Conservatory District

The Ballroom will close at 2:00 pm Saturday, April 25, 2026.
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
    Outdoor bonsai viewed through overhanging branches of cherry blossoms.

    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

  • Very tall, and wide spikes made up of small red flowers and long thin tentacle like leaves

    Tower-of-jewels

    Echium wildpretii

    Tower-of-jewels is native to the Canary Islands, specifically the island of Tenerife.  The seeds of this plant first came to Longwood in 1983 and it took extensive research on how to grow it until it was first displayed in the the Conservatory in 1991.  

  • Pineapple Guava

    Acca sellowiana

    Native from southern Brazil to northern Argentina, this large shrub with evergreen leaves has exotic flowers, and delicious fruits. About the size of an egg, the fruits taste somewhere between a pineapple and a guava, hence the common name, pineapple guava. Fruits may be eaten raw or whipped into a curd as is common in Brazil, but others prepare pineapple guava into ice creams, jams, compotes and baked goods. Unfortunately, ripe fruits bruise very easily and are usually not exported or shipped great distances, which likely explains their exotic identity.

  • Globular, densely white-spined cactus known for forming clusters and producing a ring of small, fragrant, rose-pink or white flowers

    Snowball Pincushion Cactus

    Mammillaria mystax 

    Mammillaria mystax is a small, clustering cactus native to central and southern Mexico, where it inhabits rocky, well-drained slopes and dry scrub habitats. The species is notable for its delicate ring of pink to pale magenta flowers that emerge near the crown, often forming a halo-like display in spring. Its name, mystax, meaning “mustache,” refers to the shaggy appearance created by its fine radial spines. In the wild, it often grows tucked among stones or in crevices, a strategy that helps buffer temperature extremes and conserve moisture, illustrating the subtle but effective survival strategies of desert plants.

  • Foxglove

    Digitalis purpurea ′Dalmatian Peach′
  • Blooms are tubular to slightly flared, generally a rich violet to deep purple with a soft, luminous quality.

    Primulina

    Primulina 'Purple Moon' 
  • Small white four petaled flowers growing in large clumps

    Bigleaf Hydrangea

    Hydrangea macrophylla ′Ayesha′ (Hortensia Group)
  • Evergreen bonsai species, valued for its deadwood and dense, deep-green foliage.

    Japanese Yew

    Taxus cuspidata
  • Brightly colored yellow, paddle-shaped inflorescences and long, often caulescent (trunk-forming) foliage.

    Goudaea

    Goudaea ospinae 

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