There’s an allure to Longwood Gardens any time of
year, but around the holidays, the massive horticultural venue really shines.
Longwood Gardens began as a quiet Quaker farm in the early 1700s, later becoming a celebrated arboretum known as Peirce’s Park. Its transformation into the destination we know today started in 1906, when industrialist Pierre S. du Pont bought the land to save its trees—and then dreamed much bigger.
Inspired by grand European gardens, he added elegant conservatories, dazzling fountains, and formal landscapes. Today, Longwood Gardens spans over 1,000 acres and blends historic design with modern innovation. And around the winter season specifically, a few more sparkly additions are added to the estate.
‘A Longwood Christmas’ is one of the venue’s fan favorite traditions (on site through Jan. 11), with roots dating back to Pierre S. du Pont’s love of holiday tradition and spectacle.
For one, the conservatories are completely transformed into “gemstone-inspired wonderlands.” What visitors will find wandering through the halls (and take note, the indoor spaces are quite massive) is a barrage of Christmas trees floating over water, an organist belting out festive tunes, light displays sprinkled throughout the flowers, and perhaps, a group of carolers on site to tie your experience up with a bow. The indoor venue also dons different horticultural walks, a whimsical children’s garden (which is fun to walk through at any age), and spaces like an orchid house and bonsai courtyard.
Outdoors, the venue is equally as decorated with more than half a million lights illuminating the gardens throughout different displays (like the Meadow Tunnel of Lights and Open Air Theatre’s Fountain Show.) One of the more unique aspects of the venue is its Garden Railway, made up of miniature trains. This time of year, it's dressed to the nines with twinkling fixtures to add to its allure.
There’s also a beer garden on site, and different booths set up around the venue to nab warm drinks. But for those who want a dining experience as creative as the elaborate garden displays, the move is absolutely to make a reservation at one of the venue's on-site restaurants, 1906.
The name of is in honor of the year Pierre S. du Pont purchased the property and began transforming it into the garden we know today. It offers a seasonal, locally inspired menu, with ingredients grown just steps away (in the Ornamental Kitchen Garden) from where you sit to dine—and that’s quite apparent after your first bite.
For ‘A Longwood Christmas’, the restaurant offers a three-course ($95) or four-course ($115) prix-fixe holiday menu (with optional wine pairings). The meal starts off with house-made bread paired with cultured butter (the latter of which is seasoned for the time of year), and it sets the stage for what to expect: An experience that will knock your socks off with flavor.
The first course features dishes like Prime Beef Carpaccio with burrata and black lime, Bay Scallops with sunchoke and ponzu demi-glace, Garden Risotto featuring squash and kale, and rich Mushroom Bisque with winter truffles (and with Kennett Square being the mushroom capital, the soup is certainly worth a try.) The main course goes on to hold options like Mushroom Wellington (a must-try), Atlantic Halibut with root vegetables, Green Circle Chicken with garden lavender, and Venison Loin with sunflower-seed risotto.
There are a few add-ons to the first course options, like whole-smoked bone marrow or a Japanese A5 wagyu, and with the drink pairings, it's all meant to be complementary to the botanical notes seen throughout Longwood Gardens.
But the dessert is certainly where the whimsical comes into play, with options like a Chocolate Mimosa, an Emerald Garden (boasting peppermint and vanilla flavors) a Coconut Pearl (gingerbread and cranberry) and other bites. And the last course here isn’t just a cap to a meal, it’s also meant to be a mini work of art with garden influences — so perhaps your sweet comes out to look like a terrarium, or a mushroom cap. It all adds to the experience.
In short, by the time you leave Longwood Gardens at Christmas, you’ll be full — of amazing food, glittering sights, and that warm, holiday feeling that sticks with you. All you have to do is reserve your spot, dress warmly, and get ready to explore.
'A Longwood Christmas' at Longwood Gardens (1001 Longwood Rd, Kennett Square), will be open through Jan. 11. Tickets ($25-$45) are available online. Note, to dine at 1906, you need to purchase tickets to the Gardens. More information can be found at longwoodgardens.org
