©Daniel Traub
Longwood Gardens
Pennsylvania
In 1906, industrialist Pierre du Pont (1870-1954) purchased a small farm near Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA, to save a collection of historic trees from being sold for lumber. Today, Longwood Gardens is one of the world’s great horticultural displays, welcoming more than 1.5 million guests each year and encompassing 1,100 acres of dazzling gardens, woodlands, meadows, fountains, 10,010-pipe Aeolian organ and 4.5-acre conservatory. Longwood continues the mission set forth by Mr. du Pont to inspire people through excellence in garden design, horticulture, education, and the performing arts, through programming that includes exhibitions, musical performances by leading artists, renowned horticulture education programs, horticulture research, environmental stewardship and community engagement. Longwood is one of more than 30 gardens in the Philadelphia region known as America’s Garden Capital.
Mr. du Pont followed no grand plan, creating gardens when inspiration struck and often drawing heavily on the Italian and French styles he experienced in his travels. He loved fountains and personally designed the hydraulic masterpieces back in the 1930s, including the 600-jet Italian Water Garden, which is based on the Villa Gamberaia near Florence, and the Main Fountain Garden, which recirculated 10,000 gallons of water a minute, jetting as high as 130 feet. Longwood Gardens are home to more fountains than any other garden in the United States. Through innovative programming and a refreshed approach to strategic planning and the guest experience, it has become the most visited public garden in America. On May 27, 2017, Longwood unveiled its renewed Main Fountain Garden after a two-year, $90 million revitalization project that included the replacement of the plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and fountain systems, as well as the restoration of more than 4,000 pieces of limestone.
Longwood Gardens
1001 Longwood Road,
Kennett Square,
PA 19348
USA
