Come Explore the New Indoor Children's Garden—Now Open!

Some amazing creatures have moved into the neighborhood at Longwood Gardens!

The new Indoor Children's Garden will delight young and old with one-of-a-kind artisan elements, an amazing palette of plants to discover and fun encounters around every corner.

Longwood's new Indoor Children's Garden provides a safe and engaging space where children can be surrounded by plants and discover the joys of being in a garden. See a listing of plants used in the Indoor Children's Garden.

The Indoor Children's Garden features:

  • The Central Cove, with a tree-covered seating area, a central pool with flower-shaped water jets and jewel-like mosaics, and three animal adorned sculptures shooting streams of water from overhead into the pool. Children will move from the Central Cove into the Rain Pavilion, which features water curtains on two sides. Look up and you will see the glass ceiling allowing a view of water running overhead.
  • The Secret Room is home to the Drooling Dragon water feature, and a balcony that overlooks the Central Cove.

  • The Ramp, accented by an ever-changing Water Curtain and animated by the leaping water “glow worm,” leads children to a Tower overlooking the Bamboo Maze. Water runs down the glow worm into a swallowing salamander at the bottom of the ramp.
  • The Grotto Cave, underneath the Tower, contains a shallow fog-covered pool activated by water dripping from sculpted snakes coiled overhead.

  • The Bamboo Maze offers a jungle of tree-size bamboos for children to explore. The Maze contains five visitor-activated water features accented with ornate bird sculptures.






    • The garden is handicap accessible. A surrounding walkway allows “grown” children to enjoy the garden as well as keep an eye on the action. With 17 fountains in the garden to enjoy, children will want to splash and play, so an extra shirt or small towel might come in handy.

    School's Out Mondays

    Join us February 15

    Kids home from school on President's Day and looking for something to do? Come to Longwood for a day of family fun. Wear your PJs and get a coupon for a free cookie!


    Find out more »

    OrKid Days

    February 20 & 27

    Spend the day at Longwood enjoying concerts and activities for the whole family! Enjoy a performance, craft activity and meet exotic animals up close.


    Find out more »

    Explore Our Indoor Children's Garden

    Meet the Drooling Dragon and our other amazing Garden residents! With 17 fountains to enjoy, one-of-a-kind artisan elements and an amazing palette of plants to discover, the garden will delight both young and old.


    Find out more »

    Making Scents: The Art and Passion of Fragrance

    on view April 10–November 21, 2010

    Longwood Gardens takes you inside the unmapped universe of scent with Making Scents: The Art and Passion of Fragrance, an interactive exhibition that explores the art, science and mystery of fragrance.


    Find out more »