Longwood Gardens
add photosKids' Garden Adventure
Young horticulturists learn about a plant-related topic through craft activites on most Wednesdays at 10:00 am (January-May and September-November). For children ages 3-5, and limited to 20 children per session. Visit our Kids Garden Adventure page for the schedule.
Kids' Storytime
Enjoy a story and create a fun craft with Longwood Staff and volunteers on most Mondays (January-May and September-November) at 10:00 and 10:45 am. For children ages 3-5, and limited to 20 children per session. Visit the website for a detailed schedule.
New Kids' Map & Guide
Be sure to pick up the new Kids' Map & Guide—your ultimate guide to fun at Longwood (available in the Visitor Center)! Discover all of the family-friendly areas of the Gardens, including the spectacular new Indoor Children's Garden. Kids will learn about plants, insects and more as they play and learn with a stamp hunt, sticker activity map, games and more.
9 Reviews for Longwood Gardens
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00 families found this helpful
"kids will have fun too"
Great place to come and visit! Only 4 stars because it is expensive. We ended up going on a day that was free to the public. Had a great time. I wouldn't bring a stroller if you also have a little one who is walking. There are areas where you may want to go that it wouldn't be as easy using the stroller. I brought a stroller for my two kids and ended up not using it at all. I was basically pushing the diaper bag:-) I wore my 1 year old and my 3 year old walked the whole time. My 3 yr old loved the indoor kids water area! That was great for her. She didn't even want to leave that area. We walked up a treehouse and saw a huge fountain. She enjoyed all of it. Mostly just a great place for her to have space to move around and a ton of beauty to look at!
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0 families found this helpful
"Beautiful All year round"
My husband and I have visited Longwood a number of times before kids and we always enjoyed it. However received free passes for mother's day and we went with our 2 year old. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We happened to have a great day weather wise, so I recommend if you are going to go to do so on a good weather day as most of the sites are outdoors. They do have beautiful HUGE indoor greenhouses with every imaginable flower. Our daughter walked and rode in the stroller so I highly recommend taking the stroller in with you. They have many kid friendly areas as mentioned in other reviews. Including a indoor children's water garden and and outdoor children's area. There is a sit down restaurant that is quite pricey and also a cafeteria style restaurant that is also pricey but it is to be expected. They do have some kid friendly fare like hot dogs, chicken strips and mac & cheese. We saw a lot of people with a picnic lunch and I thought that was brilliant. Didn't realize they allowed outside food. It cost about $35 for the 3 of us to have lunch. (2 sandwiches 1 soup, one bag of chips, 3 drinks and a kids meal).
Don't forget your sunscreen, wear comfortable shoes, bring along a drink (or 2) oh and of course your camera! Beauty everywhere you turn!
1 family found this helpful
"Absolutely Beautiful!"
Longwood Gardens is a beautiful horticultural masterpiece that was begun by the DuPont Family. Other area attractions that may be of interest are Winterthur and The Hagley Museum, both begun the the DuPonts as well. Longwood Gardens not only has beautiful gardens but also have dates for children's activities and music festivals. The garden changes with the season but just because it's winter doesn't mean you won't see flowers. Longwood Gardens has a giant greenhouse that contains every flower imaginable and brings a little cheer to the normal winter gloom. Definitely a must see!
1 family found this helpful
"Beautiful Gardens!"
Longwood Gardens is especially beautiful at night. I had a one year old at the time. The stroller came in handy as the Gardens involve a LOT of walking. Strollers are not allowed inside parts of the Greenhouse. This trip is good for the whole family and is educational. I would recommend that you go when the weather is comfortable as it is mostly outside.
0 families found this helpful
"longwood gardens"
My kids love longwood - there is a lot to see, gorgeous flowers and even an historic house - but it is a lot of walking. If you have preschoolers, you will want to bring a stroller and pick a day that is not too hot. They have fabulous Christmas lights that are worth the trip!!
2 families found this helpful
"Far more enjoyable than I thought it would be"
Maybe it's because I had low expectations of my toddler's interest in plants, but there were many pleasant surprises that made the trip worthwhile. Not membership worthwhile for us, but one visit worthwhile (we are 30 minutes away). The highlights were the fountain shows, waterfall, children's indoor garden, and the amazing real bee-hive inside the Lookout Loft. My almost 2 year-old could not get enough of the busy bees making honey and flying in and out of the hive (through a safe clear tunnel that leads the bees outside of the treehouse). The harder points were keeping her from picking the flowers, and keeping her from wandering off at times. There is a good variety of plants and fountains, which kept her interest both in and out of the stroller.
There's a restaurant and cafeteria on site in the same building. The cafeteria was surprisingly tasty, but at about the premium cost we thought it would be.
1 family found this helpful
"Flowers, flowers, everywhere..."
Longwood is stroller friendly and has a nice childrens garden with lots of fountains for kids to play in (but it's not all that large). I'd say it's fine for little guys who are between 1 and 3 maybe 4, much older and they'd just be bored. Avoid it on Mother's day and major holidays. Like I said, the children's garden is small, and not much fun when it's crowded.
0 families found this helpful
"Very beautiful gardens"
I have been here in cold weather for school trips and it was very enjoyable. Not sure if all kids will like it, but certainly the older ones or kids who have an interest in gardening and learning about different types of ecosystems and biomes. They do also have a great tree lighting around the holidays.
1 family found this helpful
"Fun with the Family"
Longwood’s visitors can see orchids, roses, bonsai, exotic jungle plants, and waterfalls, even on the coldest winter days. Longwood is well known for its indoor changing seasonal displays as well . . . The Orchid Extravaganza in the Winter, The Chrysanthemum Festival in the fall and the not-to-be-missed annual holiday display, A Longwood Gardens Christmas. On warmer days you can tour the outside gardens and the fountains, and stroll more than 325 acres of natural woodlands, meadows and more.
Longwood’s completely redesigned and expanded Indoor Children’s Garden is a horticultural wonderland for children. Featuring whimsical fountains, mazes, a cave and secret room, young and old can experience of joy of being in a garden. Children can also enjoy the outdoor Bee-Amazed Children’s Garden, which features: the Honeycomb Maze, Flower Fountain, and Buzz Trail. The garden focuses on the busy honeybees and their important role in pollination. The Honeycomb Maze is full of surprises: tunnels, a beehive arbor, and the Queen Bee’s Throne.
Families will also enjoy Nature’s Castles, a dazzling display of three tree houses located around the gardens. From the two-story Canopy Cathedral, to the 20-ft high Birdhouse, to the universally accessible Lookout Loft, exploring each treehouse is a memorable experience. The Garden Railway, open in the autumn, depicts the Brandywine Valley, including the du Pont farm that became Longwood Gardens. Look closely and you’ll see that architectural details are made of cinnamon sticks, beech seedpods, and other garden findings.
Year-long Passes are available for families, grandparents and individuals. The Terrace Restaurant includes both a cafeteria and a sit-down dining room. Reservations are recommended for the dining room.
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