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 walkway leads through garden beds full of orange, yellow, and red chrysanthemums toward a large red hanging basket and curved windows, all in 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

  • Small yellow chrysanthemum flowers arranged in a small metal tower

    Irregular Incurve Mum

    Chrysanthemum × morifolium 'Early Seiko'
    Pagoda Towers

    The pagoda mum towers are a stunning blend of horticulture and art, featuring the cultivar Chrysanthemum × morifolium ‘Seiko’. Using a clever grafting technique, chrysanthemum shoots are attached to a central stem of Artemisia annua and trained to form tiered layers that mimic traditional Asian pagodas. The result is a vertical floral structure that combines precise training, grafting, and design, one of many specialty forms that make the festival a showcase of botanical craftsmanship! 

  • Bright red leaves crowning a bonsaied Maple tree

    Trident Maple Bonsai

    Acer buergerianum

    Boston-based bonsai master Suthin Sukosolvisit, considered the best non-Japanese trained artist in the western world, designed and cultivated this tree.  The balance of roots over rock and its dense canopy of branches is an ideal example of a style that became popular in Japan more than a hundred years ago.

  • Dainty dark pink petals enhance the yellow center on this bonsai chrysanthemum.

    Anenome Mum

    Chrysanthemum x morifolium 'NYBG Bonsai selection no. 6' (Single Mum)_

    Now on display in the Potting Shed, a charming collection of chrysanthemum bonsai forms, skillfully created by our staff, students, and interns. Be sure to stop by as we get closer to the return of our upcoming Chrysanthemum Festival, on view October 24–November 16!

  • Irregular Incurve Mum

    Chrysanthemum × morifolium ′Bola de Oro′

    Irregular incurve mums are one of the largest chrysanthemum flower classes. The ray florets incurve in an irregular manner, forming a very large bloom. Our Horticulture team prunes, pinches, and disbuds the mums you see in the beds to encourage larger flower sizes and more spectacular blooms. By disbudding, all of the plant’s energy is directed to a single flower. ‘Bola de Oro’ has a bloom 6-8 inches wide and high.

  • Anemone Mum

    Chrysanthemum × morifolium ′Purple Light′

    Chrysanthemums, a member of the aster family, have blooms which are composed of many tiny flowers known as florets.  There are 13 classes of chrysanthemums, defined by the National Chrysanthemum Society, which categorize the plant by bloom shapes.  Anemone mums have prominent, raised, cushion-like centers, made up of disk florets, and petal-like ray florets which surround the center.

  • Anemone chrysanthemums featured in a unique fan structure of Chrysanthemum 'Tsuribito' with a central "cushion" of 'Chrysanthemum 'Yamanoha-no-Kumo'

    Chrysanthemum Fan Form

    Chrysanthemum x morifolium 'Yamanoha-no-Kumo' and 'Tsuribito'

  • Lion's-tail

    Leonotis leonurus

    Widespread in its native home of South Africa, this plant favors loam or clay soils and can be found growing in full sun amongst rocks or grasslands. The orange flowers can be spotted from late summer, all through autumn, and attract birds and butterflies with their nectar, making the garden a hub of activity. Early South African dwellers (Khoisan) smoked the dried leaves and flowers, reporting a feeling of calm and euphoria, giving birth to the common name, wild dagga. The leaves are rough on the upper surface, with toothed margins and give off a herbal aroma when brushed or crushed.

  • Five cream colored petaled flowers

    Senna

    Senna bicapsularis ′Butter Creme′

  • Spurflower

    Plectranthus ′Cape Angels Dark Pink′
  • Red flower inflorescence in green foliage

    Pineapple Sage

    Salvia elegans ′Golden Delicious′

From Our Blog

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The Beauty of Height
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