Conservatory District

Aerial view of large conservatory complex with a glass ceiling

The Conservatory District— the jewel of Longwood Gardens—features a series of intimate, breathtaking rooms that harmonize the beauty of 19th-century classical architecture to horticultural displays both formal and contemporary.

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 stone walkway leads between two garden beds of red and green plants with a green hanging backset and curved window in the distance, all under a glass conservatory

    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
    Stately bonsai trees are displayed outdoors atop dark brown wooden stands, with the pointed arches of a large glass conservatory in the background

    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
    Wide view of guests strolling an outdoor court of waterlily pools at sunset, surrounded by conservatory buildings.

    Waterlily Court

    On View Now
    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 with 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—we are honored to enhance, steward, and preserve one of the world’s most important, most beautiful collections of gardens and glasshouses.

Stunning new buildings, wondrous new indoor and outdoor gardens, surprising new guest experiences, and much more await your visit. We’ve expanded 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’ve preserved and enhanced 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've entered our next chapter … with you.

District Highlights

Sun streams through a glass window into a long hallway with pink hanging baskets
A small metal fountain shaped like a lotus plant spouts water into the air in front of a large rectangular area covered in water and lined with pink flower baskets
A stone path winds through a lush room of colorful plants with a hanging light above
A large hall full of people looks on to a stage performance under hanging baskets of pink orchids at night in a conservatory
A green wall of plants line the pathway down a wide curving hallway
Thin purple flowers sprout up out of green under a glass conservatory
A spinning Chirstmas tree captured with a long-exposure making light trails in a circular motion
A path leads into a room of tropical green, yellow, and red plants in a glass conservatory

What’s in Bloom

  • Ghost-men

    Pachypodium geayi
  • Small light pink with dark pink flowers with long, sharp-like petals

    Fuchsia

    Fuchsia 'Paula Jane'
  • Green thick rosette of leaves with red flower

    Hybrid Bromeliad

    x Vriesgoudaea 'Supernatural'
  • Clustered pink five peddle blooms with white centers

    Egyptian Star-cluster

    Pentas lanceolata ′Bunnie du Pont′
  • The large, trumpet-shaped foxglove-like pale purple flowers standout on tall , slender stalks.

    African-Foxglove

    Sesamum trilobum 
  • A low growing shrub with bright green leaves and haning panicles of small white flower

    Virginia Sweetspire

    Itea virginica ′Henry’s Garnet′

    This native, deciduous shrub is tough and adaptable. It grows 4 feet tall and will create thickets through root suckering, if left untouched. Fragrant, long white flower spikes appear in June. The foliage turns purplish red in the fall, and this stunning autumn color lasts well into the winter. As an added bonus, the plant is deer resistant and the flowers attract butterflies. ‘Henry’s Garnet’ prefers slightly cool, moist growing sites, although it will tolerate drier locations and performs well under a wide range of cultural conditions.

  • A vibrant azalea bonsai tree in full bloom with bright pink flowers, styled in an informal upright form with an exposed, gnarled root system. The tree is planted in a decorative, bright turquoise octagonal ceramic pot featuring relief carvings, set against a neutral, textured fabric paneled background.

    Satsuki Azalea

    Rhododendron 

    Experience centuries of living artistry with the captivating Satsuki Azalea Bonsai Display, a celebration of the traditional Japanese "fifth month" blooming season. This exclusive exhibit showcases a rotating gallery of 75 rare azalea hybrids imported directly from Japan, sourced from Longwood’s permanent collection and exceptional loans from The Kennett Collection. Spanning over 20 distinct cultivars, the exhibition features everything from elegant, miniature shohin trees (the miniature category of bonsai), to grand, commanding specimens. Visitors can view the world-renowned, multi-colored blooms, where entirely different floral patterns and colors dramatically emerge on opposite sides of the same tree. Highlights include decades-old masterpieces shaped by world-influential grower Hiro Kobayashi. To complement the blossoms, nearly all these trees are presented in deeper than average glazed containers, an essential design pairing that keeps the moisture-loving roots from drying out while harmonizing with the vibrant flowers.  

     

  • Striking, compact orchids featuring fused sepals that form a wide, triangular, or tubular shape. They are distinguished by prominent, elongated "tails" (extended sepal tips) and small, hidden petals.

    Masdevallia Orchid

    Masdevallia hybrid

  • Orchid Cactus; Queen of the Night

    Epiphyllum oxypetalum

    Epiphyllum oxypetalum, famously known as the orchid cactus or Queesn of the Night, is an extraordinary epiphytic cactus that trades daytime show for an intense, nocturnal spectacle! Native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, it earns its common name because it grows anchored to rainforest trees rather than in soil like an orchid, while producing immense, intricate blossoms that rival the exotic beauty of the orchid family. The plant's true claim to fame is its massive, ten-inch white blooms that open after dark, and wither before sunrise. To rapidly attract nocturnal pollinators like moths, during this brief window, the expanding flower releases an intoxicatingly sweet perfume powerful enough to fill an entire garden space. You can see view our specimen on display in the Silver Garden. 

  • Plant with silver-white leaves and clusters of small, yellow flowers

    Guadalupe Island Rock Daisy

    Perityle incana

From Our Blog

See more on our blog
New Homes for Old Friends
inside of a greenhouse filled with tropical green plants

New Homes for Old Friends

By Katie Mobley, on July 7, 2021
Specimens of Beauty
a zoomed in photograph of a vibrant purple orchid bloom

Specimens of Beauty

By Greg Griffis, on March 10, 2021
Reimagination Realized

Reimagination Realized

By Paul B. Redman, on February 18, 2021
The Beauty of Height
a hanging basket of yellow blooms suspended above a sunny hallway filled with greenery

The Beauty of Height

By Jim Sutton, Display Designer, on February 3, 2021
How We Make Our Living Succulent Wreaths

How We Make Our Living Succulent Wreaths

By Kat McCullough, on December 30, 2020