Mediterrean regions of the world. 

  • West Conservatory Plaza
    a glasshouse with a multi-peaked roof rises from a wide green lawn dotted with fallen autumn leaves

    West Conservatory Plaza

    A sweeping terrace offers picturesque views for which the Brandywine Valley is renowned. Meandering pathways lead guests to expansive vistas, including a stand of 19th century sycamores and rolling, open meadows, marrying the native landscape with contemporary architecture. 

Longwood Reimagined: A New Garden Experience

Our legacy of innovation continues as we embark on the most ambitious expansion, reimagination, and preservation of our Conservatory and surrounding landscape in a century.

For more than 115 years, we have harmoniously blended art and science to create a horticulture experience of unparalleled splendor. With the realization of Longwood Reimagined: A New Garden Experience—a sweeping reimagination of 17 acres of our Conservatory and grounds, opening November 22, 2024—we are honored to enhance, steward, and preserve one of the world’s most important, most beautiful collections of gardens and glasshouses.

Artistic rendering of large glass house with arched entrance and roof with four peaks.
Artist rendering of our reimagined West Conservatory

Stunning new buildings, wondrous new indoor and outdoor gardens, surprising new guest experiences, and much more await. We’re expanding our grounds, connecting them from east to west in a beautiful, unified journey of lush, formal gardens to open meadows to winding paths to breathtaking Brandywine Valley vistas. We’re preserving and enhancing our cherished spaces to better showcase and grow our outstanding collections. We’re reflecting our founder’s vision and embodying our mission to create a world apart accessible to all for the celebration and enjoyment of horticulture. We’re entering our next chapter … with you.

Longwood remains open throughout the project and continues to be a world apart filled with memorable moments and beautiful experiences. Stay tuned for more about Longwood Reimagined: A New Garden Experience along the way.

What’s in Bloom

  • Stock

    Matthiola incana ′Katz Pink′
  • Tall nodding, yellowish-cream colored bell-shaped flowers arranged in clusters on strong bluish-green stems.
  • Peruvian-lily

    Alstroemeria ′Zaprielia′ Eliane® (Colorita Group)
  • Showy, cup-shaped flowers that come in a wide range of colors, including shades of red, orange, pink, yellow, purple, and white.

     Tulips

    Tulipa 

    Tulips are native to Central Asia, especially the Tien Shan Mountains in areas now part of Kazakhstan. They were first cultivated in Persia and beloved by the Ottoman Empire, where the sultans bred them into dazzling forms. The flower was introduced to Europe in the 1500s, and then in the 1630s, the Netherlands went wild for tulips during a phenomenon called Tulip Mania.  At the height of the craze, a single bulb of a rare variety could cost more than a house in Amsterdam. Some people sold everything they had—land, livestock, even dowries—to invest in tulip bulbs. The market crashed in 1637, making it one of the first recorded economic bubbles in history. Still, the Netherlands never fell out of love with tulips, and the country remains the world's largest exporter of the bulbs today.

     

  • Compact Korean Spice Viburnum

    Viburnum carlesii ′Compactum′
  • Large, round showy flowerheads in shades of pink, blue, or purple

    Hydrangea

    Hydrangea macrophylla 
  • Densely packed, funnel-shaped flowers in vibrant shades of pink, red, purple or white.

    Kurume Bonsai Hybrid Azalea 

    Rhododendron kiusianum

    On loan from the Kennett Collection, the Kurume bonsai azalea is known for having vibrant flower colors and evergreen foliage. Also known as Japanese azaleas, this type of hybrid has been grown in Japan since as early as the late 1600's.  Obtained as full sized plant from Fairmont Park in Philadelphia, the collection of Kurume azaleas were given to the United States from France as part of the Centennial celebration. Grown in the clump style, the bonsai training began in 1980.   

  • Prickly-pear

    Brasiliopuntia brasiliensis
  • Snapdragon

    Antirrhinum majus ′Liberty Bronze′ (Liberty Group)

    Antirrhinum majus ‘Liberty Bronze’, snapdragon, surround the Square Fountain.

  • Honeybells

    Hermannia pinnata

    Honeybells is a mat forming shrublet which has attractive fine leaved foliage and yellow bell-like flowers. It grows naturally in sandy areas along the western coastline of South Africa and receives most of its rain during the cool winter months, tolerating extremely dry conditions during the summer. The flowers are honey scented and are produced en mass in the spring.